Christopher Hill, the Obama administration’s nominee to become the next ambassador to Baghdad, hasn’t made many friends on the right since his time as the Bush administration’s chief negotiator on the North Korean nuclear deal.
And now Hill has drawn fire from Senate Republicans who could make serious trouble for his nomination. John McCain (AZ) and Lindsey Graham (SC) released a joint statement last night blasting Hill’s “controversial legacy” in the Pyongyang talks and alleging that he lacks the Middle East experience required in a Baghdad envoy.
Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) echoed the criticisms in a later interview with the AP. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) is already out in front with a defense of Hill, telling Fox News that his conservative critics should take up their North Korea beef with the departed Bush administration.
The AP reports that the trio of critical Republicans means Hill’s chances of confirmation are “dimming,” which seems to be something of an overstatement given that he would only need one GOP supporter to break a filibuster. But the GOPers’ move clearly signals intense political jockeying to come — with the accompanying media coverage that McCain often draws.
Late Update: Another Democratic senator on the Foreign Relations panel, Jim Webb (VA), has joined Kerry in sending a positive signal on Hill’s nomination. Here’s Webb’s statement:
I have tremendous regard for the service Christopher Hill has given our country. He is one of the best negotiators in the Foreign Service today. There will be ample opportunity to fully explore the full range of his qualifications during the confirmation hearings.
