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Senate Democrats Urge Bush to Fire Wolfowitz

May 09, 2007 5:47 PM

ABC News' Z. Byron Wolf Reports: Senate Democrats want President Bush to fire Paul Wolfowitz, the embattled head of the World Bank. Democratic leaders shot off a letter to the president telling him that the scandal surrounding Wolfowitz and his girlfriend has "thrust the Bank into an historic crisis", and is jeopardizing the Bank's ability to perform its "fundamental purpose" -- helping the world's poor.

They sent the letter on the same day that a White House spokesman backed Wolfowitz and said he deserves a "fair hearing" on charges he helped his girlfriend Shaha Riza get an inappropriate promotion in 2005.

Wolfowitz is currently embroiled in an internal investigation and will have to defend himself before the Bank's board of directors. More on the story here.

But Democrats on Capitol Hill told President Bush today that the board should not have to decide Wolfowitz's fate.

They close the letter, "The Bank's Board may feel compelled to vote on the future of Mr. Wolfowitz's tenure as President, an unprecedented step.  We do not believe the Bank's mission or U.S. interests would be advanced by such a vote.  We urge you to take decisive action quickly to bring this crisis to a close."

The Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and his three deputy leaders, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., say Wolfowitz's reputation (presumably with regard to his role as a Deputy Secretary of Defense in the leadup to the war in Iraq) precedes him at the Bank and the current situation "may be fueled in part by views toward Mr. Wolfowitz unrelated to his tenure at the Bank."

May 9, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (0)

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