Farmer out of contention at USAID?

Rumors are seeping around the Internet that Dr. Paul Farmer is no longer in contention for the USAID administrator position, a job which some have speculated could morph into a larger, possibly cabinet level position as head of all US international development (there are currently over 20 US government agencies with ID funds with no central oversight or formal coordination). The Washington Post followed up on this story today, as it was first let loose in Foreign Policy last week. Beltway Blips corroborates the chisme.

Farmer, founding director of Partners in Health, has spent much of his professional career living and working in Haiti, a country on which he has penned two books (both overtly critical of US policy).

Several weeks ago, Secretary Hillary Clinton let slip her mounting frustration with the overzealous vetting process that many appointees are undergoing, presumably thinking of Farmer if not others, and a fair amount of public whining has ensued.

I, for one, see nothing wrong with a serious vetting of a man like Paul Farmer, who has no prior government experience (thus represents a completely unknown entity), has travelled extensively to and throughout war torn countries, and has a public record of being extremely critical of US policy. To be sure, I find nothing wrong with any of those three things (and plenty right about them), but they necessarily complicate the nomination of someone like Farmer to such a high government post. In today's political environment, due diligence is key and there is plenty of it with someone like Farmer.

Moreover, despite being considered an infallible candidate by many (he was called a "saint" by NYT's Nicholas Kristoff who has been playing up the "those crazy government vetters" story,) I have several friends that have worked with Farmer in the past, and despite their admiration for his intellect and passion, they each confirm that he is a very difficult personality not known for his high tolerance of red tape or compromises. This is a potential recipe for disaster in a government agency in which both are endemic.

Thus, while the prospect of having an avowed Latin Americanist and true development visionary at the helm of USAID was exciting, I suspect that it may be for the best that Farmer will continue his illustrious Harvard career for the time being. Meanwhile, lets hope that the administration had some backups in the pipeline or else it will be back to the drawing board.

Sources: Washington Post, Foreign Policy, New York Times, Boston Globe, Beltway Blips