So the Obama administration has been rewarding prominent donors to Obama's relection campaign with plushy jobs in foreign embassies. The White House recently put Obama's chief fundraiser, Matthew Barzun as the next representative to the Court of St James, whose residence comes with a garden second in size to only Buckingham Palace in the world. Important bit: [quote]In total, nine sought-after postings in Europe, the Caribbean or Asia have been given to major donors in recent weeks, with a further three in France, Switzerland and Hungary earmarked to come soon. Of these 12, the precise bundling data is available for 10. According to a Guardian analysis, using the figures leaked to the New York Times, the average amount raised by each donor is $1.79m.[/quote] So, travesty of the diplomatic process or one of those things that seems fair enough? [quote]Barack Obama has rewarded some of his most active campaign donors with plum jobs in foreign embassies, with the average amount raised by recent or imminent appointees soaring to $1.8m per post, according to a Guardian analysis. The practice is hardly a new feature of US politics, but career diplomats in Washington are increasingly alarmed at how it has grown. One former ambassador described it as the selling of public office. On Tuesday, Obama's chief money-raiser Matthew Barzun became the latest major donor to be nominated as an ambassador, when the White House put him forward as the next representative to the Court of St James's, a sought-after posting whose plush residence comes with a garden second only in size to that of Buckingham Palace. As campaign finance chairman, Barzun helped raise $700m to fund President Obama's 2012 re-election campaign. More than $2.3m of this was raised personally by Barzun, pictured, according to party records leaked to the New York Times, even though he had only just finished a posting as ambassador to Sweden after contributing to Obama's first campaign.[/quote] [url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/10/obama-donors-top-embassy-jobs-rewards]Link to article[/url]