I honestly don't understand why appointing people to ambassador positions for political reasons isn't more of a thing. Most ambassador spots deemed unimportant go to big donors, which just goes to show that in a lot of embassies the person at the top is just a figurehead while the foreign service professionals who fill out the staff get stuff done. But rather than awarding donors, why not ask, for example, Stephen Breyer, if he would accept a nomination to be ambassador to Fiji. (Hell, might as well as Sam Alito or Clarence Thomas where they want to retire). Maybe find out if some key Republican Senator (ideally from a state with a Democratic Governor) has a thing for Italian wine.
Yeah I get it that hard core political opponents wouldn't accept a nomination from a political foe, especially if it means his or her replacement is likely to cause a political outcome the incumbent doesn't like. But surely there are people who are old enough to say "fuck it, I'm done." I mean, Senator Richard Burr and Pat Toomey have each announced they are not running for reelection next year. Why not send them on a nice trip abroad right now so that the Democratic governors of NC and PA can find someone else to finish up their term for them?
