U.S. Senate confirms envoy

Though for much of the year the outcome appeared in doubt, U.S. Ambassador to the Czech Republic Norman Eisen was officially confirmed by the U.S. Senate, allowing him to continue serving in the post to which he was appointed nearly a year ago.

"The Senate vote last night means that Ambassador Eisen will be able to continue the important bilateral work with the Czech Republic that he has carried out over the past year,"  U.S. Embassy spokesman Paul Oglesby said Dec. 13.

Eisen, who previously had served as U.S. President Barack Obama's so-called "ethics czar," was a recess appointment by the president, meaning he was named ambassador provisionally while the Senate was adjourned. Recess appointments must be confirmed by the Senate before the end of the next legislative period or the position becomes vacant again. The Senate voted 70-16 to confirm Eisen, despite vehement protests from some Republicans, including Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa.

Grassley has been against Eisen's appointment from the start, having been angered while Eisen served as the White House special counsel charged with the task of curbing outside influence from lobbyists. His recommendation that Obama dismiss Gerald Walpin as inspector general for the Corporation for National Community Service was Grassley's chief objection to Eisen's nomination. Grassley claimed Eisen misled investigators looking into the reasons behind Walpin's termination. He alleged Eisen violated the law in giving Walpin only one hour to decide between resigning and being fired and acted with "evasiveness" and a "lack of candor" during the congressional investigation that followed.

"Word games and evasiveness of that sort are incompatible with being a forthcoming witness and ought to be incompatible with representing the United States as an ambassador," Grassley said during a speech before the Senate. "We expect thorough forthcoming and truthful answers. We can disagree on policy, we're all entitled to our opinions, but we are not entitled to our own facts."

Eisen, who is of Czech descent and has forged strong relationships with many local leaders, reportedly lobbied Grassley and other Republicans hard to prove he was the best candidate for the position, even writing a letter to Grassley apologizing for having answered some of investigators' questions "inaccurately."

Jack Buehrer can be reached at
jbuehrer@praguepost.com