Wolfowitz: either low-key mastermind of change or academic out of his depth
Thursday, September 22, 2005 at 6:39PM ■"A Kinder, Gentler Wolfowitz at World Bank? New Head's Low-Key Approach Masks Subtle Shift Toward Agriculture and Infrastructure," by Greg Hitt, Wall Street Journal, 22 September 2005, p. A4.
Wolfie keeps the low profile at the WB. Just floats ideas for change here and there, but no big plans. Speaks of redirecting the bank toward ag and infrastructure with a big focus on Africa. Sounds about right to me, but one can take the low-profile thing too far. Opportunities for significant reform get lower the further you go in someone's tenure. Is this Wolfie playing it smooth or just revealing himself as the policy wonk academic he has long been accused of being?
When I did the interviews for the July Rumsfeld piece in Esquire, I got the distinct impression time and time again that Rummy was his own SECDEF and DEPSECDEF, or both Defense Secretary and Deputy Defense Secretary, with Wolfowitz basically a glorified Under for Policy and Doug Feith a glorified Deputy Under. I'm not just making that up. I heard it time and time again.
People in the Building always said Wolfowitz was too ideological for SECDEF but not cut out to be the business guy who led the building (DEPSECDEF). Question now is, Can he be a visionary at the WB or does the job actually take somebody who might have some skill in managing a bureaucracy?
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