Wolfowitz Threatens Reciprocity

According to a “key witness” in the investigation into the propriety of his getting his girlfriend, Shaha Riza, a new job with guaranteed pay raises and top performance reviews, World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz threatened, “If they [screw] with me or Shaha, I have enough on them to [screw] them too.”

The quote, sanitized for sensitive readers, is doubly amusing given the context.

via Political Wire

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James Joyner
About James Joyner
James Joyner is a Professor of Security Studies. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.

Comments

  1. Anderson says:

    Combined with the Godfather scene that James Comey testified to today, it’s getting harder to distinguish the Bush administration from a bunch of 3d-rate wannabe gangsters.

    (Needs a post, JJ — the FBI director *ordering* his agents not to let Andy Card and Gonzales shove Comey out of Ashcroft’s room?)

  2. Steve Plunk says:

    So it’s wrong to stand up to bullying europeans? It’s wrong to say something like Wolfowitz said in private?

  3. M1EK says:

    Just remember, valiant Republicans: we were told it was OK that Dubya wasn’t the brighest bulb in the package because he’d surround himself with excellent advisers. Like Rumsfield. Cheney. Gonzales. Wolfowitz. Etc.

  4. Tlaloc says:

    Rule by fear doesn’t seem to be working out so well.

    Hell between Bremer and Tenet it’s hard to even get a good patsy these days. They make baby Oswald cry.

  5. legion says:

    So it’s wrong to stand up to bullying europeans? It’s wrong to say something like Wolfowitz said in private?

    Umm… yes, Steve. He as much as admits he’s dirty, but threatens to take others down with him if he’s called on his crimes. And given the implied admission, they’re not “bullying” him – that’s a crap way to try and frame the debate away from Wolfie’s ethical problems. I suppose nothing is inexcusable if you’re a Republican…

  6. Anjin-San says:

    Wolfowitz has basically starved people in Africa in the name of fighting corruption, so it is hard to see how calling him to account on his own corrupt acts counts as “bullying”.

  7. Christopher says:

    LOL! They are after him because he is reforming a truly sick organization. I am happy that President Bush is sticking by him.

    The only organization sicker than the World Bank? The democrat party.

  8. Anjin-San says:

    Good to see the sub 75 IQ crowd is sticking by Wolfowitz…

  9. Anderson says:

    LOL! They are after him because he is reforming a truly sick organization. I am happy that President Bush is sticking by him.

    The only organization sicker than the World Bank? The democrat party.

    Right. I particularly detested how the Dems sheltered that text-messaging pedophile last year. Sure swung my vote!

  10. davod says:

    Was he a pedophile, or are you listening to your own propoganda.

    When you read that Wolf did exactly what the WB ethics advisor told him to do, which was similar to what many others in the WB have done, and you see the WB hirarchy still proceeding then you know he has been set up.

    For the pin heads writing here opposing Wolf. to suggest he is immoral shows they are either ignorant, playing politics or spending to much time with their pointy heads sticking in the ground.

  11. Steve Plunk says:

    Anjin-San,

    You’re back to personal insults instead of sticking to the issue at hand.

    Like others have said, Wolfowitz tried to recuse himself and was told not to. He then consulted with the ethics authorities on how to proceed.

    This is an orchestrated hit on a leader looking to make institutional changes.

  12. Tlaloc says:

    This is an orchestrated hit on a leader looking to make institutional changes.

    *shrug*

    even if true, this particular leader has needed to be hit for some time. I’ll not shed any tears over poor wolfowitz.

  13. Anjin-San says:

    Steve,

    I am pretty tired of people who parrot Bushs infantile “demorcat party” crap. When I hear it I am going to feel free to place a golf ball on their flat little heads and tee off…

  14. Steve Plunk says:

    Anjin-San,

    With due respect you can do better and it helps keep the debate on a higher level. Civility breeds respect even among adversaries.