Caroline Kennedy Considered for Ambassadorship

Caroline Kennedy Considered for Ambassadorship May 29, 2021 19:33:16 GMT

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Post by Admin on May 29, 2021 19:33:16 GMT

President Joe Biden is giving serious consideration to nominating Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of President John F. Kennedy who served as ambassador to Japan during the Obama administration, to serve in a high-profile ambassadorial role, according to a person familiar with the deliberations.

Biden is considering nominating her for another posting in Asia but details of where she might be asked to serve are still in flux, according to the individual who has knowledge about the ambassadorial selection process who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Kennedy served as former President Barack Obama’s chief envoy to Tokyo for much of his second term in the White House

The White House declined to comment.

Kennedy, a scion of one of America's most high-profile political families, threw her support behind Biden relatively early in the crowded 2020 Democratic primary process. In a Boston Globe editorial to announce her endorsement, she praised Biden for his long career as a public servant and fondly recalled Biden visiting Tokyo as vice president while she was ambassador.

“(Biden) stepped off Air Force Two wearing his aviator glasses and a big smile,” she wrote in the Globe ahead of the New Hampshire primary last year. “He radiated American optimism and generosity of spirit. He made clear that America would always stand by our allies, and that we were committed to keeping the region peaceful and prosperous. He delivered tough messages as well, but he did it in private, with skill and respect."

Kennedy, along with her uncle Sen. Ted Kennedy, also offered a critical early endorsement to Obama in his 2008 run for the White House.

Biden is expected to soon announce his first major tranche of political ambassadorial nominations, according to White House officials.

The Associated Press has previously reported that he is expected to nominate former senior State Department official Nicholas Burns to serve in China, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti in India, former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel in Japan, and former deputy secretary of state Tom Nides to Israel.

Ken Salazar, a former colleague of Biden’s in the Senate and Obama-era Interior Department secretary, is a top candidate for the Mexico ambassadorship. Cindy McCain, the widow of Republican Sen. John McCain and a longtime friend of the president and first lady Jill Biden, is under consideration for an ambassadorial position, including leading the U.N. World Food Program.

Prominent Democratic fundraisers Denise Bauer, Jane Hartley and David Cohen have also emerged as leading contenders for postings in France, Italy and Canada, respectively, according to people familiar with the White House deliberations but also not authorized to publicly comment on the matter. During the Obama administration, Bauer served as ambassador to Belgium, and Hartley was ambassador to France and Monaco. Cohen is a top executive at the cable company Comcast.

Caroline Kennedy Considered for Ambassadorship May 30, 2021 21:31:11 GMT

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Post by Admin on May 30, 2021 21:31:11 GMT

President Biden is considering naming two Kennedys to represent him abroad: Caroline Kennedy is in line to be U.S. ambassador to Australia, and Vicki Kennedy is on his radar for Western Europe, people familiar with the matter tell Axios.

Why it matters: With JFK's daughter and the widow of Sen. Ted Kennedy, Biden would be reaching outside of his pool of core campaign donors. He'd also be putting a spotlight back on America's most famous political dynasty — and honoring a late friend and mentor.

Flashback: Biden, who shares the family's Irish Catholic heritage, delivered a eulogy in 2009 for Ted, with whom he served in the Senate for 36 years.

He has described Kennedy as a "big brother," and felt a debt of gratitude for Kennedy's defense of his honor amid the plagiarism controversy in Biden's 1988 presidential bid.
Details: Vicki, an attorney at Greenberg Traurig and a gun control advocate, got to know Biden through her husband.

Caroline served as President Obama’s second ambassador to Japan and is well versed in the issues in the Asia-Pacific region, where the AP first reported she could be heading.
The White House declined to comment. People close to the process stressed that nothing is final until the White House sends a formal announcement.
Driving the news: Biden was scheduled to make several formal offers to candidates over the holiday weekend, ahead of announcing his first slate of ambassadors as soon as this week.

On Friday, he announced Rufus Gifford as his choice to be chief of protocol at the State Department.
Administration officials have been vigorous in vetting the first group of political ambassadors, hoping to avoid negative headlines.
The intrigue: In addition to political allies like former Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel and L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti, Biden will likely reward longtime friends and aides, in lieu of several donors who raised millions of dollars over Zoom from his campaign.

Biden is planning to nominate Cindy McCain as his envoy to the World Food Program in Rome.
Michael Carpenter, managing director of the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement and a former career foreign service officer, is being considered for a European position.
Some donors may make the cut:

Cynthia Telles, a clinical professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at UCLA, is being considered for Costa Rica. She and her husband, Joe Waz, hosted a fundraiser for Biden in 2019 along with Hollywood luminaries Jeffrey Katzenberg and Rob Reiner.
Scott Miller, a former UBS wealth manager and LGBTQ activist, has been discussed for Switzerland. He and his husband, Tim Gill, are prominent philanthropists for LGBTQ causes.