Psst! Is Powell Bound for the World Bank?

[kskiska]

WASHINGTON, April 26 - Forget the official pronouncements that Secretary of State Colin L. Powell is staying put at the State Department.

The buzz in the capital is at least a couple of steps beyond that, as people in business and finance circles here are speculating that he could become the next president of the World Bank, the largest and most influential development agency in the world.

The whispers only grew louder the other night after Mr. Powell dined with James D. Wolfensohn, the current bank head, at his home in the Kalorama section of Washington.

Over Arctic char, Mr. Powell joined Mr. Wolfensohn and a handful of other guests, including Alan Greenspan, the Federal Reserve chairman, to toast Horst Köhler, the former head of the International Monetary Fund who resigned last month to run for president of Germany.

more…
http://nytimes.com/2004/04/27/business/worldbusiness/27powell.html

[goclark]

1. If he is smart he'll leave tomorrow

But he is such a kiss up that he'll keep on being the whipping boy for Bush.

[Benhurst]

2. Too bad it's not the World Court, along with Bush & Blair. n/t

[daleo]

3. "You can take that to the bank", said Rummy

Usually, it is just an expression, unless you are in the BFEE.

[burrowowl]

4. As if the leadership of the WB

weren't bad enough.

[Merlin]

5. That's what LBJ did to McNamara after Mac opposed the war.

At the time, McNamara was the longest serving Defense Secretary in history. LBJ, furious with his turnabout on Vietnam, overnight made him head of the WB where he served for 25 years or so.

[goclark]

6. That's Right

History repeats itself.

[central scrutinizer]

7. and continued to inflict hideous damage

on third world nations - instead of a quick death by bombs, slow death by grinding poverty.