Outsourcing Diplomacy

It's a good thing that Dick Cheney only hires, talks to and openly discusses his straight daughter, because if the gay one was ever hired, I don't know where my allegiances would fall. But as luck has it she's been placed in some dykey purdah where you can golf all day and no one makes fun of your unflattering shorts (Palm Springs maybe?).

The latest appointment for Elizabeth "Kerry can talk about me" Cheney is at the spankin' new office of Iranian affairs at the State Department. Link.

The office will hand out grants worth millions to average people with a plan to change or otherwise influence Tehran politics. OK, this doesn't sound so bad until you realize that this is supposed to be the job of the government. Diplomacy, remember? It was conducted by the State Department... Anyone? Anyone?

The Bush Administration has so little credibility that it has to outsource diplomacy itself to citizens who weild no governmental power but who won't be labeled as imperialist dogs. At least not right away.

This is an embarrassment and a shame.