Jim Cain, the US Ambassador to Denmark
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The United States is due to have the first billion-dollar election in its history.
The BBC's Steve Evans presents this two-part investigation into election spending done in collaboration with the Centre for Public Integrity in Washington DC.
Part Two - Ambassadors
Prestigious job, exotic location, stately home, fine food and wine, and many other perks thrown in.
Yours for only $200,000 (US), the position of US ambassador.
Around one third of all US ambassadors are not career diplomats; they're political appointees and almost all of them are major donors, wealthy businessmen.
There are fund raisers working for McCain and Obama right now who have their eyes on a juicy posting in a European capital or a sun-kissed island.
These businessmen say they bring something to US foreign policy that career diplomats lack.
They have outside experience, they're high achievers.
They care about doing a good job, not climbing the greasy poll.
But critics say they're often ignorant about the local language and culture, and naïve about diplomacy.
Is this system really the best way for the mightiest country in the world to run its foreign policy?
Steve Evans investigates.
