Obama’s Crony Diplomacy
We catch another glimpse of Obama the sharp Chicago pol as he appoints Louis Susman, the Democratic (Chicago-based) fundraiser and former vice-president of Citigroup, as the U.S. Ambassador in London. Susman, nicknamed the Vacuum Cleaner for his skill at sucking up cash, is known to have helped raise $500,000 for Obama’s presidential campaign and another $300,000 for his inauguration in January. He has very little foreign experience and no background in diplomacy. But hey, who cares?
Paranoiac Atlanticists are describing the appointment as further proof of Obama’s disdain for the Special Relationship. If only. Susman’s posting to London — as yet unofficial — just proves, yet again, that Obama, like every other globally successful politician, is adept at the dark arts of cronyism.
Still, at least Susman is not Oprah.
This is way off topic, but could some or all of the writers at TAC write about how Obama is going to kill green small business by taking money out of the productive economy and funneling it through government into large organizations (like GE) to develop and manufacture green technology?
It’s easier to regulate and audit a few large businesses than a lot of small ones, so I’m sure that public money (followed by private money that wants to side with the winner) will flow into a few behemoths.
Small scale enterprise that is molded by consumer choices is much more efficient at innovation, but since the Obama’s don’t know anything about economy they are going to organize that industry in a manner most easily run by government.
I work with a few small scale green tech and manufacturing companies, and they are making it happen today. Some of them are looking forward to stimulus for their industry, but I think they are more likely to be pushed out.
Good idea, Mr Tracey. I recommend you read the next issue of TAC, where there should be more on this evergreen — agh, sorry — topic.