A tribute to Wolfie

This is a pretty good tribute to soon-to-be-former World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz. I've said it before and I'll say it again - President Bush is no dummy when it comes to pushing his conservative agenda. He didn't appoint Paul Wolfowitz to the World Bank to return a political favor. He did it to push his agenda on the rest of the world -- toward the end of the video, it's mentioned how Wolfowitz implemented policies and altered reports concerning family planning and AIDS, as well as global warming.

Video via PoliticsTV

Wolfowitz out - I'm too crestfallen for words

So, Paul Wolfowitz is out as president of the World Bank. In the words of Jon Stewart, "the World Bank did what Iraq could not, kill Wolfowitz."

Okay, I don't know if I got Stewart's joke exactly right, but you get the idea.

I shed no tears for this guy - I'm happy he now has to go find a real job and that his cushy, politically appointed position as president of the World Bank is gone. In his case, a "real job" will no doubt be sitting on the boards of defense contractors (or companies that do business with them) and the like. (Does Halliburton have an opening?)

After all, the war he helped conceive is keeping all of them awash in plenty of blood soaked cash, so I'm sure they'll be more than happy to help their buddy Wolfie.

Other than that, I don't have anything to add, other than the fact that I'm depressed I no longer have any legitimate reason to run this altogether flattering picture of Wolfie.

It's *Tick Tock* for Wolfowitz

It looks like Paul Wolfowitz may have gotten himself a small reprieve in his bid to remain as president of the World Bank.

Actually, in reality, it's just a little more time to avoid the hangman's noose.

From today's New York Times:

Bowing to pressure from the Bush administration, the World Bank board agreed Wednesday to give Paul D. Wolfowitz, the bank’s president, slightly more time to defend himself against charges of misconduct before the board decides his future.

In a development that might help Mr. Wolfowitz’s fight to remain as bank president, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has lobbied European foreign ministers in the last two weeks, expressing support for him.

"She has spoken with several European foreign ministers about her positive impressions of Paul and the job he’s doing at the World Bank," Sean McCormack, the State Department spokesman, said in an interview on Wednesday when asked whether Ms. Rice had become involved in supporting Mr. Wolfowitz.

Despite Ms. Rice’s efforts and the board’s decision to give Mr. Wolfowitz more time, bank officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the deliberations are confidential, said they saw no indication that the board was any less determined to oust him from the presidency.

Mr. Wolfowitz was given until Friday evening — two additional days — to make his case in writing to the board, and it was expected that he would appear before the board as early as Monday. The board is to vote on whether he deserves a reprimand, a vote of no confidence or outright removal.

But even those plans could change. Discussions continued Wednesday on whether to proceed with a vote next week. Many bank officials continue to hope that Mr. Wolfowitz will resign, making a vote unnecessary.

I find it remarkable that Bush and Co. will do just about anything to defend yet another person from this administration with sleazy, unethical behavior.

I'm not alone. Reportedly, World Bank staffers are wearing blue ribbons to protest Wolfowitz remaining at the bank. The New York Times also reported that many staffers booed him at a staff meeting that he called to explain his reasons for fighting to stay on.

For those unfamiliar with the controversy, Wolf got into trouble when he allegedly arranged for his partner, Shaha Ali Riza, to be transferred to the Pentagon (to work for Dick Cheney's daughter), with a $60,000 raise, with guarantees of future increases. With her new salary, Riza makes more than Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

His girlfriend's salary isn't the only controversy surrounding his tenure at The World Bank. I heard this opinion on The Thom Hartmann Show the other day, and I agree with it - Wolfowitz wasn't appointed president of the bank to replay a political favor to a "good guy"; he was put there to promote two important ideas on the neocon agenda...

World Bank board members and staffers have complained that Wolfowitz is imposing Bush administration policies to eliminate family planning from World Bank programs. Nicole Gaouette, in an April 19, 2007, Los Angeles Times story, reveals overly conservative World Bank policies regarding climate change, and repeated deletions of references to family planning from World Bank proposals.

In regard to Bush's motives in making Wolf president of the bank, that could certainly be called Mission Accomplished, until now.

Wolf is no stranger to controversy at the World Bank, either. Upon his confirmation as bank president, several people immediately resigned their jobs at the bank in protest.

Outside of World Bank Headquarters yesterday, a protest was held, calling for Wolfowitz's resignation. Ben Wikler, the man interviewed in the video above, is campaign director of Avaaz.org, a global activist site that tackles important issues head on, such as Mid-east peace, global warming, the War in Iraq, etc. It's a very interesting site that I recommend checking out.

Pressure is mounting for him to go - we'll see if it has any effect. European Union members are reportedly pressuring the Bush administration to show Wolf the door, and in return Bush will get to name the bank's new president (The US has traditionally named World Bank presidents).

By this time next week, Wolfowitz should know his fate.

Massive fraud in Iraq, & who gets screwed?

That would be the American taxpayer.

Last week, it was reported that there has been massive fraud in Iraq, and billions (yes, BILLIONS) of dollars are missing and can't be traced. Reports vary between $10-$12 billion in unaccounted funds, and that number is certain to climb higher when all of the dispensation of money is examined. But, the billion dollar question is, will this fiasco get investigated at all?

