Posted on 03/20/2005 2:48:40 PM PST by wagglebee
Embattled Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, nominated by President Bush to head the World Bank, has received some welcome support from an unlikely source, Democratic Sen. Joe Biden.
Wolfowitz's nomination by Bush was greeted with disdain by much of Europe, Africa and Asia. But Biden, who is known in some circles as somewhat of a foreign policy wonk, thinks the Pentagon's second-in-command is a good pick. "I think it's a good choice," Biden told London's Sunday Herald newspaper. "He's a democracy builder. He's a nation builder, unlike [Defense Secretary Donald] Rumsfeld and others."
Biden has been a regular critic of Wolfowitz over the latter's policies in Iraq, but the Delaware liberal has reversed course regarding his potential World Bank appointment.
"He's thinks you should stay for the long haul, he thinks we should be putting more money into Iraq to build institutions. That's what the World Bank does," Biden told the paper.
Wolfowitz is also getting support from another noted liberal Democrat, Rep. Robert Wexler of Florida.
"He is well qualified for this position and brings a depth of experience, knowledge and expertise that is critical to succeed as president of the World Bank," Wexler said, in quotes picked up by the Herald. "Although I often disagreed with Mr. Wolfowitz and the Bush administration's policies in Iraq, it is critical that the international community and especially our European allies look beyond this issue and support this qualified nominee."
For his part, Wolfowitz says his critics are blowing the impact of his nomination out of all proportion.
"[Once] people who don't know me get to know me they will realize fairly quickly I am about a lot more than military issues, about a lot more than just the Iraq war and that a good deal that has been written about me is an inaccurate caricature," he said, according to the paper.
who the heck cares.....Wolfowitz nomination doesn't need senate approval.
Awe
So9
DUmmies sponatenously combust. Film at 11.
Biden? Trust me... he doesn't know what he's talking about... But I guess you could say that about any Democrat.
So I guess we can be reasonably sure that Neil Kinnock supported Paul Wolfowitz first.
U.S. out of the World Bank.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.