Here is the answer that I hoped that Murphy would give: “Colleen Bell was nominated to serve as ambassador to Hungary not because she knows anything about Hungary, or about Europe, or NATO, or the democratic development of former Soviet satellite states, but because she raised just an ungodly amount of money for President Obama, and in our country, we have a bipartisan tradition of selling ambassadorships to vulgar people of great means. The good news is that Bell is a successful, ambitious person who has at least a small chance of gaining direct access to the president or at least to his people — admittedly none of whom particularly care about Hungary — and also, she will throw excellent parties to which I’m sure at least some of the less-unwashed journalists among you might be invited.”

The alternate, less-obviously truthful, but still honest option facing Murphy was to say this: “The Obama administration nominated Colleen Bell to serve as ambassador to Hungary, so I suggest that you direct your questions about her qualifications to the White House.”

But what he actually told the press was both entirely predictable and wholly dispiriting: “I think Hungary and the bilateral relationship is going to be very well-served by Colleen Bell’s arrival. Ms. Bell has had an extensive history of involvement with a number of very important causes in the United States. She has visited Budapest and Hungary, and I think she is going to be a very strong ambassador, and we look forward to coming back and working with her in the very near future.”