I don’t know how U.S. relations with the Dominican Republic have survived the past 10 months. But we finally have a new ambassador to this Caribbean island nation: Robert Fannin of Phoenix.

Sen. Jon Kyl announced Friday that Fannin was confirmed to the post by the U.S. Senate. So this lawyer, longtime lobbyist, Republican fund-raiser and native son of a former U.S. senator finally gets a chance to dip his toes in the warm seas and enjoy the friendly climate of the D.R. at taxpayers’ expense.

President Bush nominated Fannin as ambassador in January at the request of Kyl and Sen. John McCain, a reward for Fannin’s personal loyalty and work on behalf of the Republican Party (a tidbit you won’t find in any of the official news releases). Fannin chaired the state party for nearly four years, including the critical 2004 election that brought Bush a second term.

Fannin won the position largely on his track record of bringing in money for the state party and Republican candidates with top billing. While respected personally, his political skills were criticized because he was unable to prevent the state’s largest party from gradually splintering under the weight of several thorny issues including illegal immigration. Some people claimed his ineffective leadership contributed to the 2002 elections of Janet Napolitano as governor and Terry Goddard as attorney general. But much of that criticism has faded after Napolitano and Goddard won re-election with wide margins in 2006 (when Matt Salmon was party chairman).

Fannin’s career and educational background indicate he should be able to handle one of the State Department’s better assignments without starting an international incident.

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