Ethics advisor Eisen fails to win Congress clearance in time

US president Barack Obama is faced with making a new nomination to fill the long vacant post of US ambassador to Prague. Time has run out for the current nominee, presidential ethics advisor Norman Eisen to be cleared by the current Congress meaning that a new name must be advanced or Eisen nominated again. Congress failed to clear Eisen’s candidature after it was advanced at the end of June. The result of the long delay will be that the Czech Republic will go into the new year with two years clocked up since the last US ambassador left his post. President George Bush junior’s ambassador Richard Graber left in January 2009. Analysts say the long vacancy is damaging Czech-US relations. Congress convenes again in January.

Author: Jan Velinger