Two people I respect — Martin Walker and Sebastian Mallaby — are divided on George Bush’s nomination of Paul Wolfowitz to run the World Bank. Martin Walker has my vote this round.
Wolfowitz tapped to head World Bank Pentagon official to replace James Wolfensohn The Associated Press Updated: 9:35 a.m. ET March 16, 2005 WASHINGTON – President Bush will recommend that Defense Deputy Secretary Paul Wolfowitz take over as head of the World Bank, a senior administration official said Wednesday.
Condoleeza Rice is off to India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Japan, and South Korea this week reminding Asia that we remember where the place is. America has been AWOL in the region for some time, but we are trying to quickly reestablish our presence with one of Condi’s power visits.
Check out this well-done UPI piece that queries Senator Chuck Hagel about the “Waxman Brief” on John Bolton. Senator Hagel’s public comments supporting Bolton’s nomination occurred before broad public awareness of the contents of a letter by Rep. Henry Waxman to Rep. Christopher Shays.
Wouldn’t it be useful if outrageous political appointments could be “offset” by compulsory adjustments elsewhere in the administration? In other words, if the Bush administration wanted to invest a lot in John Bolton going to the United Nations as America’s Ambassador, then a corresponding offset of equal weight elsewhere in America’s foreign policy portfolio would…
Media Matters sets the record straight with many pro-Bolton, America Alone Alliance members groping around for Democrats to compare John Bolton to favorably.
Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM) practically accuses John Bolton of undermining American national security by failing to aggressively help secure the elimination in Russia of “about 70 tons of weapons-grade plutonium.” This is the most overt comment yet from a Republican who has problems with John Bolton’s competence and appropriateness as U.S.
Al Gonzales had La Raza. But I’ve been scratching my head wondering who would be pushing Bolton so hard — other than, of course, Dick Cheney, and many other Jesse Helms staffers who want to help the former Senator’s ghost continue to harrass the United Nations as he did in office.
Bolton pushed the Niger-Uranium story over the objections of and rejection by State & CIA analysts. He covered his tracks with “sensitive but classified” secrecy designations to block your and my access to his role. And Senator Hagel, John Bolton’s staff lied to Congress about this.
Here is an Eli Lake article that ran in the New York Sun, which favors Bolton’s confirmation. It’s a good, fair piece and lays out a reasonable picture of what is going on.