Sorry About That 'Political Dilettante' Part, Mr. Prime Minister

Buy an Ambassadorship? Heavens!

The American Academy of Diplomacy has written Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama, urging them to pledge to sharply reduce the number of political (i.e. non-career) ambassadors if either becomes president.

No problem. Who needs multimillions of bucks from wealthy contributors?

Just as crippling, the academy wants the candidates to "commit to appointing only the most qualified ambassadors" to these jobs. So no more fat cats buying ambassadorships? This is a death blow to America's commitment to free trade in ambassadorships. The candidates will surely dismiss this misguided proposal. (Neither has responded to the academy.)

The letter, from Thomas Pic kering, academy chairman and former ambassador to the United Nations, and Ronald E. Neumann, the academy's president and a former ambassador to Kabul, says that, since the Kennedy administration, about a third of the nation's 190 or so ambassadors have been political appointees -- with most going to European posts. Some have actually been pretty good diplomats. Most have had a wonderful time in Rome, Paris, London, Madrid and the like.

The academy proposes dropping that percentage to maybe 10 percent. Then it lists eight "essential" criteria to be met by nominees, including "demonstrated interest and experience in foreign affairs . . . personal knowledge of the country involved, its region, people and language." This would replace the current threshold of simply having heard of the place.

Some advocates of the proposal venture that with the fundraising bonanza made possible by the Internet, there's no need to sell ambassadorships. Perhaps, but the problem, to paraphrase the adage, is you can never raise enough political money. Never.

Out One House, In Another

Speaking of ambassadors -- and this one even meets the Academy's criteria -- let's give a big welcome back home from Brussels to former White House counsel C. Boyden Gray. Gray, whose confirmation as ambassador to the European Union was blocked by Senate Democrats, got a recess appointment from President Bush for 2006 and 2007. When that expired, in a nifty sleight of hand that angered the Dems even more, he was given the title of "special envoy" in January and was allowed to continue to live in the fine ambassador's residence.

But Senate confirmation last week of Kristen Silverberg, assistant secretary of state for international organizations, to the E.U. ambassadorship -- which some Dems say was done specifically to force Gray out -- meant the special envoy wouldn't be able to live in the special house any more. Gray retains his jobs as "special envoy for Eurasian Energy" and various other tasks. (But there's no house.)

We figured Gray was coming back as soon as we saw that the painters were finishing up work on his beautiful Georgetown home. The company's sign is still out front, but the exterior work looks wrapped up. Silverberg's expected in Brussels next week, and Gray's expected to leave the week after.

Familiar Territory

Calendar note: U.N. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, formerly based in Baghdad and Kabul, will be speaking at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace on Thursday. His topic? Afghanistan.

Research editor Alice Crites contributed to this column.

From Novice To First Fist-Bumper

Despite the limited time remaining, President Bush continues to work hard to learn new things. On July 1, he practiced a fist-bump with a young fellow at Adams Field in Little Rock. (Note the intense concentration and furrowed brow.)

By July 3, at Walter Reed Hospital in Bethesda, he confidently had it down, not even looking as he fist-bumped Marine Capt. Ray Baronie, an injured Iraq war vet.