Finally A Sensible Appointment

Bush has made many infamous political appointments during his terms in office. Not only did he appoint the Commissioner of International Arabian Horse Association (IAHA) as head of FEMA, but he also appointed John Bolton, a man who once said, "There's no such thing as the United Nations. If the U.N. secretary building in New York lost 10 stories, it wouldn't make a bit of difference," as the U.S. Ambassador to that same organization he had previously chastised.

Bush also made a "heck of" an appointment when it came to Paul Wolfowitz and the World Bank. Wolfowitz, a self-proclaimed "Neo-Conservative," was one of the key architects of the war in Iraq. It is ironic that a failed nation builder was put in charge of one of the largest and most important International Governmental Organizations in world. The World Bank is not only pivotal because it provides low interest loans and aid to many third world countries, but it also helps these same countries develop sustainable economic and social systems. This is why it is so comical that a man such as Wolfowitz, infected with tunnel visionitous, was appointed to be the guiding light of the WB.

However, Bush has finally smarted up a bit. Realizing that political appointments should not just be politically motivated, he appointed Robert Zoellick as the new chief of the World Bank. Zoellick, former U.S. Trade Repersentative, and a managing director of Goldman Sachs, is viewed by many involved in NGOs and diplomats a like as a very solid choice for the vacancy. An editorial in the New York Times had this to say about Zoellick: "Mr. Zoellick is just about everything Mr. Wolfowitz was not. He is an able diplomat, experienced and interested in the details of development, trade and governance and widely respected in the many countries he has dealt with in his long career as a top State Department official and as America’s top trade negotiator."

It will be interesting to see if President Bush keeps this sensible streak going. The next step Bush should take is to fire Gonzales (another incompetent appointment), and hire an ethical, and independently minded Attorney General.

The Queen's Visit

It seems ironic doesn't it, the Queen, full of opulence, grandeur, and most importantly popularity, is visiting to the Whitehouse where the President, lacking respect, trust, and most of all popularity, greets her with open arms.

The president will once again open his arms wide when Gordon Brown officially takes the reigns of the Parliament in the next couple of weeks. This transition could prove to be one of the most pivotal moments in the cherished relationship between the UK and the US.

Gordon Brown, unlike his predecessor, has no ties and nothing hinging on his relationship with President Bush. In actuality, he might have more to gain if he were to weaken his relationship with the President and also his commitments in Iraq. Since there is already bad blood between Blair and Brown, Brown can just take the initiative and blame the policy failures and the increased "lap dog" demeanor of the UK on the guy before him - it was his fault not mine; I was just in charge of making sure the economy surges.

Bush has to continue to keep his butt smooching lips wet because he has a lot of work to do to get the main member of the "coalition of the willing" to continue its staunch support of a dying policy.