Here's one way to fight the right wing

Here's a link to a story that lists George Bush's top fund-raisers who have been rewarded with ambassadorships in nice places like France, Bahamas, Spain, Sweden, Netherlands, Switzerland...
Imagine that: George Bush is rewarding his biggest campaign fundraisers by letting them live in posh mansions, giving them full-time U.S. Marine bodyguards, while they throw and attend and endless string of U.S. taxpayer funded dinner and coctail parties.

http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2004/11/18/build/nation/22-bush-fundraisers.inc

You can fight the right wingers by helping to end this reward program. You can help get these ambassadors sent packing back to Texas, or wherever they came from. If you are living abroad, and there is an anti-American/anti-George Bush sentiment in your current home, then tie the name of Bush's fund-raising ambassador to team Bush. Teach the citizens, and the activists that the ambassador that Bush has sent to their country, is every bit as odious as President Bush himself. If you know people in any of these countries, then write to them and encourage them to do the same.
Encourage your friends and neighbors to organize protests, or write letters, post handbills etc. that criticize the offending ambassador for being so closely tied to George Bush. If you can stir up enough sentiment against the ambassador, then they will have to be recalled, and brought home. Perhaps their replacement will not be so closely tied to Bush Fundraising Inc.
The appointment of these fundraising "pioneers" as ambassadors, is an afront to the people of the countries where they get sent. They deserve better. Let Bush know it.

Here's a list of countries, and their ambassadors, all of whom are major fund-raisers for Team Bush:

Ireland, Richard Egan
France, Howard Leach
Spain, George Argyros
Portugal, Hans Hertell
Belize, Russ Freeman
Uruguay, Martin Silverstein
Norway, John Ong
Sweden, Teel Bivins
Netherlands, Clifford Sobel*
Belgium, Stephen Brauer
Czech Republic, Craig Stapleton*
Slovak Republic, Ronald Weiser
Hungary, Nancy Brinker
Austria, Lee Brown
Switzerland, Mercer Reynolds
Vatican, Jim Nicholson
Malta, Anthony Gioia
Mauritius, John Price
Singapore, Franklin Lavin
New Zealand, Charles Swindells

* spouse is the fundraiser

Presidents have been doing this for years. The principle was originated by Martin Van Buren who managed Andrew Jackson's campaign and later became his Secretary of State and then Vice-President. Andrew Jackson expressed it as "to the winners go the spoils." Andrew founded the Democratic Party and American politics has been nothing but pork since.

comparing them to George W. Bush? What in the heck did they do that compares to how GWB is destroying this country. I mean, we survived Martin Van Buren.

Just because Bush is bad doesn't absolve Van Buren and Jackson of their sins. There is more than one bad person in the world and the existance of a new one does not let the others off the hook.

Inclined more and more to oppose the expansion of slavery, Van Buren blocked the annexation of Texas because it assuredly would add to slave territory--and it might bring war with Mexico.

(from his White House biography page) Can you imagine an America without Texas! What a visionary Van Buren must have been. Plus it sounds like he was on the front lines in the battle against slavery. I'm growing to like Martin Van Buren more by the minute. Bush? Still hate him.

and he created the Volkswagen and pulled his nation out of financial chaos and restored their national dignity. If it wasn't for that irritating issue of 10 million dead people, he'd go down as one of the greatest leaders of all time. Of course, Van Buren has some accomplishments. He also sold the Amistad mutineers down the river because they were politically inconvenient. Don't expect his biographer to dwell on -- or even mention -- the bad stuff. You have to read a biography of Buchanan for example to get the dirt on Lincoln.

Tell that to the Germans who are still ashamed of him.

One's good deeds do not exonerate one's bad deeds. The spoils system is what it is, and Van Buren and Jackson are responsible for it. The fact that Van Buren also opposed annexation of Texas because he was against slavery does not change any of that.

At any rate, welcome to the U. S. of A. This is how business is done here. If you're a big contributor, you become an ambassador. Lower contributors become postmasters. Cushy jobs at your and my expense. And as long as we insist on an election system that requires millions of dollars to get someone elected, it will require big doners and gifts to give away to thank them for their big donations.

Ambassadorships as "Business as usual". That's your perogative. Some of us feel it necessary to fight against abuses like this. Sticking our heads in the sand is not an option for some of us. Lessons in ancient history won't help either.

This is one practice that needs to be curtailed. Merit should be the prime motivator for placing an individual as a U.S. Ambassador. Political favors should be secondary at best.