Atticus: Eyes turn to Clinton as US Ambassador Who quits Britain

[emad]

Snip from Sunday Times

The political world reacted swiftly to news yesterday that William Farish is to retire as American ambassador to Britain. “Remind me,” say seasoned observers. “I know the name vaguely but can’t seem to place the face.”

Farish, who wants to spend more time at his stud farm in Kentucky, is expected to fly home in July. He has been in the job for less than three years, a posting that has coincided with one of the busiest periods in recent Anglo-American history: the war on terror and the invasion of Iraq. So it’s remarkable, say his critics, that Farish has been able to maintain such an unusually low profile.

The previous ambassador, Philip Lader, was a bouncy character: a holiday companion of Bill Clinton who enjoyed the London social scene. But Farish never seemed at ease in this role.

The job normally goes to a friend of the incumbent president — Farish is close to George Bush — so the vacancy is unlikely to be filled before the next presidential election. Which begs the question: what happens if John Kerry wins? Might he offer the job to that well-known Anglophile, friend of Tony Blair and man-about-town, Bill Clinton?

from:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,176-1151460,00.html