Kennedy casts shadow over Egan nomination

By Ray O’Hanlon

Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy will not move to block the nomination of Richard J. Egan as new U.S. Ambassador to Ireland. However, Egan’s upcoming appearance before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is now likely to be something more than a pro-forma affair in the wake of a Boston Globe report Tuesday that President Bush’s nominee for the Irish posting was causing Sen. Kennedy some concerns.

Kennedy has "some real concerns" about Egan, the Globe report, referring to "sources close to the senator," stated.

But Kennedy spokesman Jim Manley told the Echo later Tuesday that Kennedy would not move to block Egan’s suddenly rockier road to Dublin.

"Senator Kennedy does not intend to block [Egan’s] nomination," Manley said. "He is looking forward to talking further with Mr. Egan and listening to his testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee."

Egan’s nomination must be approved by the committee. Kennedy is not currently a member, but his influence extends into its ranks.

Kennedy is particularly close to the committee’s chairman, fellow Democrat Senator Joe Biden of Delaware. Biden has taken a keen interest in Irish affairs over the years.

The Globe reported that the committee’s consideration of the Egan nomination could take place as early as this week.

However, Chip Unruh, a spokesman for Sen. Biden, said that the necessary paperwork file on Egan that committee members required was not yet complete so a hearing is unlikely this week.

There were also a number of other diplomatic nominees whose names were higher on the list for hearing than Egan’s, Unruh said.

Unruh did add that it was "fair to say" that Sen. Biden himself would likely have some probing questions for Mr. Egan when a hearing is eventually convened.

"Senator Biden takes a strong interest in Irish affairs and views the position of ambassador to Ireland as being very important," Unruh said.

Another committee member who could figure prominently in the nomination hearing is Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut, a close political ally and personal friend of Sen. Kennedy.

Egan, billionaire founder of the giant Massachusetts-based EMC computer technology corporation, has been himself tight-lipped since President Bush pegged him as the man to replace outgoing U.S. Ambassador to Ireland Mike Sullivan.

The job switch at the U.S. embassy in Dublin comes at a critical time for the peace process in Northern Ireland. Sullivan, considered a low key but effective ambassador, was sent to Ireland by President Clinton to succeed Senator Kennedy’s sister, Jean Kennedy Smith.

The Boston Globe report said that while Kennedy was concerned about Egan’s nomination, he had not yet decided if he would attempt to block Egan’s passage to Ireland. By Tuesday afternoon, the Echo had been told that the answer to that question was a negative.

The report went on to suggest that Kennedy’s reservations about Egan included a concern that Egan’s knowledge of Irish-American affairs was limited. Kennedy was also unsure about Egan’s temperament and how it would fit into a diplomatic post that has become more important in recent years as a result of the peace process.

The senator, according to the Globe, also had concerns over Egan’s business interests in Ireland and possible conflict of interest. EMC has a large plant in County Cork.

Beyond this, Egan apparently incurred some Kennedy wrath in a local context by donating money to the libertarian candidate for the U.S. Senate in Massachusetts during last year’s election campaign. At the same time, Egan has donated to Kennedy’s cause in the past and both he and his wife have contributed money to Kennedy’s fellow Massachusetts Democrat, Sen. John F. Kerry. Egan’s primary role as a political contributor, however, was in the context of the 2002 presidential race. He was listed as a Bush campaign "pioneer" for agreeing to raise more than $100,000 for the Bush campaign and he also gave $100,000 to the Bush/Cheney Inauguration Committee.

Separately, according to the Globe report, Egan has yet to pay a courtesy call on Kennedy, although this was countered in the report by EMC spokesman Mark Fredrickson, who said that Egan and Kennedy has spoken in the spring.

Frederickson also described Egan as a longtime student of Irish-American affairs and a frequent traveler to Ireland over the last decade.

The White House also rushed to Egan’s defense, with a spokesman stating that President Bush believed that Egan would be "an outstanding ambassador to Ireland."

Egan, a former U.S. Marine who is now chairman emeritus of EMC, has been low key in terms of reaching out to powerful politicians of every stripe since his nomination and he has indicated his desire to remain in the background until his nomination is approved.

When Egan’s selection to succeed Sullivan became public knowledge, shortly before St. Patrick’s Day, Sen. Kennedy’s reaction was also somewhat muted.

In a short statement, Kennedy extended his congratulations to Egan. "This is an important position at an important time. I look forward to hearing his views on U.S.-Irish affairs, particularly the cause of peace in Northern Ireland," Kennedy said in his statement that was released March 7.

At that point, the Republicans still controlled the Senate, but that situation changed with the defection of Sen. Jim Jeffords from the GOP. As a consequence, Kennedy’s potential influence over Egan’s fate has grown significantly.

How exactly it might be brought to bear remains to be seen.