Besieged on all fronts, World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz is trying to hire a bodyguard, according to an internal bank job listing obtained by the Voice.

You'd better hurry, because applications for the job of "personal security agent" assigned to the prexy close April 30. And you'd better be really good because the "personal security agent" has "the goal of protecting the principal [the bank president] from physical threat or embarrassment."

Good luck with that. And good luck finding someone inside the bank to protect Wolfowitz. His imported aides — including Boeing scandal figure Robin Cleveland and ex-Cheney flack Kevin Kellems — have been unable to keep him from being lambasted in the corridors of the bank HQ, which is only a few hundred feet from the White House.

Rumblings about Wolfie's search for a bodyguard were revealed this morning by Alex Wilks on worldbankpresident.org, an excellent source of news on the current meltdown. Subsequently, the Voice obtained a copy from elsewhere of the job posting.

It's a one-year job, renewable for up to three years. I won't apply for the post, though I'm mentally ill and thus would be able to buy a gun. But the job does sound perfect for Bernie Kerik, who started his career as a bodyguard for the Saudi royalty before attaching himself to Rudy Giuliani, promising much and delivering nothing in Iraq, and almost becoming the nation's chief bodyguard as Homeland Security chief.

The situation's funny enough without that speculation. Here are some comments in reaction to the job posting, gleaned from the bank's internal bulletin board:

This is hysterical, but one has to wonder in the era of zero growth budgets why the Bank needs to provide a professional level position to a personal bodyguard for its belleaguered president. The position description calls for "protecting the principal from physical threat or embarrassment." In all fairness, Mr. Wolfowitz, I think it's WAY too late to protect you from embarrassment.

Protecting Wolfowitz from embarrassment must be the hardest job in the world. ... Whoever takes this job needs to be ready to embarrass themselves in the process of saving PW from himself and must also be ready to mend socks and lick combs as well.

Another personal security Agent position to guard PW at all times ... this must be in addition to the 12-member protective secret service — yes, special agents — that work around the clock 24-7 since he went on board at the Bank. If he is not in "his previous job", why has he kept such a team at the Bank?

I guess the keeper of the comb wasn't up to the task.
Will the term last up to three years even if the protectee only lasts three more days?

Hmmm. I don't know whether Wolfie is being guarded by a detail left over from his days at the Pentagon. But maybe he knew back on April 4, when this job was first posted, that he wouldn't last and set in motion a plan to protect the next World Bank president.