The Democrats had better have game on this one, because this is the chief reason America brought the Democrats back to power - to bring about much needed change and oversight to our government, something we haven't had during the entire Bush Administration.

Billions of dollars wasted - this is what happens when there's no oversight in our government. David M. Walker, the Comptroller General and head of the Government Accountability Office, has publicly said, "There is no accountability" regarding the missing money.

I can't overstate my outrage about these reports. This war is bankrupting my generation, and at least a few generations to follow. And, what's the response from this administration and this government? So far, not much.

Even more stupefying ~ the government reportedly sent entire planes filled with pallets of money to Iraq, and no one knows where the money went. And we're not talking chump change here - we're talking about $12 billion in cash, at least. It's just beyond words.I'd really love to know where all of the people are who typically complain and whine about our sending billions overseas, to countries like Africa, etc? Nowhere to be found is where.

I've got an idea ~ how about an airplane filled with $12 billion in cash land at the airport in New Orleans, and have it distributed to the needy who still have no homes, 1/2 a city and a host of troubles, including levees that still aren't nearly as adequate as they need to be. (With oversight, of course - something foreign to this government, so it seems.) If that happened, there would be a big outcry about "giving money to the poor." Guaranteed.

But, there hasn't been much of an uproar about this issue, and it's inexcusable.

There should be an immediate investigation by Congress, and I urge all of you to write your U.S. House of Representative (Click Here) and your Senators (Click Here) and demand they do something about it. (I've already written my U.S. House Rep. and both of my Senators.)

Here's a brief passage from the New York Times that I found online tonight from its February 7 edition (yea, I'm a little behind on blogging):

A House committee report on Tuesday questioned whether some of the billions of dollars in cash shipped to Iraq after the American invasion -- mostly in huge, shrink-wrapped stacks of $100 bills -- might have ended up with the insurgent groups now battling American troops.

The report was released by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee at a hearing when Democrats sharply questioned the former American civilian administrator in Iraq, L. Paul Bremer III, about lax management of the nearly $12 billion in cash shipped to Iraq between May 2003 and June 2004.

Mr. Bremer defended his performance as head of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq, noting that the United States had to bring tons of American dollars into Iraq because the country had no functioning banking system.

''We had to pay Iraqis in cash,'' Mr. Bremer said of the money, most of which came from Iraqi oil sales. ''Delay would have been demoralizing and unfair to millions of Iraqi families.''

Unfair to Iraqi families, eh, Mr. Bremer? How about how unfair it is to American families? Has anyone considered that far out notion? Then again, I should take anything Bremer says with a grain of salt - his mismanagement of Iraq is well documented, and his decisions disastrous. For all we know, Bremer, one of the biggest disgraces in the history of American government, could have a Swiss bank account with a a million or two stashed away. How the hell would anyone know?

Even more damning is that neither our government nor the Iraqi government can answer whether any of the money ended up in the hands of our enemies in Iraq, who are picking off our troops just about every day.

Bremer is just the tip of the iceberg, though. There are many other people who need to be held accountable in this financial fiasco, the depths of which have only begun to be explored. Where is Donald Rumsfeld in all of this? Dick Cheney? Paul Wolfowitz? President Bush?

This is more than politics, folks - it's fraud, grand larceny, and treason. I don't care who is in the White House ~ this criminal behavior needs to be made public, and the guilty people need to be held accountable. I'm not holding my breath, but that's not good enough, either. We cannot afford, literally and figuratively, to let this one pass.

Predictably, some Republicans are just eager to sweep the whole mess under the rug, just like the good 'ole days during the GOP's reign in Congress during the last 12 years. I hope and pray that is not the ultimate outcome of this mess.

More from the Times article:

Republican committee members accused the panel's Democratic leaders of rehashing old allegations against Mr. Bremer and the conduct of American forces in Iraq for political gain.

''Self-righteous finger-wagging will not make Iraq any more secure,'' said Representative Tom Davis of Virginia, the [House Oversight and Government Reform] panel's ranking Republican. He said Mr. Bremer was asked to take charge of a ''country with, basically, no government.''

Really, Tom? There's a difference between political sniping and certain issues that should transcend traditional politics as usual. This is one of those issues. This isn't about political gain for the Democrats, or at least it shouldn't be. An investigation should go after whomever is responsible, be it corporations, politicians, Republicans, Democrats, etc. From no-bid contracts, to cronyism, fraud and downright criminal behavior, this investigation should rip the lid off of all of it. One thing's for sure - an investigation won't happen unless we demand one.

If you can pick one thing that has happened during this administration to write your elected Congressional representatives about, this is it.

So, let's get going.

Would someone please sock Wolfowitz?

Check out this pic of Paul Wolfowitz, president of the World Bank, and to many Americans, persona non grata, #1 neocon dirtbag.

These recent pics revealed Wolfie's inner slob during a visit to a mosque in Western Turkey. You'd think one of the principle architects of the Iraq War would have been taken care of by one of the war's many benefactors (most notably U.S. defense contractors).

Hey Halliburton, spare change for Wolfie's socks?

With Hallie the recipient of numerous no-bid government contracts, I'm sure it can spare a dime for one of its favorite war mongers.

At least there's one of the five senses is spared - we can't smell the stank.