President Bush formally announced the nomination of former US Trade Representative, Robert Zoellick to the World Bank. Politically astute Hank Paulson headed the search for the new institution head which has been traditionally held by an American. The Bush Administration has made the right move to nominate an individual whose competence is not questioned while is also in good international standing. Mr. Zoellick comes with an established resume as former Dputy Scretary of Sate, US Trade Representative, head of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and senior official at Goldman Sachs. Unfortunately, it took the Bush Administration too long to understand the importance of picking people who are not only politically loyal, but also competent and widely respected. Paul Wolfowitz had a long resume that seemed perfect for the World Bank however the Bush Administration miscalculated on his ability to navigate the political sensibilities of the institution. The Bush Administration learned the hard way that the nomination of cronies like Harriet Myers to the Supreme Court, Alberto Gonzalez at Justice, and Scott McClellan as Press Secretary would come back to haunt them. The Administration has finally understood the importance of quality in its recent personnel decisions with Hank Paulson at Treasury, Robert Gates as Defense Secretary, Robert Zoellick at the World Bank, Eliot Cohen as Senior Advisor at State, and Tony Snow as White House Press Secretary. Why did it take so long?
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