On the left President Vladimir Putin of Russia and on the right Prime Minister Tony Blair of Great Britain.
Given the disgust expressed in the lead editorial of The New York Times today, the one regarding Bush's new World Bank President sounds sarcastic. But, while The New York Times is mired in limited possibilities to explore for greatness in leadership to political appointments from the Goldman/Sacks/Bush family there are folks at the European Commission that sees the world differently.
Shall we:
Blair among possible Wolfowitz successors (click title above)
..the stepping down of World Bank president Paul Wolfowitz, the European Commission in Brussels on Friday called on the multinational lending agency for immediate appointment of his successor.EC said stable and strong political leadership in the World Bank's top position is a must...
...The list of Wolfowitz's possible successors also includes Robert Zoellick, a former US trade representative and former deputy secretary of state, Treasury deputy secretary Robert Kimmitt and former Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker. Bush was not expected to change the US agenda for the World Bank focused on fighting corruption and market economics, but given the uproar over Wolfowitz's heavy-handed rule, it appears likely a more cooperative candidate will be sought. Paulson appeared to signal a new Washington sensitivity.
Their Master’s Voice (click here)
...It’s a familiar pattern: Mr. Bush sticks by his most trusted aides no matter how evident it is — even to the Republican Congressional chorus — that they are guilty of incompetence, bad judgment, malfeasance or all three. (George Tenet, the director of central intelligence; Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld; and the Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers spring to mind.)
Each time, we’re told Mr. Bush repays loyalty with loyalty. We’re told it’s a sign of character.
We don’t buy the explanation. The more persuasive answer is that Mr. Bush protects his embattled advisers because they are doing precisely what he told them to do....
Picking a World Bank President (click here)
...Two plausible candidates now reportedly under consideration are Robert Zoellick, the former deputy secretary of state who is now a Goldman Sachs managing director, and Robert Kimmitt, deputy secretary of the Treasury....
Robert Bruce Zoellick (click here) (born July 25, 1953) was a United States Deputy Secretary of State, resigning on July 7, 2006. Before this position, he served as United States Trade Representative, from February 7, 2001 until February 22, 2005.
He announced his resignation on June 19, 2006 to join the investment bank Goldman Sachs as a managing director and chairman of the company's International Advisors department.[1]
Robert Zoellick also serves or has served as a board member for a number of private and public organizations: Alliance Capital, Said Holdings, and the Precursor Group; and as a member of the advisory boards of Enron and Viventures, a venture fund; and a director of the Aspen Institute's Strategy Group.
He has also served on the German Marshall Fund of the United States, and the World Wildlife Advisory Council, and is a member of Secretary William Sebastian Cohen's Defense Policy Board.[1][2]
He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Trilateral Commission.
Robert M. Kimmitt (click here) was nominated by President Bush to be Deputy Secretary of the Department of the Treasury on June 29, 2005. The United States Senate unanimously confirmed him on July 29, 2005, and he was sworn into office on August 16, 2005. Kimmitt served as Acting Secretary of the Treasury from Friday, June 30th, until Monday morning, July 10th, following John Snow's resignation[ 1 ], but prior to Henry Paulson being sworn in to office[ 2 ]....
...From April 1970 to August 1971, Mr. Kimmitt served in combat with the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vietnam, earning three Bronze Star Medals, the Purple Heart, the Air Medal, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. He retired in November 2004 as a Major General in the Army Reserve. During 1997 Mr. Kimmitt was a member of the National Defense Panel, and from 1998 to 2005 he was a member of the Director of Central Intelligence’s National Security Advisory Panel. He also served as a member of the Panel of Arbitrators of the World Bank’s International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes.
Before rejoining the government, Mr. Kimmitt was Chairman of the International Advisory Council of Time Warner Inc., where he had served from July 2001 to February 2005 as Executive Vice President, Global Public Policy. From March through August 2005, he was also Senior International Counsel in the law firm of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr. Earlier, Mr. Kimmitt was Vice Chairman and President of Commerce One, a software company headquartered in the San Francisco Bay area. From 1997 to 2000, Mr. Kimmitt was a partner at Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering, and from 1993 to 1997 he was a managing director of Lehman Brothers. From 1987 to 1989, Mr. Kimmitt was a partner in the law firm of Sidley & Austin....
To begin I demand an investigation to the influence peddling between Time Warner and the Postal Rate Hike that has excluded many small and independent newspapers and magazines from competitive rates obviously facilitated by Robert M. Kimmitt. That's to begin.
I am seeing words on these resumes such as 'power brokering' between the lines especially when that is accompanied by words like Enron, Trilateral Commission, Goldman/Sachs and military backgrounds. I do believe the best interest of the leadership of The World Bank is not served by soldiers of Bush. They have Neocon agendas that Wolfowitz was attempting in his demands for change at the bank.
The World Bank needs leadership it can trust and there is absolutely no trusting any appointees by Bush, these 'very rough sketched' credentials of two Bush perferences are proof positive that the next three years at The World Bank would be a rough road indeed.
I feel Tony Blair is a hugely wonderful choice. I'll tell you why.
First off, the 'gentlemen' and 'gentlewomen' of the global diplomatic community and those of The World Bank have to know that 'gentile' structure allows for invasive agendas of influence, priviledge and corruption now rampant in the Federal government of the USA. Lose it. Being civil in the decorum of any proceedings is absolute and wonderful, a vital part of life for such highly responsible people, however, when it comes to 'the guts' of 'dealing with Bush' that 'belief' that goodness and decency exists if only they try hard enough does not exist. Come to learn and embarce the terms ruthless, cruel, undignified and assaultive in dealings. That is the Bush Executive Branch and a pollution of the global community that needs to be exorcised.
As to Blair. He has danced the dance with Bush and his agendas, he knows him well. Whether that is too close for comfort in being a President at The World Bank, I remind, that Mr. Blair is European, a staunch ally of the comman man and while perhaps mistaken in being as close to Bush as he is, he did not expect the outcomes that resulted in the lies and deceptions of the Bush Executive Branch. That character judgement is a critical one that needs to be taken into account. However, for The World Bank to move away from a Bush appointment of The World Bank there is a bonus in that Bush could not object to Mr. Blair, his best ally.
Also, at a dangerous time in the world, Mr. Blair has many affilitations with world leaders and could easily call on their influence and friendships to 'iron out' wrinkles while still leading The World Bank out of preceived corruptions. If not actually corruptions, then Mr. Blair will have the insight of procedure that could review World Bank processes and laws making recommendations but still aggressively pursuing important strategies that will protect the world's populous from the burgeoning ravages of Human Induced Global Warming. Mr. Blair has believed in this danger to Earth's biotic nature for a lot longer than many countries in the world. Aggressive improvements are important to save lives. It just is and Tony won't be afraid to make those recommendations and choices. Any appointee of DC by Bush doesn't even believe in Human Induced Global Warming yet alone lead The World Bank with measures necessary for those they hold in the palms of their hands.
Tony Blair would handle this enormously challenging position with ease at a very dangerous time on Earth. I think the idea is more than correct. I wish the decision makers and committees able to facilitate such a change the best of luck.
Regards.
