ABC Reporter Grills White House Press Secretary Over Qualifications Soap Opera Producer, Obama Fundraiser Has to Be a U.S. Ambassador

White House press secretary Josh Earnest had difficulty answering questions about how a former soap opera producer, who happened to be a bundler for President Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns, could be qualified to be U.S. ambassador to Hungary.

The Senate voted 52-42 to confirm Colleen Bell, a former producer of the soap opera, “The Bold and the Beautiful.”

“Ambassador Bell has the president's confidence that she will do an excellent job representing the U.S. and maintaining the important relationship the U.S. has with the government and the people of Hungary,” Earnest said.

Producer Colleen Bell attends the fifth annual PSLA Autumn Party benefiting Children's Institute, Inc., sponsored by Saks Fifth Avenue, with fashion partner Donna Karan at 3Labs on October 8, 2014 in Los Angeles, California.

ABC News reporter Jonathan Karl asked where Obama gets the confidence.

“She certainly is somebody, again, that has had her own distinguished private sector career,” Earnest responded.

Karl asked again, “As a soap opera producer?”

Earnest responded, “As somebody who obviously has succeeded in the business world and she is somebody that the president has confidence will be able to maintain our relationship with the government and the people of Hungary.”

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) complained that Bell raised $2.1 million for Obama’s re-election campaign in 2012.

The Senate also voted 50-43 Tuesday to confirm Noah Mamet, a Democratic political consultant and fundraiser, to be ambassador to Argentina. Mamet reportedly does not speak Spanish.

Pete Kasperowicz contributed to this story.

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