NATION : Bush Ally Gets Arts Post After Senate Rejects Ambassadorship
President Bush will not ask again for Senate approval of Joy Silverman, his nominee to be ambassador to Barbados, and instead announced today he will make her a trustee of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Bush, bowing to pressure from senators who claimed Silverman was not qualified for the ambassador’s post, was taking the action at the request of the New York fund-raising organization, his spokesman said.
Silverman was nominated by Bush last year to be U.S. ambassador to Barbados, accredited also to Dominica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines. She was awarded the plum job because of her New York work and contributions for the Bush campaign but came under criticism for having no foreign policy experience and virtually no paid employment in recent years.
Silverman and her wealthy industrialist husband made a $100,000 interest-free loan for Bush’s inaugural bash. They are also said to have donated $300,000 to other GOP causes.
The Senate at the end of the last session sent the Silverman nomination back to the White House, which could have resubmitted it.
“She has asked, however, that for family reasons, the President not return her name to the Senate for this post,” the White House said.
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