President Elect Barack Obama stretched his hand across the aisle today in a gesture of friendship and healing and appointed former rival Senator John McCain (Republican from Arizona) as his new Ambassador to Vietnam. Pending probably Senate approval, McCain will begin working in the position in late January or early February.
Said Obama, "John McCain is a good man of strong principles who ran a good campaign. His country needs his continued service and leadership and I feel that this is the perfect position for someone of his experience. I'm sure that he will enjoy this posting to Vietnam as much as he enjoyed the last one."
An Obama staffer indicated that McCain will spend the next few weeks in Vietnam getting ready for his official duties. "We booked him into this hotel called the Hanoi Hilton. I believe his biography said that he stayed there once before."
When told that her husband had been appointed U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam, Cindy McCain was confused. "Vietnam? Are you sure? Not France? Not Tahiti? Not the Virgin Islands?"
"Vietnam? Can you even get the Fashion Network on television there? Do they have television yet?"
"John can take his goiter and do this one by himself!"
