Courtesy of Daily Kos, a political cartoon showing the respect one gets when you get a top job on the basis of political appointment. Continue reading →

I’ve been asking colleagues in NGOs to let me know if their organisations produce statements on the Zoellick nomination. Several have, including Oxfam, Action Aid, Greenpeace, Plateforme Dette et Developement, International Rivers Network. They all raise varying degrees of complaint about the Zoellick nomination.

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In his official announcement of the nomination just now George Bush set out various reasons for his choice of World Bank president. They include that Robert Zoellick is:

“a committed internationalist.”

“He has earned the trust and support of leaders from every region of the world”.

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That’s what Goldman Sachs is known for, according to the New York Times. The following alumni are part of the “coterie” of the Bush administration:

Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson

Joshua B. Bolten, the White House chief of staff

Stephen Friedman, President Bush’s ex-director of the National Economic Council.

I guess Bob does owe a lot to ‘Hank’ who keeps hiring him wherever he goes (or when he has a say or the ear of GWB) – Wall Street and now the WB .

Talking Points Memo has excerpts from The Nelson Report, a daily update for subscribers who want to know what’s going on in Washington. It warns “certain personality traits will carry over, and create problems with his Bank colleagues different than the Wolfowitz debacle, but no less damaging, should they occur”. These traits already led to Zoellick being ousted as president of another institution: the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Meanwhile Steve Clemons supports Zoellick and gives him advice. Continue reading →