Eager to put the embarrassment of the Paul Wolfowitz brouhaha behind him, President Bush “will have a candidate to announce soon, allowing for an orderly transition that will have the World Bank refocused on its mission.” AP reports that, “Among those mentioned as a possible replacement for Wolfowitz were former Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick, who was Bush’s former trade chief; Robert Kimmitt, the No. 2 at the Treasury Department; Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson; former Rep. Jim Leach, R-Iowa; Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., and Stanley Fischer, who once worked at the International Monetary Fund and is now with the Bank of Israel.”
An interesting list. Zoellick would seem the obvious choice, given his extensive experience as a diplomat and expertise in international economics. Then again, given the way this administration seems to pick candidates for jobs, that may disqualify him.
