Obama nominates fundraiser to Paris post

[MADem]

37. "Set a thief to catch a thief." FDR.

That appointment was PAYBACK for a campaign debt--he put a One Percenter in charge, and he knew it. For Joe's part, he knew that if he were to put his bootlegger/whoremonger reputation in the rear view mirror, he HAD to do a good job:

On July 1, 1934, FDR discharged his campaign debt by appointing Kennedy the first chairman of the newly formed Securities & Exchange Commission. Kennedy’s charge was to regulate stock markets and purge them of the very practices that he had exploited. The press was outraged: “like putting the fox in the hen house.” In private, Roosevelt rejoined, “set a thief to catch a thief.” Confounding critics, Kennedy organized the commission brilliantly, appointing a high-quality staff and carefully mediating between the zealous business-hating New Deal reformers and the legions of Roosevelt haters in the business community.

The success added to his stature as one of the most influential men in America. He became as close to Roosevelt as anybody came to that master manipulator of men. Unlike FDR’s many sycophants, Kennedy always gave the president a straight answer, whether he liked it or not. When FDR admonished him for an open liaison, Kennedy said he would terminate that relationship when FDR halted his affair with his secretary, Marguerite “Missy” LeHand. In 1935, Kennedy stepped down as SEC chair and campaigned for FDR in the 1936 election, writing a book, “Why I’m for Roosevelt.” In 1937, he was named ambassador to the Court of St. James.

http://www.pittsburghquarterly.com/index.php/Historic-Profiles/money-power-and-purpose.html

Joe had the idea that his son was going to be President of the US, even way back then--he just didn't think the son would be Jack. But make no mistake, that was a crony appointment, by a guy who didn't "deserve" the job.

And his ambassadorship was payback for campaigning for FDR yet again.