"Worldview: Holdouts put politics before U.S. relations
GOP senators blocking Obama's picks thwart peace.
By Trudy Rubin
At a time when America is beset with intractable foreign policy problems, you wouldn't think Republican senators would want to make things worse.
Or would you?
Sen. Sam Brownback (R., Kan.) is holding up President Obama's nominee to be ambassador to Turkey, skilled career diplomat Frank Ricciardone, at an extremely sensitive time in U.S.-Turkish relations. And several Republican senators are holding up confirmation of Robert Ford as ambassador to Syria, even as Obama is promoting new Mideast peace talks that require buy-in from Arab states."
More:Worldview: Holdouts put politics before U.S. relations | Philadelphia Inquirer | 09/26/2010