Paul Wolfowitz (in photo) is an easy target these days, given that he was among the neoconservative architects of the Iraq war when he was at the Defense Department. Even so, it’s nothing short of remarkable how someone who took the World Bank presidency vowing to fight corruption in its lending apparently saw no problem in seeing that his girlfriend got a $193,590 job at the State Department. Wolfowitz is resisting calls for him to quit. But he’ll need luck as well as his famous arrogance to weather this one.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
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25 Comments
Same song, thirtieth verse. A neo-conservative behaving as if special favors and fleecing the taxpayers is their God-given right. How many times have we seen this story, locally and nationally?
Like I said, with this administration, if it’s not one damn thing, it’s another.
Cronyism, corruption, and incompetence – touched off with a very large dose of arrogance. Nice…
He does have a valid argument in that he is less of a criminal than Bush or Cheney and they are not being asked to resign.
Wolfowitz is one of the founding members of the neo-con tradition. He is more dangerous and deluded than Bush or Cheney ever dared to be. So, Kev, sorry but I must respectfully disagree.
For a fascinating case study on Wolfowitz, the University of Chicago school of poliitcal science (Strauss) and the seeds of neo-conservatism see:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0312356056/bookstorenow79-20
The Rat is in charge of the cheese, as Israel’s loans get written off rather than paid back..
“neo-con tradition”
You’ve got to be kidding.
It’s the closes thing to the Nazi movement since the early 1900’s.
And it’s taken control of our White House, our military and our Treasury.
“neo-con tradition,” what an obvious “spin.”
The American People want Bush and Cheney gone, as in right now.
Those two bozos are destroying America. They are a cancer on the US Constitution.
And congress needs to get off their collective asses and get that job done.
“From Publishers WeeklySinclair Lewis’s 1935 novel It Can’t Happen Here envisaged a right-wing populist president, advised by a cunning political strategist and backed by a cynical alliance of religious fundamentalists and corporations, who uses security threats to consolidate dictatorial powers, destroy civil liberties and establish folksy fascism. This is a virtual blueprint for the current Bush administration, a “corrupt and authoritarian ruling clique” that accords the president “the prerogatives of a king,” argues political columnist Conason (Big Lies) in this lively, if overwrought, j’accuse. He surveys a long list of what he sees as Bush administration affronts to freedom and democracy: military tribunals, torture, warrantless wiretapping, politically motivated terrorism alerts, a war based on fraudulent pretexts, the Abramoff scandals, the handover of policy making to business interests and Christian zealots, tight secrecy coupled with a dissemination of propaganda through the right-wing media and a lawless contempt for constitutional constraints on the presidency. His indictment often hits home, but it’s broad and indiscriminate, treating biased journalism, religion-tinged politics and lobbying scandals as signs of creeping fascism rather than age-old commonplaces of democracy. Conason delivers his usual cogent, hard-hitting critique of Republican misdeeds, but his insinuations of authoritarianism, coming just as the Republicans have been voted out of power in Congress, seem badly timed.”
Hubris always gets them finally. Uusally when they quit thinking with their big head and start thinking with their small head.
Sorry guys but you need to read the report and who really approved the deal. It was all laid out to the board of governors prior to his taking over. They approved it.
The reason they are bringing it up now is that he is holding their feet to the fire at the Bank for the first time. His actions since he got there have been praised the world over in helping developing countries.
The reason the Board of Governors, which are really just a few countries reps, is that he is making them accountable for what they say they are going to do.
Oops, they dont like that, so they bring up something they approved to start with to push him out hoping to get a more compliant chief.
This is the same thing done at most operations…get in the yes man.
As Econ would say “where’s the crime”? As he wouldn’t say, this is just more of the same type of administrative decision bush makes all the time when making appointments.
Here’s some more on Wolfie’s shenanigans. WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Defense Department ordered a contractor to hire a World Bank employee and girlfriend of then- Pentagon No. 2 Paul Wolfowitz in 2003 for work related to Iraq, the contractor said on Tuesday.
ADVERTISEMENTA spokeswoman for Science Applications International Corp., or SAIC, said the Defense Department’s policy office directed the company to enter a subcontract with Shaha Riza, under which she spent a month studying ways to form a government in Iraq.
Wolfowitz, a key Iraq war architect who left the Pentagon in 2005 to become president of the World Bank, is already under fire for overseeing a high-paying promotion for Riza after he took the helm of the poverty-fighting global lender.
Senior Democratic congressmen and other critics have pressed demands for his resignation, saying his actions have undermined the campaign against corruption in the developing world that has been a hallmark of his World Bank tenure.
SAIC said Riza’s subcontract lasted from April 25 to May 31, 2003. She was paid expenses but no salary during her trip to Iraq, at her request, according to the contractor.
Melissa Koskovich, a spokeswoman for SAIC, said the contractor “had no role in the selection of the personnel who comprised the Iraq Governance Group under this contract.”
