なぜケネディさん？ 根回しは大事

キャロライン・ケネディさんが駐日本大使に任命されたそうですが、なんでケネディさんなの？というのが率直な感想でした。まずは、ホワイトハウスの発表資料を確認します。

July 24, 2013
President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts:

. Marcel Lettre – Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, Department of Defense
. Robert M. Simon – Associate Director for Energy and Environment, Office of Science and Technology Policy
. Caroline Kennedy – Ambassador to Japan, Department of State

The President also announced his intent to appoint the following individual to a key Administration post:
• Betty Sutton – Administrator, Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation

President Obama said, “These fine public servants both bring a depth of experience and tremendous dedication to their new roles. Our nation will be well-served by these individuals, and I look forward to working with them in the months and years to come.”

重要閣僚の場合は、オバマ大統領とその任命者が登場して、記者の前で発表するというかたちをとりますが、今回はこれだけのようです。AP通信は今回のケネディさんの発表の仕方について、The White House announced her nomination without any particular fanfareと表現しています。面白いですね。

White House
Caroline Kennedy Nominated As Ambassador to Japan
By AP / Bradley Clapper and Nedra Pickler July 24, 2013

The White House announced her nomination without any particular fanfare, listing her in a news release along with other selections for administration posts. Obama said in a statement that all the choices bring “a depth of experience and tremendous dedication to their new roles,” but he offered no comment specific to Kennedy.

さて、肝心の任命理由については、APでも、ニューヨークタイムズでも、ワシントンポストでも同じ理由をあげていました。大統領選挙での貢献者に対する論功行賞的なポストが大使なのですね。ただしケネディさんの貢献度は、資金集めというよりも、ケネディ家のカリスマ的な魅力のようですが。

Obama Nominates Caroline Kennedy to Be Ambassador to Japan
By MARK LANDLER
Published: July 24, 2013

In naming Ms. Kennedy, whose nomination has been rumored for months, Mr. Obama is keeping with a well-established tradition of rewarding important campaign supporters with plum embassies. He recently put forward big-dollar fund-raisers to be envoys in London, Berlin, Copenhagen and Madrid.

But Ms. Kennedy’s value to Mr. Obama has been less about money than mystique. As the daughter of President John F. Kennedy, her imprimatur on his candidacy in 2008 — along with that of her uncle, Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts — elevated Mr. Obama at a crucial moment against his better-known rival, Hillary Rodham Clinton.

2008年の大統領選挙のときのキャロラインさんと大物議員だった故テッドケネディさんのオバマ支持発表の動画です。



ニューヨークタイムズの記事は、丁寧にいろいろと説明してくれています。彼女の簡単な説明と歴代の日本大使が大物ばかりだったことに触れている部分です。

Ms. Kennedy, 55, a lawyer and an author who has served as director of numerous nonprofit organizations, has never worked in government and has no special expertise in Japan. But some experts said her lack of knowledge is outweighed by her connections to the Oval Office. She shares that with other marquee figures who have served as ambassador to Tokyo, including former Vice President Walter F. Mondale; Howard Baker, a former senator and White House chief of staff; and Thomas S. Foley, a former House speaker.

ケネディさんは日本のことは知らないかもしれませんが、電話で大統領と話せる間柄であることが重要なポイントであると専門家の意見を紹介しています。

“What you really want in an ambassador is someone who can get the president of the United States on the phone,” Mr. Campbell said. “I can’t think of anybody in the United States who could do that more quickly than Caroline Kennedy.”

Her stature, he said, should assuage Japan’s worries that in Washington, Tokyo takes a back seat to Beijing. The current ambassador to China, Gary F. Locke, was commerce secretary during Mr. Obama’s first term, but he hardly knows the president as well as Ms. Kennedy does.

ワシントンポストの記事も2008年での大統領選挙での貢献を理由にあげていますが、個人的に興味を引かれたのはafter Tokyo recently gave its approval to receive the first woman as U.S. ambassador to Japanとアメリカがまず日本に打診をしてから発表したと書いているところです。

Obama taps Caroline Kennedy for Japan ambassadorship
By Al Kamen, Published: July 25

Kennedy, whose early and strong support for Obama’s 2008 bid gave his candidacy a key boost in helping him win the nomination over then-front-runner Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, had been expected to get a top job in the administration.

Wednesday’s official announcement, anticipated for several months, comes after Tokyo recently gave its approval to receive the first woman as U.S. ambassador to Japan.

外交も根回しのような準備が大事なんだなと妙に感心してしまいました。日本の外務省の発表資料は以下の通りです。

キャロライン・ケネディ氏の新駐日米大使への指名について（外務報道官談話）
平成25年7月25日
1．キャロライン・ケネディ氏の新駐日米大使への指名を歓迎します。

2．キャロライン・ケネディ氏は，オバマ大統領の篤い信頼を得ている方と承知しており，今回の指名は，オバマ政権の日米同盟重視の姿勢を表しているものとして高く評価します。

3．キャロライン・ケネディ氏が，早期に駐日大使として着任し，様々な分野で活躍されることを期待します。我が国としては，キャロライン・ケネディ氏と緊密に連携・協力して，日米同盟の更なる強化に努めていく考えです。


Statement by the Press Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the nomination of Ms. Caroline Kennedy as new U.S. Ambassador to Japan
July 25, 2013 
Japanese
1. The Government of Japan welcomes the nomination of Ms. Caroline Kennedy as new U.S. Ambassador to Japan.
2. The GOJ understands that Ms. Caroline Kennedy has the deep confidence of President Obama, and it highly appreciates her nomination as reflecting the great importance the Obama Administration attaches to the Japan-U.S. alliance.
3. The GOJ expects that Ms. Caroline Kennedy will assume her new post at an early date and play an active role in various fields. The GOJ will work closely and cooperate with Ms. Caroline Kennedy and make efforts to further enhance the Japan-U.S. alliance.

AP、ニューヨークタイムズ、ワシントンポストと読み比べると、3紙が共通に書いてあるところ＝任命理由（2008年の大統領選挙の貢献）が肝であることがわかります。また、それぞれの記事でしか触れていない部分もそれはそれで面白い発見もあり楽しめます。日本政府の承認を得てからアメリカ政府は発表したというくだりは、政治に強いワシントンポストならではと思ってしまいますね。