Bush nominates a new ambassador to Australia
{{date|March 12, 2006}}

[[United States]] [[w:George W. Bush|President George W. Bush]] has nominated [[w:Robert McCallum, Jr.|Robert Davis McCallum, Jr.]] to be the new US Ambassador to [[Australia]]. The ambassadorship has been vacant for 12 months and 28 days.

McCallum is an associate attorney-general for the [[w:United States Department of Justice|Department of Justice]] and previously represented [[w:Big Tobacco|big tobacco]] companies at an [[w:Atlanta|Atlanta]] law firm. He also has a master's degree from [[w:University of Oxford|Oxford University]] and is a [[w:Rhodes Scholarship|Rhodes Scholar]] as well as having a bachelor's degree from [[w:Yale University|Yale]].

Former deputy secretary of state, Richard Armitage, said earlier this month that the fact Australia was still without an ambassador might indicate a "lackadaisical attitude" to the region.

McCallum is one of the 15 [[w:Skull and Bones|Skull and Bones]] members from the 1968 group, of which President Bush was also a member.

== Related news ==
*{{Wikinews|title=Bush administration drastically cuts penalties sought for in tobacco trial from $130 billion to $10 billion
|date=June 17, 2005 }}

== Sources ==
*{{source|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/bush-sends-us-secret-uni-mate/2006/03/11/1141701735269.html|title=Bush sends us 'secret' uni mate|author=Phillip Hudson|pub=TheAge|date=March 12, 2006}}
*{{source|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/US-nominates-new-Australian-ambassador/2006/03/11/1141701726931.html|title=US nominates new Australian ambassador|author={{w|Australian Associated Press|AAP}}|pub=Sydney Morning Herald|date=March 11, 2006}}

*{{source|url=http://au.news.yahoo.com/060311/21/y77l.html|title=Bush picks new ambassador to Australia|author=[[ABC (Australia)|ABC]]/[[Agence France-Presse|AFP]]|pub=Yahoo News|date=March 11,2006}}

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[[Category:Australia]]
[[Category:Politics and conflicts]]
[[Category:United States]]
[[Category:North America]]
[[Category:George W. Bush]]
United States President George W. Bush has nominated Robert Davis McCallum, Jr. to be the new US Ambassador to Australia. The ambassadorship has been vacant for 12 months and 28 days.

McCallum is an associate attorney-general for the Department of Justice and previously represented big tobacco companies at an Atlanta law firm. He also has a master's degree from Oxford University and is a Rhodes Scholar as well as having a bachelor's degree from Yale.

Former deputy secretary of state, Richard Armitage, said earlier this month that the fact Australia was still without an ambassador might indicate a "lackadaisical attitude" to the region.

McCallum is one of the 15 Skull and Bones members from the 1968 group, of which President Bush was also a member.

*
Australia Politics and conflicts United States North America George W. Bush