Obama's donors get plum posts

US President Barack Obama is coming under fire for handing dozens of coveted ambassadorships to donors who raised millions for his presidential campaign.

The diplomatic postings range from tiny island nations in the Caribbean to major political partners, such as France and Britain, and have raised the hackles of many American diplomats.

The practice of appointing campaign donors instead of state department professionals has a long tradition in the US. However, many had hoped Obama would reduce such displays of patronage.

Since taking office, Obama has made almost 80 ambassadorial nominations, of which 56 per cent went to political appointees.

"It is time to end the spoils system and to stop renting out these ambassadorships for fabulous sums of money," said Susan Johnson, president of the American Foreign Service Association, which monitors the nominations. Johnson said Obama was on track to equal the number of such appointments made by President George W. Bush. "It is business as usual."

Britain's new US Ambassador is Louis Susman, who raised more than US$500,000 ($707,700) for Obama. The new Ambassador to France is Charles Rivkin, a former TV executive who helped raise US$800,000, while Germany is getting Philip Murphy, an ex-finance chairman of the Democratic National Committee who has donated US$1.9 million to the party since 1989.

Other political appointees have been aimed at less important countries, but ones where a few years in the sun might seem like an attractive proposition: Nicole Avant, who raised at least US$800,000 for Obama, is the new ambassador appointed to the Bahamas.

Anti-corruption groups say the practice sends a message that government posts can be bought by backing the right candidate in an election campaign. "It is an auction for donors. It is a way the Administration has of rewarding them," said Josh Israel, a project co-ordinator for the Centre for Public Integrity, a Washington-based watchdog group.

The revelations fly in the face of Obama's election campaign promises to change the face of Washington and his pledge to rid the capital of its reputation for insider dealing and lavish spending. Obama's efforts to clean up the city have been damaged by coverage of the extraordinary access many top bankers enjoy to senior members of his Administration.

Obama's reputation for meaningful change was also tarnished by the coverage of last week's first state dinner for the Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh. Many commentators frowned on the lavishness at a time when millions of Americans are out of work.

White House officials say there is nothing wrong with making political appointments and insist they are not influenced by the size of donations.

They say the practice allows a President to make nominations that might capitalise on a person's expertise or special link with a country.

One such nomination, which counts as a "political" posting, is that of Karl Eikenberry, the new ambassador to Afghanistan. Eikenberry was a senior military commander in Afghanistan.

Legislation is supposed to ensure all US ambassadors have expert knowledge of the country to which they are assigned and familiarity with its language and culture.

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