Just Fire Wolfowitz Already

[strandinthewind]

I mean HELLO - if he worked for me, he'd be canned and there would not be this negotiation BS

_____________________________________________

Sources: Wolfowitz to quit 'soon'

Story Highlights

• World Bank source tells CNN Wolfowitz will announce resignation "soon"
• Talks to continue over terms of Wolfowitz's resignation, board member says
• Talks center on wording of statement, senior bank official says
• White House concludes Wolfowitz can't serve anymore, sources say

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Senior World Bank officials told CNN on Thursday that they expect Paul Wolfowitz, the organization's president, to announce his resignation "soon."

Deliberations would continue Thursday morning, the bank's executive directors said in a statement.

On Wednesday they held talks with Wolfowitz and White House officials amid reports they were close to reaching an agreement that would allow him to leave voluntarily in return for the bank admitting some culpability in the handling of his girlfriend's transfer to a State Department job and hefty pay raise.

The White House has concluded that he cannot serve anymore, administration sources familiar with the discussions told CNN.

"We want it over, one way or the other," said a senior administration official, who added that the White House was merely reacting to the "reality" of Wolfowitz's shriveling support on the bank board. "If you can't win, you can't win." (Watch how Wolfowitz is criticized in an internal World Bank report)

The ongoing talks center on the wording of a statement, which the board needs to come up with in the next few days or risk losing credibility with the staff, a senior bank official told CNN.

"The staff is very agitated over this," the senior bank official said. "The board knows it risks becoming the target of the staff's wrath in this."

Wolfowitz attorney Bob Bennett left the door open for departure if Wolfowitz isn't found the be the only one responsible.

"He will not resign under this cloud and that remains his position," Bennett said. "We have presented an overpowering case to the full board. If we win that case to the full board, then things may work out."

Earlier, he called talk about Wolfowitz's departure as "premature."

One holdup in the talks is U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, who continues to support Wolfowitz.

The board rejected an earlier U.S. plan under which the U.S. would discuss Wolfowitz's resignation only if the Board of ethics violations exonerated him, a member of the bank board told CNN.

The board has enough votes to fire Wolfowitz but is trying to avoid a full vote, which would leave the United States isolated in its support for Wolfowitz, the official said.

"They want to give Wolfowitz and the U.S. a way out," the source said. "They are telling (U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry) Paulson if needed, they will vote him out, but they don't want to break up the board. They want the United States to be part of the consensus in finding a solution."

The United States has "already lost a great deal of prestige on the board," the official added. Wolfowitz's expected resignation would likely lead to an "open discussion about whether the U.S. should be able to pick his successor."

Should the Ethics Committee admit some culpability, staff firings are not expected, because most of the committee members who dealt with Wolfowitz on the matter have since left the bank, the official said.

Wolfowitz was supposed to travel to Slovenia Wednesday night on World Bank business but a World Bank official told CNN that the trip is on hold.

CNn's Ed Henry, Elise Labott and Zain Verjee contributed to this report.

Find this article at:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/05/...itz/index.html