Defense sources said the Pentagon was reviewing the matter.
The World Bank’s board is examining Wolfowitz’s role in helping to arrange Riza’s promotion and the bank’s staff association has called for his resignation.
The controversy hung over spring meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund last weekend, attended by top finance and development officials from around the globe.
The bank’s member governments said on Sunday they were troubled by the matter and that it was crucial the bank’s credibility not be tarnished. Wolfowitz said he intended to stay in his job.
Democrats who criticize Wolfowitz for his role at the Pentagon in the run-up to the Iraqi war stepped up calls for him to quit.
Democratic Sen. John Kerry, who ran against President George W. Bush for president in 2004, said in a statement that Wolfowitz’s problems at the bank were “entirely self-inflicted” and jeopardized its role as a champion of anti-corruption.
Last week, Sen. John Edwards, a contender for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination, said Wolfowitz’s World Bank leadership was characterized by “some of the same failures as his term managing the war in Iraq — cronyism and rhetoric that does not match reality.” He added: “He should resign.”
In an e-mail to bank staff on Tuesday, Wolfowitz sought to ease concerns the episode might derail bank business.
“I want to reassure you that we conducted a full agenda of bank business with the governors, heads of delegation and various groups who attend the spring meetings,” he said, referring to the weekend gathering.
Much as I disapprove of Wolf, I am even more disgusted by Diane Feinstein.
“Feinstein ResignsSenator exits MILCON following Metro exposé, vet-care scandal
By Peter Byrne
SEN. Dianne Feinstein has resigned from the Military Construction Appropriations subcommittee. As previously and extensively reviewed in these pages, Feinstein was chairperson and ranking member of MILCON for six years, during which time she had a conflict of interest due to her husband Richard C. Blum’s ownership of two major defense contractors, who were awarded billions of dollars for military construction projects approved by Feinstein.”
I was assured when this came out in March that ’someone’ would get to the bottom of it. Hundred of thousands in one case hundred of millions in the other. One is a conservative one a liberal. WHich do you see in the headlines? Well it’s not the liberal. Another reason why people have stopped getting their news from the networks and newspapers that tilt so far to the left.
Just write Wolf off as business as ususal.
The libs are stuck on the ‘he should resign’ wagon. Show us by example.
Allegations against Feinstein, admitted corruption by Wolfowitz.
To conservatives, that makes Wolfowitz’ corruption acceptable.
Allegations that go nowhere when the corruption is in the millions is what is unacceptable. Let Wolf get away with it to – why have a double standard. Stop the investigation of the Justice Dept. This is the stuff that I am sick of. Corruption is corruption and if we aren’t going to go after it all then don’t go after any. Let corruption run amuck.
Actually ksgrm it goes into the Billions.
When Feinstein’s husband company started before changing to a military contractor, they were making less than 100 million a year.
After Feinstein’s Husband got the Defense contracts the went to 3.9 billion per year.
Haliburton. Now we can talk about corruption.
I don’t think that Democrats are much different — it’s not a liberal / conservative issue — it’s about greed, power, arrogance —
Bob throw out Haliburton, that is the only mantra libs know. But when the Feinstein episode is allowed to go quietly away, then don’t preach ethics, corruption or any of that other crap. You’re just blind in one eye. At least we get rid of our corrupt instead of giving them plum posts.
And Ken you are absolutely right. I’m not condoning it on either side. I just get sick of hearing the hipocracy on this thread and others.
Delay. Ney. Cunningham. Hasert.
Thanks ksgrm
Hypocrisy? Here? Really? I never noticed (tongue implanted firmly in cheek)
You might add bigotry, self absorbtion, close minded, corrupt and on and on —- I think it comes from “Leadership by Example” — our supposed political and business leaders in general aren’t much different -
Bob all but Hasert are no longer serving. Not sure what you are talking about Hasert. William Jefferson, Diane Feinstein, Harry Reid, I could go on but I think you get the picture. Investigation on one side only just points to the fact that corruption is alright if you are in power. Complicite in this is our poor excuse for a media. That is what strengthens right wing radio.
The right blames Reid for a land deal – ignores the exact same from Hasert………… yep, you folks are so moral.
Surely Wolfie will soon find Jesus and be forgiven by the RR masses. The same folks who have already forgiven Newt for ditching his cancer-stricken wife for wife number two and then cheating on wife number two with number three. The same folks who just say no to drugs and just say yes to Rush. The same folks who support Sam Brownback (or is that guy from Third Rock) yet decry dirty campaign tactics (remember the slanderous phone calls “reminding” voters that Jill Docking is Jewish and thus not a Christian). The same folks who might just have to vote for a Guiliani ticket (to avoid a Demo ticket) even though Rudy ditched his family for a gal-pal now wife. Wolfie and his lady friend (yes, he is still legally married) need to both report to their nearest unemployment office…or HR office at Halliburton.