Mass. State Senator the Next US Ambassdor to Portugal?

TAUNTON, Mass. - The next U.S. ambassador to Portugal might just have a Portuguese last name.
      

Diario de Notícias, a Portuguese daily newspaper, reported earlier this week that Massachusetts State Senator Marc Pacheco could be the future U.S. ambassador in Lisbon.
      

The Association of Friendship Between Portugal and the U.S. (AAPEUA) is going to send representatives to speak with the new Obama Administration, with the goal that the next U.S ambassador be Luso-American.
      

Members from AAPEUA - a civil society organization established a year after 9/11 that promotes cooperation between both countries was - will be traveling in mid-December to promote the Taunton Senator through "some contacts with influential people in Washington," according to the organization's secretary Paulo Noguês.
      

Pacheco - who delivered a speech last month in Portugal in an AAPEUA conference on the importance of the relations between Portugal with its communities in the U.S - is honored that the association has considered him.
      

"I am not asking, not putting my name forward... I am flattered," said Sen. Pacheco. "All of this is very premature."
      

"I am certainly willing to be considered at the appropriate time. This is very early in the process. The Obama-Biden administration is just now looking at the major cabinet positions," added Pacheco.
      

The president of AAPEUA and former Portuguese Secretary of External Commerce, Antonio Neto da Silva, believes the relationship between Portugal and the U.S would be greatly increased if a U.S. ambassador had Portuguese roots.
      

"This is an unique opportunity that we cannot let go by," said Silva. "We believe that he has the characteristics and is the right person at the right time."
      

"He is a democrat and the president-elect is a de-mocrat. He has close ties to the Clinton family, and there is a high probability that the Senator (Hillary Clinton) could be the next Secretary of State," he added.
      

Silva wants to see a "paradigm shift" in social, economic and cultural relations between the countries. Although the association is appreciative of the work done by past ambassadors, to Silva they have been "political ambassadors, who have not provided a strong stimulus in promoting an active relation between the countries."
      

"The economic relationship between the countries is minimal and that does not make sense... you need to fight so that relationship can grow," said Silva. "The State Senator is a an experienced politician. He is a fighter and to develop the relationship between Portugal and the U.S. you need a fighter. It's our understanding that we need an Ambassador with Portuguese blood in his veins."
      

Silva said that they believe that the Obama Administration would support Pacheco as the next ambassador and that the likelihood of that happening would increase if Sen. Clinton is tapped as the next Secretary of State.
      

Pacheco has been a supporter of the Clintons since 1991 and campaigned for the Sen. Clinton in the past presidential democratic primary.
      

He has met several times with Biden and right after the primaries, during a dinner for key financial supporters of Sen. Clinton, he briefly met Obama.
      

In the general election, State Senator Pacheco campaigned for Obama in New Hampshire and in Pennsylvania. The Sunday before the election, he traveled with President Bill Clinton through New Hampshire.
      

Meanwhile, Pacheco is on the road again. This week he traveled to Austria to receive the 2008 Sustainable Future Award from the Austrian European Biomass Association, for his work in environmental policy.
      

In Boston, Pacheco's counterpart in the House, Rep. Antonio F.D. Cabral was surprised with the news. He has worked closely with Pacheco passing legislation regarding East-Timor.
      

"From time to time these things get discussed. To have someone who knows Portugal well in that position would be great and Senator Pacheco fits that description," said Rep. Cabral. "If there is any validity to this story then the Portuguese-American community would be excited as well."
      

Pacheco has been distinguished with the prestigious Order of Prince Henry the Navigator from the Portuguese government and is the highest-ranking Portuguese American politician in Massachusetts.
      

Silva and other AAPEUA menbers have traveled to the U.S previously, as the organization searched for potential candidates in both parties. They reached out to a number of American leaders with Portuguese descent in various events held during the Day of Portugal in D.C. Pacheco was also in attendance.
      

Silva said that this is the first time that a lobby group from Portugal has made a push to have an U.S. Ambassador with Portuguese descent.
      

Joe Bento, the Board Chairman for the Portuguese-American Leadership Council of the U.S. (PALCUS), said that it makes perfect sense to push for an ambassador to Portugal with Portuguese descent.
      

"It would help having someone who understands the Portuguese community and it would facilitate cooperation between both countries," said Bento. "It makes logical sense. I didn't know that you could lobby to get a person in there. I don't know why we haven't done that before."
      

Bento said that he plans to reach out to AAPEUA to help with the process.
      

Pacheco thinks that it's wonderful to have leaders in both countries that are advocating for someone with Portuguese descent to be considered for such a post.
      

"If you would talk to any Portuguese-American citizen, here in America, most people would be supportive of a Portuguese-American to be considered for such an honor and a role," said Pacheco.

source: www.OJornal.com  and  Gatehouse Media, Inc.

source:  www.OJornal.com   and  Gatehouse Media, Inc.