A prominent New Hampshire Democratic activist who became an ambassador said that local politicos who are looking for a cushy ambassadorship or a job in the Obama administration should find something "within their area of expertise."
George Bruno, former chairman of the New Hampshire Democratic Party and U.S. ambassador to Belize, said that his transition from party activist to ambassador went smoothly.
"The transition was very comfortable," Bruno said in an interview with PolitickerNH.com. "The important thing for people seeking a position within the administration is to find a good fit. Obviously a person seeking to join the Obama administration should stay within their area of expertise."
Bruno also said that job seekers should not be worried about competing against other candidates for administration positions.
"New Hampshire people are just as qualified as candidates from any other state to join the Obama administration and they shouldn't feel constrained at all and they should welcome the competition," he said.
Bruno added, "I note that over the past eight years there have been no prominent [New Hampshire] Republicans that were invited to join the Bush administration at a responsible level. I find that unusual and regrettable and I would expect that to change under the Obama administration."
Bruno said that people who endorsed President-elect Obama during the New Hampshire primary have an advantage over those who did not.
"I think they do, it's a minor one, but it's very significant. They are the people who gave the candidate the early credibility," he said. "They are the persons who stuck their neck out and became his core supporters and the advantage they have is that they have personal relationships with the people who became the inner-circle of the Obama campaign."
Bruno said that former Obama state co-chairs Jim Demers, Ned Helms and Mary Rauhn top of any list of potential New Hampshire activists to get get tapped to serve in an Obama administration.
When asked what was it like to go from being a political activist to an ambassador, Bruno joked that being chairman of the Democratic Party during the 1988 primary was more powerful post than an ambassadorship.
"I had a person ask me that once and they asked which is the most powerful position I've ever held and I would have to say being chairman of the New Hampshire Democratic Party at a time when there was an upcoming New Hampshire primary is pretty important in the scheme of things," Bruno joked.
Bruno also served has a member of the Democratic National Committee and was Bill Clinton's campaign co-chair in 1992 presidential race. Bruno is now an immigration lawyer in Manchester and endorsed Gov. Bill Richardson (D-N.M.) during the 2008 presidential primary.
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