Minnesotan Named Ambassador To Norway

Minnesotan Ben Whitney has been sworn in as the latest U.S. ambassador to Norway, joining a long line of major political donors in both parties who have been named as envoys to Western Europe and other attractive destinations."Yes, I've put my money where my mouth was, with respect to my work," said Whitney, who was sworn in Monday. "But there are a lot of reasons the president might believe I'm capable of doing this job on his behalf." Whitney, 49, of St. Paul, is not the first ambassador to make up for a lack of foreign service credentials by having close ties to the president or by writing big checks. The American Foreign Service Association reports that 30 percent of ambassadorial appointments over the past 45 years have gone to private citizens with more political clout than diplomatic experience. Last year, Whitney was the finance chair of President George W. Bush's re-election campaign and he raised at least $200,000. He also worked on Bush's 2000 campaign. Whitney and his family gave almost $190,000 to the Republican Party from 1999 to 2004, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Further, the Whitneys and the Bushes have family ties. Ben Whitney is the son of the longtime state GOP leader Wheelock Whitney, who went to prep school in Massachusetts with George H.W. Bush. However, like many other private citizens appointed to ambassadorships over the years, Whitney has a long list of personal accomplishments. And experts note that many inexperienced ambassadors have been very successful at running embassies. Whitney, an attorney, is chief executive of Whitney Management, a financial management business. He is also the former general partner of a venture capital fund. He has an abiding interest in public policy and foreign affairs and has begun preparing for his new post by taking lessons in Norwegian. The last time a Minnesotan was ambassador to Norway was 1980-81 when former St. Olaf College President Sidney Rand had the job. Whitney replaces John Ong, who raised at least $100,000 for Bush in 2000. Bush's two presidential campaigns used "bundling" to set fundraising records. Though no individual could contribute more than $1,000 in 2000 or $2,000 in 2004, hundreds of fundraisers successfully gathered hundreds of thousands of dollars apiece. "In the past, probably $20- to $40- to $50,000 contributions put you in line for being a player for ambassadorships," said David Schultz, a political science professor at Hamline University. "For Bush, we're looking at way over $100,000 (in fundraising), if not even higher." Thomas Switzer, communications director for the American Foreign Service Association, said historically some noncareer ambassadors have performed well while others "were an embarrassment" because they couldn't deal with issues cross-culturally. Whitney, who said he approached the administration about an overseas posting, said he looks forward to representing America and listening to people with other perspectives. "This is something that I think will be a life-changing experience, not just for me, but for my wife and for my children," Whitney said. "That's what makes it such a great thing, and that's one of the reasons I'm so excited about it."