# What kind of weirdo would have an affair with Paul Wolfowitz? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 12, 2007, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-weirdo-would-have-an-affair-with-paul-wolfowitz/399865 "2007-04-12T22:04:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Cid_Viscoso)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-weirdo-would-have-an-affair-with-paul-wolfowitz/399865/41 "2007-04-13T16:09:34Z")
You forgot to holler “get off my lawn.” 😉 I think many of us are simmering on this very issue, **Tom** , but as our ole pal **elucidator** noted so many months ago, we’re fresh out of outrage. This entire bunch of criminals should be frog-marched down Pennsylvania Avenue, but who’ll replace them? As we’ve already seen, electin’ doesn’t accomplish shit except rip the veneer off the current set of henchmen (some of whom we’ve been bashing for years) so a new bunch of bad guys can take over. The whole system is bankrupt. So fuck it, I’m gonna crack jokes about how he loogs on his comb. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-weirdo-would-have-an-affair-with-paul-wolfowitz/399865/42 "2007-04-13T16:10:10Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > See link below what? [Oops, sorry](http://www.arabnews.com/?page=4§ion=0&article=60884&d=23&m=3&y=2005). ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-weirdo-would-have-an-affair-with-paul-wolfowitz/399865/43 "2007-04-13T16:19:17Z")
[QUOTE=An Arky] I have to ask, though: [This](http://villagevoice.com/blogs/bushbeat/archive/images/riza-at-world-bank.jpg) is what $193,000 dollar pussy looks like? Funny, I had a bit different mental picture of what $193K would get you. [/QUOTE] Yeah, but it isn’t HIS money. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-weirdo-would-have-an-affair-with-paul-wolfowitz/399865/44 "2007-04-13T16:37:49Z")
[QUOTE=tomndebb] When he moves to his next high profile job, (as he will), what do you figure the recruiting committee will be thinking that they decide to invite a person wholly lacking in ethics or truth to take their six-figure salary? [/QUOTE] Ummm… _G-R-R-R-R-R-R, what a hunk o’ man!!! I’d greet HIM as a liberator any day!_ ? ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-weirdo-would-have-an-affair-with-paul-wolfowitz/399865/45 "2007-04-13T17:49:16Z")
[QUOTE=Squink] Power is Sexy. [/QUOTE] And absolute power is sexy absolutely? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-weirdo-would-have-an-affair-with-paul-wolfowitz/399865/46 "2007-04-13T17:55:36Z")
[QUOTE=Enderw24] And absolute power is sexy absolutely? [/QUOTE] Absolutely. And sexy corrupts. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-weirdo-would-have-an-affair-with-paul-wolfowitz/399865/47 "2007-04-13T18:55:27Z")
[QUOTE=tdn] This is quite possibly the most depressing thing I have read on the Internet EVAR. If having a full head of hair is what defines desirable, then I’m less desirable than Paul Wolfowitz. If that’s not a reason to put a bullet into my brain, I don’t know what is. At least I don’t lick my comb, have holes in my socks, or fuck the world. [/QUOTE] Hey, I’m not saying he’s “desirable,” just that it’s not inconceivable that a woman would be attracted to him. And I’m not saying a full head of hair is what defines desirable. But after seeing the holes in the socks thing, I can’t bring myself to defend Wolf’s appearance in any way. There’s no excuse for that shit. So fuck Wolfowitz with a hot poker, and fuck whoever thought it would be a good idea to pay him massive amounts of money for anything. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-weirdo-would-have-an-affair-with-paul-wolfowitz/399865/48 "2007-04-13T19:32:47Z")
[QUOTE=Brandon] Is this the weirdo in question? [Shaha Riza](http://www.worldbank.org/springmeetings/images/SM03-MENA-5.jpg) [/QUOTE] Heh, her nostril is all red. He must pick her nose too. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-weirdo-would-have-an-affair-with-paul-wolfowitz/399865/49 "2007-04-13T20:12:35Z")
Mmmmm. Not the only explanation. Just sayin’, is all. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-weirdo-would-have-an-affair-with-paul-wolfowitz/399865/50 "2007-04-13T20:26:01Z")
[QUOTE=NurseCarmen] Heh, her nostril is all red. He must pick her nose too. [/QUOTE] Holy shit, that’s funny. I hate trying to explain hysterical laughter to co-workers… ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-weirdo-would-have-an-affair-with-paul-wolfowitz/399865/51 "2007-04-13T21:04:46Z")
[QUOTE=elucidator] Mmmmm. Not the only explanation. Just sayin’, is all. [/QUOTE] Wolfie’s packing? You think? ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-weirdo-would-have-an-affair-with-paul-wolfowitz/399865/52 "2007-04-13T21:36:52Z")
[QUOTE=tomndebb] When he moves to his next high profile job, (as he will), what do you figure the recruiting committee will be thinking that they decide to invite a person wholly lacking in ethics or truth to take their six-figure salary? [/QUOTE] Hey, the War Czar job is still open. At least he’s someone who deserves the blame. I bet the proving Iraqi marketplaces safe job is open also. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-weirdo-would-have-an-affair-with-paul-wolfowitz/399865/53 "2007-04-13T23:00:45Z")
[QUOTE=tomndebb] When he moves to his next high profile job, (as he will), what do you figure the recruiting committee will be thinking that they decide to invite a person wholly lacking in ethics or truth to take their six-figure salary? [/QUOTE] “I’m not sure we can get away with offering him so little.” “Yeah, it’s got to be at least seven figures or else he’s going somewhere else.” ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-weirdo-would-have-an-affair-with-paul-wolfowitz/399865/54 "2007-04-13T23:06:23Z")
