Per our conversation last week

From:swallace@wgf.org To: john.podesta@gmail.com Date: 2008-11-03 21:48 Subject: Per our conversation last week

John, thanks for taking the time to give me a call last week while I was campaigning in Iowa. It's nice to see how much press interest there still is in Henry A. Wallace out there, some 40-odd years after his death (a packet of press clips is attached, as you requested). On my last night in Des Moines, I stayed over at the governor's mansion with Mari and Chet Culver (his family and mine go way back), who had only the most encouraging things to say about the outlook for Iowa tomorrow. I left feeling great about Iowa too, but, like them, very concerned about the effect of vote-suppression shenanigans and the race factor in close states. I know you must have a million things on your plate, but as I mentioned to you, Elizabeth and Smith Bagley were encouraging me to reach out to you sooner rather than later about a possible appointment in an Obama administration. As you know, Christy and I have spent most of the past three years living in South Africa, where we essentially operate the African field office for the Wallace Global Fund. We went there in 2005 planning only a one-year sabbatical to personally review all of our grant-making programs in Africa and look for new opportunities, but ended up falling in love with the country, buying a house, and committing to more active ongoing engagement with some of the initiatives we had started or become involved in. I am passionate about helping South Africa achieve its full promise, and see its upcoming elections and the next couple of years as critical to the health of its democracy. It has become my second country, and I would be deeply honored to be considered to represent President Obama as ambassador there. I imagine that my service under Republicans in the Senate, as well as subsequent decades of working with Democratic Judiciary Committee leadership, should be of some help with Senate confirmation. Of course, if it is determined that there are other areas where my background may be better put to use, I am happy to discuss them as well. I am deeply interested in the mission of US AID, from my first position in Washington as foreign policy LA to Senator Simpson , to my current foundation work on global development issues. And the agency with which I have the greatest operational familiarity is the Office of Justice Programs at the Justice Department. My full CV is attached. If tomorrow's election goes as we all hope, the transformation of America and its place in the world will be the most electrifying and inspiring in my lifetime (and I daresay my grandfather would share that view, not only as a passionate multilateralist and believer in the positive power of government for the common good, but also as the first presidential candidate ever to run on a platform of racial equality). When the dust settles, I look forward to starting discussions with you or whoever will be taking the lead on vetting senior personnel. All the best, Scott Scott Wallace Co-Chair Wallace Global Fund 1990 M Street, NW Suite 250 Washington DC 20036 (202) 452-1530 ext. 109 www.wgf.org