World Bank President Face-Off

Columnist Sebastian Mallaby informed readers that there is another very competitive election going on besides the Kerry-Bush face-off. Colin Powell, Bill Clinton, Robert Zoellick, and Stan Fischer are all pursuing to be the next president of the World Bank, whom is in control of $20 billion in loans to poor countries.
Jim Wolfensohn, age 71, is presently the World Bank chief, and should not be overlooked for taking the office again. Mallaby, having written a book on Wolfensohn’s decade as World Bank chief, said, “He is a screamer, a schemer, and an astonishing force of nature. If there’s something he wants, he usually winds up getting it.” Here’s an example. In 1995, it was time for the U.S. government to elect a President of the World Bank. Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin, who was very strong in economic policies, did not want Wolfensohn to get the office. But just like Mallaby stated, Wolfensohn got the position with his manipulative charm, outgoing personality, and people person characteristic. He had Clinton and quite a few others on his side, so Rubin did not really stand a chance to get what he wanted.
I think that Wolfensohn is playing the game by hiding the fact that he might be a candidate for the World Bank President. I believe that with his kind of dedication to his position that he is not going to give it up that easily. I believe that if he really wants this position again, he can pull some strings to get it taken care of. But then again, isn’t this what politicians do best????

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