World Bank changes

Sebastian Mallaby is no doubt the author of the Washington Post editorial today about the race to head the World Bank. Some people viscerally dislike 'The Bank,' but as Mallaby (whom we suppose deserved the byline) writes:

It matters who takes over the World Bank, because the institution is both powerful and fragile. It is powerful because it pumps out around $20 billion in commercial loans, subsidized credits and grants each year and because its 10,000-strong staff represents the strongest concentration of development expertise anywhere. The combination of financial and technical muscle has given the bank a lead role in many ventures that affect American interests, from reconstruction in the Balkans and Afghanistan to the campaign against AIDS to the refining of development theory.

Interestingly, outgoing World Bank President James Wolfensohn wanted to stay in his job -- but his hopes for that may have been dashed by Sebastian Mallaby's biographic volume that portrayed both Wolfensohn's larger-than-life brilliance and monstrousness, intertwined in a complex way that Mallaby argues ultimately served the bank and the cause of global development well.

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Colin Powell and U.S. Trade Representative Bob Zoellick were early favorites to succeed Wolfensohn, but Zoellick is now pledged to serve as Condi Rice's Deputy at State. That leaves Powell, whom the editorial today endorses for the job:

Departing Secretary of State Colin L. Powell passes them (the tests of being an experienced manager familiar with complex public-sector organizations, a persuasive communicator, and must understand development), but his appetite for the job is uncertain. If Mr. Powell is not interested, the Bush administration should think outside the box.

The candidates whom Mallaby thinks do not pass the test, which he notes in the Post editorial are Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, Treasury Undersecretary John B. Taylor, and State Department Global AIDS Coordinator Randall Tobias.

I agree with Mallaby that these three don't cut the profile of a Wolfensohn successor -- and one World Bank official I had dinner with last night tells me that the Europeans may decide to go to war with us if we push Taylor. They really hate him (which may improve his chances with Bush).

But outside the box -- two other candidates that have been floated in other World Bank commentary are Bill Clinton and former New Jersey Governor and EPA Chief Christine Todd Whitman.

Get more here from Steve Clemons (reference links embedded).

Clemons also reprints something apparently making email rounds - a Republican dictionary. Examples:

ALARMIST, n. Any respected scientist who understands the threat of global warming.
ALLIES, n. Foreigners who do what Republicans tell them to do.
ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SOURCES, n. New locations to drill for oil and gas.