European officials said the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, the Netherlands and other nations wanted to avoid a confrontation with the United States over Wolfowitz and hoped that a delay by the executive board in acting on him could give the Bush administration time to get him to resign voluntarily. —Steven R. Weisman writing in "Reprieve for Wolfowitz"

Bush credibility has fallen so low that no one even pretends to believe him anymore—

Bush administration officials have repeatedly said Bush supports Wolfowitz, but officials at the bank say this statement is no more credible than the statements of support from the White House last year for Wolfowitz's former boss at the Pentagon, Donald Rumsfeld, who was ousted after the November election.

As we saw with Rumsfeld and now with Attorney General Gonzales and Wolfowitz, Bushies do not give up their posts easily or willingly. But Gonzales is toast and Wolfie is browning nicely on both sides.

Tags: * Paul Wolfowitz Wolfie World Bank George Bush resignation