Let's Not Tick Off Australia Too ...

The Christian Science Monitor reports tomorrow on the rather lengthy delay (more than a year now) between the departure of the most recent American ambassador to Australia and the appointment of a new one. While the president has been only two eager to fill other vacancies (including eighteen by recess appointment earlier this month), but the embassy of one of our strongest allies is allowed to remain vacant. Why the holdup?

Of course, it's probably better to have a State Department career officer "holding down the fort" in Canberra than whichever GOP flunkie Bush eventually picks to fill the post ...