Opinion: Bush’s ‘date’ with the Middle East; Egypt’s cold kiss goodnight
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If President Bush’s tour of the Middle East produces nothing else, it will have at least provided mild entertainment. From today’s article on his meeting with the Saudis:
During a 90-minute tour of the Saudi National History Museum, he held a sword over his shoulder, grinning broadly and swaying to the beat of drummers during a welcoming ceremony. When he met with reporters early in the afternoon, he said he was in a ‘great mood.’ ‘Dates put you in a good mood, right?’ I’m in a great mood,’ he said, laughing and responding, ‘Not bad, not bad,’ when a reporter asked what sort of date he was talking about.
If that wasn’t romantic enough for you, Israeli officials dimmed the lights in Jerusalem so that Bush could enjoy a more ‘dramatic’ sunrise. Other highlights, via TIME:
In Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed presented Bush with an obscene necklace consisting of a number of increasingly large solid gold stars encrusted with scores of diamonds, rubies and emeralds. ...Saudi Arabia, the most repressive of all the countries Bush visited on his trip, tried to outdo the ‘President Sheikh’ Monday evening with a jewel-laden gold medallion dangling from a chain encrusted with rubies and emeralds. In Bahrain, whose oil ran out a few years ago, all Bush got was a sword dance. Which was charming.
So far, his accomplishments are summed up quite nicely in Bob Rogers’ cartoon yesterday. And Bush’s final stop today in Egypt didn’t even produce much in the way of flamboyant displays, according to AP.
Nevertheless, lack of tangible success leaves our president undaunted: ‘There’s a good chance for peace, and I want to help you,’ he said upon leaving Israel (and promising to return for its 60th birthday). Possibly accompanied by Condoleezza Rice, who already has her own verb in Israeli political circles:
lecondel: v. to come and go for meetings that produce few results.
Given the success of this lovely little tour, I wonder what definition lebush will end up with?