Singapore on Wagar"s horizon?

Japan’s going to Caroline Kennedy, and Australia looks to be going to former Office of Personnel Management chief John Berry.

Now we’re hearing that Miami trial lawyer
Kirk Wagar
, who raised more than $1 million for President Obama’s reelection effort, is the leading candidate to be ambassador to Singapore.

The Canadian-born Wagar, a citizen since 2004, is an Obama pal who became one of his earliest supporters and headed his fundraising effort in Florida in 2008. How close a pal? Close enough to be invited to the first Obama White House state dinner, in 2009, for Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Wagar — an irrepressible, in-your-face former rugby player — has also been on the advisory board of the Ex-Im Bank, a post that might be useful if he’s working on the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement.

On the bunny trail

Sometimes people eschew fame. Take Lon Johnson, the new Michigan Democratic Party chairman and the spouse of Julianna Smoot, major Democratic fundraiser, former White House social secretary and Obama 2012 deputy campaign manager.

Johnson, who became chairman of the floundering state party in February, didn’t reply to several calls and messages on his cellphone — including one where he answered and said he’d call back.

The calls were to confirm and ask him about what we’d heard was a bravura turn as Mr. Bunny at the White House Easter Egg Roll, based on what we’d heard from a knowledgeable source.

(Your vision through the bunny’s mouth is quite limited, so a great performance is one where you don’t hurt yourself and you don’t step on the little kids.)

The totally transparent Obama White House — in contrast to just about every prior administration, including Richard M. Nixon’s — has also kept secret the names of those who have volunteered to don the hazardous and truly uncomfortable bunny costume.

Maybe there’s some sort of al-Qaeda connection?

Civility lost?

Senate Finance Committee staffers are back from their 13-day fact-finding trip to Australia, New Zealand and Vietnam to prep for the upcoming debate on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a free-trade agreement being negotiated between Washington and 10 other countries.

When we wished them a hearty bon voyage, we were told they were going to meet with senior government officials and trade and industry leaders in those three countries.

The embassy in Canberra began working in early March to also put together a meeting with some representatives of civil society — union folks, enviros, public health advocates, indigenous groups and so on — to “give their perspectives on the TPP and some of the specific issues in the agreement,” according to an e-mail to one of those invited.

Singapore on Wagar"s horizon?