The World Bank and the Bush Empire

There's a whole lot I don't understand about the World Bank, its goals and its chief means of operating worldwide. But this I really don't understand. From the New York Times:

. . . talks took place between emissaries of Mr. Wolfowitz and bank officials with backing from board members who favored easing him out without provoking a confrontation with the Bush administration. Bank officials said the negotiations were aimed at finding a way for the board to accept the findings of the bank committee, while also declaring that Mr. Wolfowitz had acted in good faith and that mistakes were made by all sides.

If Paul Wolfowitz successfully negotiates a deal to clear his name of wrongdoing before resigning his post as head of the bank, I think it will only lead to more widespread, popular distrust of the bank's board of directors, which it seems to me is exactly what the board is trying to fend off right now.

We're led to believe that voting Wolfowitz off the board would lead to a rupture with the United States at a time when the U.S. and several European nations are struggling to present a united front on sanctions against Iran.

In effect, bank officials said, he [Wolfowitz] was using the fear among European leaders at the bank of a possible rupture with the Bush administration at a time when the United States and Europe are struggling to cooperate on Iran sanctions, trade and other economic issues. While the United States cannot prevent the ousting of Mr. Wolfowitz, it has by tradition picked the president of the bank and has such influence that its consensus-driven members want to avoid an open break with Washington.

My question, however, and this probably reveals how little I understand about issues connected to the World Bank, is what's really at stake? Will the World Bank truly destabilize just because the European members vote to hold a Bush appointee accountable? Would Bush and Cheney scuttle current World Bank efforts to pressure Iran because of a falling out of member consensus at the bank? What do the bank board members have to lose by standing up to the U.S. administration fear machine and sticking to their guns? Political retribution from a lame duck--albeit still very dangerous--president?

I say vote him off the island. Take a stand against Bush Empire cronyism and let's see what's really going on here.