Kelly Knight Craft got a promotion from U.S. Ambassador to Canada to the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations by a 56-34 vote in the U.S. Senate. This promotion was not based on her tenure as U.S. Ambassador to Canada. Flying from New York City to Kentucky ought to be easier than flying from Ottawa to Kentucky.
As we noted in June, Craft was asked about hundreds of absences from her post as U.S. Ambassador to Canada. Some of her absences were allegedly tied to the CUSMA talks, but there isn't proof. Despite her lack of interest in her current post, the GOP-controlled Senate helped push her out of Canada.
Aldona Wos, a retired physician and former U.S. Ambassador to Estonia from 2004-2006, is the new nominee for U.S. Ambassador to Canada. Wos served as the Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services from 2012-2015.
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Craft's "both sides" of climate change. The sweet time that she took to show up in Ottawa. Her invisibility cloak. Her lies about working on the horrible NAFTA rewrites. Her sincere lack of interest in anything Canada or Canadian. Her inability to help in the many crises between the two countries. Her large number of absences from the post.
Andrew Cohen wrote a column in the Ottawa Citizen that sums up Craft's tenure as ambassador.
"That Craft has been an absentee ambassador is not news in Ottawa, where she made few public appearances or speeches (beyond friendly audiences) and seldom gave interviews. She socialized little, unlike other ambassadors. And, as Politico reports, Craft left Canada often – once for several weeks. ... "
"Craft is called 'a good listener' and 'a quick study' who is charming and generous, and opened doors in Washington to Canadians. But she introduced herself awkwardly to Ottawa in October 2017 when she mused to the CBC about 'both sides of the science' on climate change. This set the tone of her ambassadorship: cautious, scripted and largely unseen, beyond tweeting chirpy greetings to relatives, celebrating the military and praising Vice-President Mike Pence, a close friend."
Wos may not be a great ambassador based on her potential boss. She can't be as bad as Craft. Good luck to the United Nations.
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I have offered in the past to be a Canadian senator or U.S. Ambassador to Canada. I might not prove to be too diplomatic for the latter role. Understanding of Canada and/or an eagerness to learn is helpful for any U.S. Ambassador to Canada. Bruce and Vicki Heyman had some of the former and a lot more of the latter. Craft had neither.
Under normal circumstances, the United States and Canada can be close friends. If Wos gets the nod, we hope for some repair in the relationship.
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The Globe and Mail reported yesterday that Canada Ambassador to the United States David MacNaughton will step down from the post. MacNaughton, who is expected to leave at the end of the month, has been the ambassador since March 3, 2016.
Kirsten Hillman, Canada's deputy ambassador to the United States, will take over as acting ambassador.
video credit: CBC News
photo credit: Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press
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