Kelly Knight Craft is not a surprise name for the nomination to be U.S. Ambassador to Canada. We’ve known since February that Craft was the pick. As to why the name is finally offered up in late June, there are bigger concerns in Washington these days.
Besides raising money during the campaign, Knight Craft is known for being married to the president and CEO of the second-largest coal producer in the eastern United States. She was appointed to the U.S. delegation at the United Nations in 2007. Knight Craft serves on the University of Kentucky board of trustees and resides in Lexington, KY.
Knight Craft said in a written statement to CTV News that many communities on both sides of border "may have more in common with each other than they do with Washington or Ottawa."
CanadianCrossing.com Donald Trump coverage
CanadianCrossing.com Canadian politics coverage
The Senate has to approve all ambassadors. We don’t have a schedule for confirmation hearings. Congress takes time off during the summer, though the House and Senate Intelligence Committees might not get as much time off this summer.
The NAFTA renegotiation are scheduled for late this summer but Craft may not be ready to go by that point.
Knight Craft would be the first woman to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Canada.
How much does Sarah Palin know about Canada?
There never seemed to be much to the Sarah Palin ambassador rumours back in February, though it's likely that Palin knows more about Canada than Knight Craft.
If Knight Craft is approved by the Senate, she will replace Bruce Heyman, who left on January 20 after serving under former president Barack Obama. Heyman's offer to help the transition team get up to speed on Canada was met with silence.
Canadian ambassadors should know Canada really well
New U.S. ambassador to Canada should know Canada before taking job
Being able to easily switch countries shouldn't be magic
Has Canada benefited from 25 years of free trade with the U.S.?
We’ll have more to say once the hearings begin. Until then, if Knight Craft or the White House want to do any research on Canada, CanadianCrossing.com would be an excellent resource. Within our site, we have some fun reading above, including our Donald Trump coverage.
photo credit: Teresa Revlett/Kentucky Press Association
Comments