Obama taps more fundraisers for ambassadorships

President Obama on Thursday nominated three more major fundraisers to
top diplomatic posts. 

{mosads}The president nominated Dwight Bush to be the U.S. ambassador to
Morocco. Bush and his wife donated more than $70,000 to Obama’s
reelection campaign in 2012, hosted a $17,9000-a-plate fundraiser at
their D.C. home, and in total, pulled in more than $500,000 for the
president’s reelection efforts.

Obama also nominated Pamela Hamamoto as the representative to the
United Nations in Geneva. Hamamoto raised more than $500,000 for
Obama’s 2012 campaign and was a classmate of the president’s when he went to
school in Hawaii.

Earlier in the day, the president nominated Noah Mamet as the next
ambassador to Argentina. Mamet has bundled nearly $1.75 million for
the president since 2007, with the majority of that sum coming in
support of Obama’s reelection bid.

The president has rewarded at least 20 of his political allies with
ambassador posts.

Presidents from both parties have historically rewarded campaign boosters with positions of diplomatic prestige, but an
analysis by The Hill earlier this year showed Obama is outpacing his
predecessors.

Also on Thursday, Obama nominated Anne Patterson to be assistant
secretary of State for near eastern affairs.

Patterson, the U.S. ambassador to Egypt, became a controversial
figure during the Egyptian uprising in June, when protesters sought to
overthrow the Muslim Brotherhood. Patterson at the time made comments
that protesters said indicated the U.S. backed the Muslim Brotherhood
in the overthrow.