Not everyone applauded when President Barack Obama’s appointment of political fundraiser Louis Susman brought Chicago-style deal-making to the Court of St. James.
Now the baseball-lawyer-turned–investment-banker–turned-Democractic-moneyman-turned-American-ambassador-to-the-United Kingdom has made it full circle, returning to the Midwest this week for what his State Department handlers termed a “private trip.” Yet even as the storm that accompanied his arrival in London eight months ago has mostly blown over, another stirred up.
One of Susman’s main duties these days is shoring up the “special relationship” between the U.S. and U.K., a traditional tie under fire from British parliamentarians.
The phrase is overused and potentially misleading, according to a report from an influential House of Commons committee.
“The perception that the British government was a subservient ‘poodle’ to the U.S. administration leading up to the period of the invasion of Iraq and its aftermath is widespread both among the British public and overseas,” the report states.
Since his first speech as ambassador, Susman has voiced the opposite view. “Our special relationship has continued through war. It has continued through peace,” he recently told an audience at King’s College London. “The United States has no better ally than the United Kingdom.” A speech he delivered Wednesday in Chicago was entitled, “The Enduring U.S.-U.K. Partnership.”
Yet in some quarters, Susman’s appointment fanned the doubts.
Nicknamed “the vacuum cleaner,” or “the Hoover” for short, Susman extended an American tradition of plum ambassadorships going to those who deliver political cash, rather than to career diplomats.
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Some Brits consider it an insult, and even White House spokesman Robert Gibbs poked fun at Susman’s credentials for the post, saying, “He speaks English.”
If a prominent business career counts, however, Susman more than qualifies. He served as the face of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball franchise, then moved to Chicago with Salomon Brothers Inc. and successor Citigroup Inc. — arranging the sale of Marshall Field’s, among other investment-banking deals.
He raised a fortune for Democratic candidates over the years, becoming national finance chairman for presidential candidate John Kerry’s 2004 campaign, and supporting Obama early on. He bundled together hundreds of thousands of dollars in contributions for the campaign and Inauguration.
Given the big bucks, his selection for the nation’s most prestigious ambassadorship came as no surprise. Before long, he was donning a top hat for his ceremonial presentation to the queen.
“He’s adjusted to diplomatic life very easily,” said friend and fellow attorney Newton Minow of Sidley Austin LLP. “He has a great talent at dealing with people. He’s already regarded as a member of the club.”
Turns out, the job comes with a heavy workload. “Even if you’re in London, you’re involved in Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq,” explained Minow, who met with Susman in Chicago. “And with our domestic problems, it’s extremely demanding.”
It certainly requires being front and center. Susman recently unveiled a new embassy construction project criticized for its steep price tag, controversial glass-cube design and an isolated location evidently chosen for its invulnerability to truck bombing.
He has also defended the unpopular takeover of British candy icon Cadbury PLC by Kraft Foods Inc., which has drawn fire for deciding to shutter a U.K. plant that it previously had pledged to retain.
“Ambassador, American-style,” typically is a short-term job: Three years would be a respectable tenure.
All Susman needs do is fight terrorism, talk up the embassy plan, smooth over Kraft’s candy gambit and, above all, make the “special relationship” more special. After that, he can head home for good.