[QUOTE=amarinth] “I’m not sure we can get away with offering him so little.” “Yeah, it’s got to be at least seven figures or else he’s going somewhere else.” [/QUOTE] “Does Baghdad Bob speak English? I bet we could get him for a song if he does.” ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-weirdo-would-have-an-affair-with-paul-wolfowitz/399865/55 "2007-04-16T14:02:05Z")
[Wolfowitz story a political ‘hit’](http://opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110009948) ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-weirdo-would-have-an-affair-with-paul-wolfowitz/399865/56 "2007-04-16T14:58:46Z")
[The Wolfowitz-Riza Scandal & What Happened to the $35 million America Pumped into the Foundation for the Future? | HuffPost Latest News](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-clemons/the-wolfowitzriza-scanda_b_45851.html) Not only does she have a nice job, she is not doing it. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-weirdo-would-have-an-affair-with-paul-wolfowitz/399865/57 "2007-04-16T15:19:55Z")
> [@Sam Stone](#): > > Wolfowitz story a political ‘hit’ From the _Wall Street Journal_ op-ed in **Sam** ’s link: > [@](#): > > The paper trail shows that Mr. Wolfowitz had asked to recuse himself from matters related to his girlfriend, a longtime World Bank employee, before he signed his own employment contract. The bank’s general counsel at the time, Roberto Danino, wrote in a May 27, 2005 letter to Mr. Wolfowitz’s lawyers: > “First, I would like to acknowledge that Mr. Wolfowitz has disclosed to the Board, through you, that he has a pre-existing relationship with a Bank staff member, and that he proposes to resolve the conflict of interest in relation to Staff Rule 3.01, Paragraph 4.02 by recusing himself from all personnel matters and professional contact related to the staff member.” (Our emphasis here and elsewhere.) > > That would have settled the matter at any rational institution, given that his girlfriend, Shaha Riza, worked four reporting layers below the president in the bank hierarchy. But the bank board–composed of representatives from donor nations–decided to set up an ethics committee to investigate. And it was the ethics committee that concluded that Ms. Riza’s job entailed a “de facto conflict of interest” that could only be resolved by her leaving the bank. 😕 Do “rational institutions” really not consider it a conflict of interest when the president of the institution has a long-standing extramarital relationship with one of the institution’s employees, as long as the president recuses himself from **official** matters dealing with that employee? Shoot, in that case I can’t see why the _WSJ_ editorial page got so huffed up about the notorious Clinton-Lewinsky affair. After all, Lewinsky worked many more than four reporting layers below President Clinton in the White House hierarchy, right? And AFAIK he had no say whatsoever in any official personnel matters dealing with her. Apparently, by the standards the _WSJ_ is applying to Wolfowitz, Clinton’s conduct of his affair with Lewinsky wasn’t unethical in the least. Boy, you wouldn’t have known that to hear the cries of outrage—not just about the perjury, but about the “scandalous sexual misconduct”—from the _WSJ_ and its ilk back then! :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2007, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-weirdo-would-have-an-affair-with-paul-wolfowitz/399865/58 "2007-04-17T23:17:21Z")
[Contractor says was told to hire Wolfowitz friend](http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN1741985620070417) > [@](#): > > The U.S. Defense Department ordered a contractor to hire a World Bank employee and girlfriend of then-Pentagon No. 2 Paul Wolfowitz in 2003 for work related to Iraq, the contractor said on Tuesday. > > A spokeswoman for Science Applications International Corp., or SAIC, said the Defense Department’s policy office directed the company to enter a subcontract with Shaha Riza, under which she spent a month studying ways to form a government in Iraq. ---
**Author:** ![mischievous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@mischievous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mischievous)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2007, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-weirdo-would-have-an-affair-with-paul-wolfowitz/399865/59 "2007-04-18T00:38:26Z")
[QUOTE=Kimstu] 😕 Do “rational institutions” really not consider it a conflict of interest when the president of the institution has a long-standing extramarital relationship with one of the institution’s employees, as long as the president recuses himself from **official** matters dealing with that employee? [/QUOTE] Actually, I think that’s pretty fair. He was offered a job, and he said (paraphrased) “I’d like to take this job, but you guys have to understand that I’m laying one of the people in your institution”. They say (paraphrased) “Well, she doesn’t report to you and you don’t supervise her. As long as you don’t mess around with the people who DO supervise her, or try to influence their decisions, that’s okay.” So he recuses himself from any personnel discussions about her, and everyone’s fine. It’s similar to the military rules which stipulate IIRC that officers of different rank may get involved so long as one does not report to the other. I realize that this _can_ lead to ethical problems, but it doesn’t have to. And I would certainly be more inclined to trust someone who had brought it up during job negotiations more than someone who tried to hide it until after they were in place. The problem here was that, after promising to recuse himself (and thus demonstrating that he understood the ethical problem), he turned around and did the opposite (thus demonstrating that he didn’t care). mischievous [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-weirdo-would-have-an-affair-with-paul-wolfowitz/399865.md?page=2)