Is Obama using ambassadorships to get rid of inconvenient Republicans?

There were rumors that Utah's Gov. Jon Huntsman's appointment as ambassador to China was done to remove him from contention as a presidential candidate in 2012. Now there is a rumor that Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) was also offered an ambassadorship. As Politico notes: "The report follows the Obama administration’s June 2 nomination of Rep. John McHugh (R-N.Y.) to serve as secretary of the Army. McHugh and King are two of the three remaining Republican congressmen in the 29-member New York House delegation." The discussions with King, if true, make the earlier rumors regarding Huntsman appear more credible.