This blog post from Diplopundit and the 15 April 2013 article on which it’s based, entitled “How (Not) to Become a U.S. Ambassador” by Greg Rushford of The Rushford Report fame, definitely fall into the category of Intrigue.
On April 15, Greg Rushford of The Rushford Report published this piece on How (Not) to Become a U.S. Ambassador. The article refers to the U.S. Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, career Foreign Service officer An T. Le. Our U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam is David Shear who arrived at post in August 2011. Under typical appointments, Ambassador Shear, as a career diplomat appointed to his position by President Obama, is expected to serve until the summer of 2014.
The reporter is citing email exchange concerning this “candidacy” — this might be the first time a career FSO is shown as allegedly conducting in Rushford’s words “essentially a clandestine political pressure campaign aimed [at] securing a White House nomination.” If you want to look at this kindly, one might say, the FSO demonstrates long term preparation and foresight for a vacancy that is expected to occur in 15…
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An International Educator in Viet Nam 
Vietnam Studies Group thread: http://www.lib.washington.edu/SouthEastAsia/vsg/elist_2013/How%20%28Not%29%20to%20Become%20a%20U.S.%20Ambassador.htm. Don’t miss AMB Ray Burghardt’s post. He had the last word – almost.
MAA