Your tip
Your tip
RadarOnlineRadarOnline
or
Sign in with lockrMail

Meet Bush's Pick for Top Teller

Oct. 27 2008, Published 7:07 a.m. ET

RadarOnline CommentsLink to FacebookShare to XShare to FlipboardShare to Email

MONEY ON HIS MIND Zoellick

Now that Paul Wolfowitz has "resigned" as president of the World Bank for getting caught giving his girlfriend a huge raise, President Bush needs to install a new guy. The choice he's announcing today: former U.S. Trade Representative and State Department official Robert Zoellick.

So who is he? Let's see ... Goldman Sachs credentials (a must for any Bush buddy), check. Support of Bush's most ridiculous blunders, check (like Wolfowitz, Zoellick signed a now-notorious 1998 letter to President Clinton calling for the removal of Saddam Hussein). But those ready to dismiss him simply as a cookie-cutter Bush-bot could be in for a surprise.

Article continues below advertisement

First of all, check out the mustache. And as his stint as second-in-command at the State Department confirms, the guy likes to mix it up.

In 2005, Zoellick rolled into war-torn Fallujah himself to see if reports about progress in rebuilding the city were accurate (they weren't). In Darfur, he angrily confronted a stooge for the Sudanese government, shouting "I can't trust your government!" after the man tried to interfere with his fact-finding mission. And in China, he rejected the advice of aides who counseled against posing for a goofy picture with a panda because he wanted to send the Chinese a signal about cooperation—and also because his wife wanted a picture of him with a panda.

Photo: Getty Images

Radar Logo

Never Miss an

Exclusive

Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox

By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

READ MORE ON Celebrity

Opt-out of personalized ads

© Copyright 2025 RADAR ONLINE™️. A DIVISION OF MYSTIFY ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK INC. RADAR ONLINE is a registered trademark. All rights reserved. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service, Privacy Policy and Cookies Policy. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services. Offers may be subject to change without notice.