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After a string of rocky confirmation hearings for President Obama's diplomatic nominees, the group representing America's Foreign Service professionals signaled Friday that it's had enough.
The organization, in a major rebuke, is now urging that the White House set minimum qualification standards for its ambassadorial nominees.
"The topic of the qualifications of ambassadorial nominees is of great interest to AFSA's membership," The American Foreign Service Association said in a statement. "All Americans have a vested interest in ensuring that we have the most effective leaders and managers of U.S. embassies and missions advancing U.S. interests around the globe."
The American Foreign Service Association has long argued that ambassadorial nominees should, for the most part, come from the ranks of career professionals -- as opposed to the ranks of top-dollar political donors. But the organization is taking its concerns to a new level, announcing Friday that it will propose new guidelines for "the necessary qualifications and qualities" for diplomatic candidates.
The statement said the group has been "closely monitoring" recent confirmation hearings.
The remark was a reference to several problematic appearances by Obama donors who had been rewarded with diplomatic appointments. At confirmation hearings, they betrayed gaps in knowledge about the countries where they were appointed to serve. The performances stoked concerns that the administration is appointing too many politically connected donors, and not enough Foreign Service professionals, to diplomatic posts.
The American Foreign Service Association further fueled those concerns when it reported that a whopping 53 percent of Obama's second-term appointments have been political.
The organization, in a major rebuke, is now urging that the White House set minimum qualification standards for its ambassadorial nominees.
"The topic of the qualifications of ambassadorial nominees is of great interest to AFSA's membership," The American Foreign Service Association said in a statement. "All Americans have a vested interest in ensuring that we have the most effective leaders and managers of U.S. embassies and missions advancing U.S. interests around the globe."
The American Foreign Service Association has long argued that ambassadorial nominees should, for the most part, come from the ranks of career professionals -- as opposed to the ranks of top-dollar political donors. But the organization is taking its concerns to a new level, announcing Friday that it will propose new guidelines for "the necessary qualifications and qualities" for diplomatic candidates.
The statement said the group has been "closely monitoring" recent confirmation hearings.
The remark was a reference to several problematic appearances by Obama donors who had been rewarded with diplomatic appointments. At confirmation hearings, they betrayed gaps in knowledge about the countries where they were appointed to serve. The performances stoked concerns that the administration is appointing too many politically connected donors, and not enough Foreign Service professionals, to diplomatic posts.
The American Foreign Service Association further fueled those concerns when it reported that a whopping 53 percent of Obama's second-term appointments have been political.
