The contentious Obama nomination of Christopher Hill as U.S. Ambassador to Iraq

Flikr photo by mroach used under a Creative Commons license.   The nomination of Christopher Hill by Barack Obama for U.S. Ambassador to Iraq has caused excessive partisan controversy on Capitol Hill, lead by Republican Senators John McCain, Sam Brownback, and Lindsey Graham.  Republicans argue Hill lacks the necessary experience in the Middle East for the top diplomatic job in Iraq.  The real issue, however, seems to be political and has less to do with the career diplomat’s professional qualifications.  Brownback has been the most outspoken Republican against Hill’s nomination because of his failure to include Jay Lefkowitz as special envoy for human rights to North Korea in disarmament talks, after he had promised to do so in congressional testimony last year. During an interview with Fox News, Rick Barton pointed out that the decisions of an Ambassador are ultimately the responsibility of the administration and Hill’s performance in North Korea deserves more credit than it has received.  Hill is one of our best diplomats and has the experience and creativity necessary for the job of U.S. Ambassador to Iraq.  Over the past week, Hill has become a target for frustrations with North Korea, although he has done extremely well managing the difficult expectations of the North Koreans and maintaining regional dialogue.