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Posted on 03/06/2005 9:28:08 AM PST by nypokerface
WASHINGTON - Treasury Secretary John Snow on Sunday would not rule out the idea of Irish singer Bono, an activist on debt relief and AIDS, making the short list of potential candidates to lead the World Bank even though an American is expected to get the job.
"He's somebody I admire. He does a lot of good in this world of economic development," Snow said.
"Most people know him as a rock star. He's in a way a rock star of the development world, too. He understands the give-and-take of development. He's a very pragmatic, effective and idealistic person," Snow said.
Snow is part of the Bush administration team working on finding a successor to James Wolfensohn, who is stepping down as head of the development bank on June 1.
Asked whether the Irish singer would make the short list of candidates that Snow is preparing for President Bush, the secretary said: "I am not going to review here all the candidates that are on the list. But I will attest to my admiration for Bono."
Bono toured Africa with Snow's predecessor, Paul O'Neill, who focused a lot of attention during his time at the Treasury on poverty and diseases such as AIDS in Africa.
Bono has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for international social justice efforts that include trying to persuade rich nations to relieve the debt of poor nations.
Another candidate who has surfaced is Carly Fiorina, the recently ousted chief executive of Hewlett-Packard Co.
"She's also a friend and somebody I think well of," Snow told ABC's "This Week." But, he added, "I think we're going to have to wait to reveal that next president of the World Bank for a little while."
The administration began the search for Wolfensohn's successor in early January and said it would talk to other countries that belong to the 184-nation World Bank. The administration wants to name a replacement before Wolfensohn's term ends.
The United States is the World Bank's largest member nation. The bank traditionally has had an American president.
"I fully expect that to be the case, yes, and so do the G-7 (Group of Seven) finance ministers and all of the participants in the process," Snow said. "I've had any number of calls from finance ministers from around the world saying they want it to be an American."
The bank's sister institution, the International Monetary Fund, traditionally has been headed by a European.
Other names floated for the World Bank job include: John Taylor, the Treasury Department's undersecretary for international affairs; Peter McPherson, the former head of Michigan State University who served as Bush's point man on rebuilding Iraq's financial system; Randall Tobias, Bush's global AIDS coordinator; and Christine Todd Whitman, the former head of the Environmental Protection Agency.
Peter McPherson is probably the most qualified of those mentioned.
Maybe the World Bank is trying to get U2 to play a concert on their roof?
Point is, from what I've read, Bono has been several cuts above the normal entertainer turned political activist. He's done the hard reading, hard debating, and does a lot more than just show up and flaunt his support. For that matter he has praised President Bush as walking the walk with regard to the international AIDS crisis.
I'm not saying that Bono is the ideal candidate. However, he's shown he's serious about the issues, not just another star trying to look good. He's shown an ability to at least listen to, work with, and even praise those on the right, while maintaining his credentials with the left.
Political beliefs aside, I think he is as qualified to be head of the World Bank as Ronald Reagan was to be governor of California in 1966: A man who made his name as an entertainer, but did his homework to become a legitimate politician. Bone would be an unconventional appointment, but I think the idea deserves more than to be laughed at. He is uniquely qualified to get the left and right talking to each other and Bush could do a lot worse.
The guy can't even count to four (in spanish anyway).
Get a liberal yapping idiot that doesn't know the diff between exchange rates and interest rates.... can't even explain a spread sheet... who has been spewing verbal sewage about "forgiving" debt and bad mouthing the US about policy... then make him RESPONSIBLE
he's a typical lib celebrity who shoots off his/her mouth but when they have to produce something that isn't scripted or written for them and then face the consequences of their actions... well guess what....boo frickin hoo.... that's why celebs tend to screw up in their personal lives.
In other words, call his bluff. Like giving the Palestinians their own "country" let them "run" it.
It really looks good to be the boss, until you're the boss and have to "make it work".
uno, dos, tres, cuatorce
one, two, three, fourteen.... uh... OK.....
but if you look at it like the government does.... at least his "intentions" were good... so he's good to go.
and at least he wears super-cool sunglasses
Let's see Bono explain how a revenue bond works. Or an interest-only strip. Or give a concise description of the term "tranche."
Hell with revenue bonds, let's start with the basics, payables vs. receivables, does he know the difference?? LMAO!
I'd agree.
Bono does deserve more than a kneejerk reaction to his possible selcteion for the position.
It doesn't mean he is the best candidate, nor that he even has a good chance to receive the position, but certainly he's not the male equivalent of Garrolo.
bttt
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I have a feeling that they don't like the people who pay the bills.
Let's make Bono the head of the World Bank and we can bring back Paul O'Neill to head the Treasury.
Or a rapist..............
Oh goody. Now she'll get ot funnel billions of other people's money into her beloved wacky environmental causes. If they want a nutcase to head up the World Bank, maybe they could recruit Insane McCain.At least that would get him out of the Senate.
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Aww darn, I was hoping they would send Carly Fiorina in there to wreck the place.