U.S. President George W. Bush said he plans to nominate Richard Graber, the chairman of the Wisconsin Republican Party, to replace outgoing Ambassador William Cabaniss, 68, a former Army lieutenant and Alabama state senator who has been in Prague since December 2003.

When Cabaniss officially leaves his post depends on whether and how long the Senate takes to confirm Bush's nomination of Graber, said embassy spokesman Jan Krč.

Three years is the standard length of time for an ambassador to serve overseas, and Cabaniss' term is simply nearing the end of its run, Krč said. "This is the normal way of things."

Cabaniss did not release a statement or comment on the administration's move, but Krč said last Thursday's announcement did not come as a surprise.

Graber, 49, heads a law firm in Wisconsin's largest city, Milwaukee, and has been the GOP leader in the state since 1999, making him one of the longest-serving Republican chairmen in the United States.

He also served as a spokesman for Bush's 2004 re-election campaign.

"I'm very honored to be nominated. It's a thrill for me and my family," Graber said in a recent telephone interview with The Prague Post. "It's where all my energy will be focused in the coming weeks and months."

Once Graber is officially nominated for the role, it's up to the U.S. Senate to complete the formal confirmation process before he can take over from Cabaniss. The timing of the entire process depends on whether the Senate is able to get to the issue before taking its summer recess in August, Krč said.

Graber is currently director, chairman and CEO at Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren, a firm specializing in business law. He's also heavily committed to politics, sitting on the Republican National Committee and serving as chairman of the Wisconsin Delegation at the 2004 Republican National Convention.

If approved, the position will be Graber's first diplomatic appointment. Although he has traveled through Europe with family, he's never visited the Czech Republic, he said. Since first learning earlier this summer about Bush's intent to nominate him, he's been doing his research.

"I've been learning a great deal about the Czech Republic and its long and fascinating history and return to democracy," he said.

Cabaniss is planning to return to the United States after his term ends in Prague, Krč said. He once ran his own steel-plate-processing and metal-machining business based out of Birmingham, Alabama.

An issue sure to top the agenda of Cabaniss' replacement will be U.S. visa policy, a change in which Cabannis has advocated.

Czechs still cannot visit the United States without a visa, though Americans can stay here for up to 90 days without one.

Cabaniss's term in Prague has been "very successful," Krč said.