Waters' husband OK'd as envoy to Bahamas

California automobile sales consultant Sidney Williams was confirmed by the Senate as the first Black ambassador to the Bahamas. The 51-year-old husband of L.A. Rep. Maxine Waters will become the first ex-professional football star ever to join the ambassadorial ranks.

The nomination by President Clinton created notoriety because of the key Democratic role played by his outspoken wife. At a pre-Christmas recess session, lawmakers surprisingly blocked the confirmation causing more speculation that the post would become a political football.

However, as members of both parties lined up for the upcoming battle over the health reform plan, the lawmakers disposed of several ambassadorial posts, including Williams', without dispute.

Only Conn. Sen. Christopher J. Dodd rose to his feet to comment before the vote. Declaring that relations with the nearby Bahamas was crucial in the context of the illicit drug trade, the senator said that Williams possessed unusual abilities "to serve him well as the ambassador." Not only had Williams excelled at Southern Univ. in football, he had won fame as a line backer for the Cleveland Browns, Washington Redskins, and the Baltimore Colts. He had also served as a project manager for L.A.'s neighborhood revitalization program.