This morning’s reports have the Wall Street Journal saying that Bill Frist, the former Senator from Tennessee, Senate Majority Leader, and healthcare tycoon, is “getting especially close scrutiny for the job” of World Bank president. Continue reading
Serious rumour of new candidate, former Bush classmate Setrakian
According to a tip-off I just received from someone who needs to remain discreet, a new candidate in the running is Vasken Setrakian. Mr Setrakian is a former classmate of President Bush from Harvard, where they both did their MBA. He is also an ex-managing director at Brown Brothers Harriman and currently runs his own Investment firm in New York.
Seems like the Harvard Crimson, a university daily that is gloating today about how many World Bank prez candidates are alumni, will have to do an update.
My Lords, this is not a joke
Besides being a fascinating insight into the workings of the wonderfully quirky British House of Lords, this transcript shows that Baroness Royall of Blaisdon, Lord Hamilton of Epsom, and Lord Lea of Crondall are all terribly vexed over the selection of the next World Bank president. Continue reading
Lookalike
Spotted in Private Eye, the uncanny likeness between former head of the World Bank Paul Wolfowitz and number-loving puppet Count von Count from Sesame Street.
Another helpful reminder for the Europeans
Lest the Europeans forget the statement they made at the IMFC meeting just a month ago: “EU member states are ready to engage in a discussion of the appropriate selection criteria and processes for the senior management in all IFIs.” I may be wrong about this, but I don’t think in most people’s books ‘appropriate’ equals ‘kowtow to Bush’?