Obama and Clinton announce nomination of Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom and push for enhanced role. Just kidding.

OK, so I was just kidding. There is no nomination of an Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom as mandated by the International Religious Freedom Act. What do you expect after only 265 days? There is an Ambassador-at Large for Global Women's Issues, another to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, another to Coordinate Counterterrorism, another as Global AIDS Coordinator, another for War Crimes. You get the idea that this ambassador is not even an after thought but is more of an annoyance. And if no one makes a fuss, just leave it open.

The Office of International Religious Freedom is still relegated to a subordinate role deep down in the bureaucracy. The Ambassador reports to the Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. The Assistant Secretary falls under the Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs. Are there other ambassadors at large who are so far down the food chain? The Ambassador at Large for Global Women's Issues reports directly to the Secretary of State. The Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, if one is ever appointed, is unlikely to hardly ever to even see the Secretary of State.

In the International Religious Freedom Act, Congress required that within the Department of State there would be an Office on International Religious Freedom that is headed by the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, appointed by the president. This person is to be a principal advisor to the president and secretary of state regarding religious freedom abroad and is to represent the government in contacts with foreign governments, organizations, and agencies. So much for being or even having a principal advisor. Bury this deep. After all, international religious freedom has no impact on world affairs, it has no impact on encouraging or strengthening democracy or on U.S. relations, it has no impact on human rights, it has no impact on wars and other conflicts, it has no relationship to terrorism. Right? And why would there be a need to develop knowledge and understanding of international religious freedom within diplomatic ranks? It's just the realm of the religious fanatics, right?

265 days and counting.