Bill Frisk up for World Bank

[MS Sunshine]

The story:

Wolfowitz Successor List Emerges
Frist Is Among Favorites
For Bush Nomination
To World Bank President
By GREG HITT

WASHINGTON -- The White House is starting to draw up a list of potential nominees to lead the World Bank, and former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, a heart surgeon who has traveled widely in Africa, is getting especially close scrutiny for the job.

Also receiving long looks are Treasury Deputy Secretary Robert Kimmitt and Robert Zoellick, the former U.S. trade representative now working at Goldman Sachs Group Inc., according to individuals familiar with White House deliberations.

White House spokesman Tony Fratto declined to comment on specific candidates, but did say President Bush hopes to have names to consider soon. "The president intends to name an American to the post," Mr. Fratto said.


Wolfowitz
MORE ON THE CASE


• Who's Who: Possible Successors

• Wolfowitz Quits as U.S. Relents

• Washington Wire: Resignation Pact Irks Staff

• See the statements released by the World Bank's board and Paul Wolfowitz following his resignation.

• Updated timeline and Bank FAQ in the Wolfowitz controversy.

• See the full May 14 report (PDF) by the executive directors of the World Bank on Paul Wolfowitz. Plus, see the World Bank's associated memos and documentation.

• Statements by World Bank directors: May 9 | May 1 | April 19 | April 12

• Democratic senators' letter to Bush on Bank leadership (05/09/07)

• Wolfowitz's rebuttal to the bank (05/02/07)

• Riza's statement, Wolfowitz's statement and report to bank board (04/30/07)

• Supporting documents: Report of the Ad Hoc Group | Ethics Committee Case No. 2 and President's Paper (04/13/07)

• Transcript and Webcast of Wolfowitz's press conference (04/12/07)

• World Bank Group Staff Association's letter calling on Wolfowitz to resign (04/12/07)

• Wolfowitz's letter to colleagues (04/09/07)

Despite calls from critics to consider a more wide-ranging set of candidates to succeed Paul Wolfowitz as president of the global antipoverty institution, Mr. Bush appears intent on following tradition by nominating an American. Mr. Wolfowitz's divisive two-year reign at the bank ended last week with his resignation after a battle over allegations that he showed favoritism to his girlfriend, a bank employee.

The Wolfowitz saga makes the selection of a new World Bank president particularly tricky. The White House must find someone who can mend divisions within the bank, and rebuild its leadership ranks and its credibility with the countries it serves. Mr. Wolfowitz's leadership of the institution was challenged from the start, in part because of his role in the Iraq war and his reliance on a small group of aides drawn from inside the Bush political camp. This time, the U.S. has promised to consult extensively with other countries in choosing the World Bank's leader.

Mr. Wolfowitz's departure doesn't take effect until June 30, giving the White House a six-week window to screen candidates and consult with major players in the bank, especially the European allies who were so critical of Mr. Wolfowitz. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson is leading the search. The effort is expected to begin homing in on finalists next week, ahead of the summit of leaders of the Group of Eight major powers in early June.

The U.S., the bank's largest shareholder, has always nominated the institution's head, while Europe has selected the head of the World Bank's sister institution, the International Monetary Fund.

Among the candidates discussed have been Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, the former chief executive at Kellogg Co.; John Danforth, former senator from Missouri and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations; and Paul Volcker, former chairman of the Federal Reserve.

Mr. Frist is a favorite of Mr. Bush's national-security adviser, Stephen Hadley, according to one individual familiar with White House deliberations.

During his more than 10 years in the Senate, Mr. Frist fought to boost U.S. spending on programs aimed at curbing the spread of infectious diseases overseas, including funds for AIDS. A spokesman for Mr. Frist couldn't be reached for comment.

Mr. Zoellick was considered for the World Bank job during the last go-round, before moving to the State Department, where he served as deputy secretary, at the start of Mr. Bush's second term. Mr. Zoellick declined to comment. Mr. Kimmitt, a former U.S. ambassador to Germany, is widely known in Europe. He declined to comment. But at a gathering of G-8 finance officials last weekend he said he was "very flattered to have my name associated with a prestigious institution like the World Bank," but stressed "any discussion of names, mine or anyone else's," is premature.

I somehow hoped he would go back to medicine.

MS Sunshine