Prediction: Wolfowitz will be forced out, and Bush will name someone of Boltonian badness

[BurtWorm]

to replace him. Once again, people are acting as though the Bushists play by or even care about the rules, which is exactly when the Bushists deliver another "Go Fuck Yourself." (Some Christians just love it when they do that.)

http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2007/05/08/wolfowitz/index.html?source=rss

Get rid of Wolfowitz and nobody gets hurt

A World Bank committee has found Paul Wolfowitz guilty of breaking bank rules by arranging a sweetheart deal for his sweetheart, and European governments are now offering the United States a deal: You still get to pick the next World Bank president, but only if Wolfowitz takes it upon himself to step down now.

As the New York Times reports, the European governments are trying to avoid a "public rupture" over Wolfowitz's fate among members of the bank's board. The Bush administration wants Wolfowitz to stay on the job, possibly after accepting some sort of reprimand from the board. Many European members want him gone. With the "deal" they're offering, the Europeans hope to wipe their hands of Wolfowitz while avoiding a head-on confrontation at the board. The theory they articulate: Even if the board votes only for a reprimand, it will be "effectively ... impossible" for Wolfowitz to stay on, the Times says.

One of Wolfowitz's top aides resigned Monday. Kevin Kellems, who worked for Wolfowitz at the Pentagon during the run-up to the Iraq war and later as Dick Cheney's communications director, quit as Wolfowitz's World Bank spokesman, a job in which he used to claim that the deal Wolfowitz arranged for his girlfriend had been "made at the direction of the bank's board of directors." As the Washington Post reports, that claim is no longer operational. Bank documents show that the board wasn't informed of all the details about the deal, and Kellems wouldn't repeat his claim about the board's involvement Monday.

A senior European official tells the Times that Wolfowitz's credibility is now "beyond repair." That may well be, at least among those who know, or care, what the word means. What the senior European official may not understand: Credibility among high-ranking officials doesn't always matter much to the fellow who lives in the White House.

[KoKo]

1. Kick...

[quiet.american]

2. Yes, I had the same thought -- he'll probably choose Rumsfeld as a replacement. n/t

[ellenfl]

3. they did that when they installed wolfie.

i'm no fan of the world bank anyway so i can't imagine it could get much worse. will this be another recess appointment or doesn't this post require senate approval?

ellen fl

[BurtWorm]

4. It requires approval of the Board, which means member nations of the bank.

I'm actually expecting them to name Bolton. :o

[Divernan]

5. But presidency of WB requires a super majority of 85% of voting shares.

Any major decisions re the World Bank, such as any changes to its Charter, require a super majority of 85% of the voting shares.
All member nations are not truly equal, when it comes to voting shares.
Since the US controls 16% of the voting shares, the US can effectively veto any selection for WP President other than the US's own choice.

"In fact an organization that operates on non-democratic structures itself is an unlikely champion of participatory decision-making. Voting power at World Bank is determined by a country’s financial contribution. The US has between 15.5-18% of vote in every board and the combined vote of the G7 countries is close to 45%. The headquarters of both IMF and World Bank are at Washington due to the stipulation that headquarters will be located in countries with the highest contribution. Significant changes in policy direction require a majority vote of 85%. So far the US has maintained its veto power by ensuring that its voting power never slips below 15%. This organization certainly understands the language of ‘effective demand’ i.e. responding to the demands of those who can pay, but to expect it to actively promote democratic participation may be naivety of the highest order."

[BurtWorm]

7. Which is why this bunch are such a disaster to have in power.

They nominate shits, they make sure shits get elected, and they make sure nonshits do not get elected.

21 more months of this.

[no_hypocrisy]

6. Meet the new boss . . . same as the old boss . . . .

[Hubert Flottz]

8. Rummy...