One degree of George Soros

As if to illustrate the American right's descent into ever loonier conspiracy theories, the Wall Street Journal editorial page (subs. req'd; alt. free link), already operating in full-scale Republican attack-dog mode for weeks in defending World Bank president Paul Wolfowitz, has found the true source of Wolfie's problems. Yes -- all the human resources rule-bending, the botched spinning by top staffers: it's all the fault of George Soros:

Axis of Soros

Mark Malloch Brown spoke Monday to a crowded auditorium at the World Bank's headquarters, warning that the bank's mission was "hugely at risk" as long as Paul Wolfowitz remained its president. Only hours earlier, news leaked that a special committee investigating Mr. Wolfowitz had accused him of violating conflict-of-interest rules. A coincidence? We doubt it ...

Mr. Malloch Brown would almost surely be a leading candidate to replace Mr. Wolfowitz should he step down. Not surprisingly, Gordon Brown cold-shouldered Mr. Wolfowitz at a recent meeting in Brussels ...

If the Bush Administration now abandons Mr. Wolfowitz as he faces a decision from the bank's board of governors, it will not only betray a friend but hand the biggest victory yet to its audacious enemies in the George Soros axis.

To follow their scenario, you need to see the link between Mark Malloch Brown popping up as a visitor to the World Bank on Monday to criticise Wolfie, and then connect his former role at the United Nations Development Programme, an imminent job with George Soros, and ... er... that's it. They don't have a shred of evidence connecting Brown or Soros to any of the shenanigans at the Bank, not least because neither of them work for the Bank.

They don't quite say that the other Brown, Gordon, is in cahoots with the whole thing in gratitude for what Soros did on Black Wednesday, but that's where these types of grand international financial conspiracy theories lead. Such theories lead to another place too, but that's the type of accusation that the Journal likes to toss at others rather than be the subject of itself.

UPDATE 14 MAY: Malloch Brown responds in a letter to the editor -- it's worth posting in full. The final sentence is a dig at the WSJ that sounds familiar:

I Didn't Attack Wolfowitz, Nor Am I Succeeding Him

Your May 9 editorial "Axis of Soros" rests on false premises. I did not attack Paul Wolfowitz when, as a result of a longstanding invitation, I spoke at the World Bank. Indeed, I spoke of my friendship with him, but said the situation had to be resolved. Contrary to your claim, I am not a candidate to succeed him.

You seek to undermine my record as a leading U.N. reformer by distorting the truth. For example you pretend that when I said U.N. overbudgeting in a peacekeeping operation did not lead to the loss of funds that I was talking about procurement practices overall. I set up a task force to investigate procurement fraud. You take a comment I made on an interim Paul Volcker report as relating to his final finding. You even imply that there is something amiss in renting a house at market rate from George Soros. You even get the title of my current job wrong.

But you got one thing right. I am a friend of George Soros's and proud of it.

Let me conclude on a lighter note to say that I am amused by the debate over what would happen if Rupert Murdoch bought The Wall Street Journal. While I admire your news pages he as good as owns your editorial pages already.

Sir Mark Malloch Brown
New York

Incidentally, reading down a bit in this transcript of the Fox News/Wall Street Journal editorial page weekend show reveals that the original WSJ editorial was probably written by Bret Stephens. [update 17 MAY: This hatchet job on the UK World Bank board member Tom Scholar confirms that Stephens is the point man at the Journal for the pro-Wolfie team].