All shall have prizes

Sometimes things are so cosy on the Rolodex where George VII picks his ambassadors that the diplomacy is just a continuation of private business by other means:

President George W. Bush today announced the designation of a Presidential Delegation to the 2006 Olympic Games in Turin, Italy.

Mrs. Laura Bush will lead the delegation.

Members of the Presidential Delegation are:

The Honorable Ronald P. Spogli, U.S. Ambassador to Italy

Miss Barbara Bush

Mr. Roland Betts, Founder and Chairman of Chelsea Piers, L.P.

Mr. Brad Freeman, Founder Freeman Spogli & Co.

Yes, the founders of the private equity firm Freeman Spogli will be in Turin -- one as the Ambassador to Italy, and one sent along on a junket, and probably updating Ambassador Spogli on the high-jinks around water cooler at his old firm when he gets there. The firm's press release does note that Ron Spolgi had one qualification that many of Bush's diplomatic nominees have not:

"All of us at Freeman Spogli are extremely happy for Ron," said Brad Freeman, co-founder of Freeman Spogli. "With his fluency in Italian, he is extremely qualified for the position and he will serve our country well as Ambassador to Italy.

Dare we predict a future ambassador to Italy, Carlyle Group founder Frank Carlucci?

UPDATE 13 FEB: New etiquette for the corresponding announcement for the closing ceremony?

President George W. Bush today announced the designation of a Presidential Delegation to attend the Closing Ceremonies of the 2006 Olympic Games in Turin, Italy.

The Honorable Rudolph W. Giuliani, Former Mayor of New York City, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Giuliani Partners LLC, and Name Partner of Bracewell & Giuliani LLP will lead the delegation

So Brad Freeman is not a 'Name Partner'?

UPDATE 5 JULY: Freeman in turn is sufficiently close to Bush to be heavily involved in his 60th birthday celebrations.

FINAL UPDATE 4 APRIL 2007: Brad Freeman pops up again, this time as the host of a private Republican party fundraiser in Los Angeles to be attended by George Bush -- after he sticks the taxpayer with the cost of his cross-country trip via a propaganda speech to a captive military audience in Fort Irwin.