The Bush way of diplomacy

White House photo

Over the audio system here at U.N. headquarters, I just heard U.S. President George W. Bush greeting Ban Ki-moon, the secretary general of the U.N. This brief encounter, I have to say, confirmed all of my preconceived notions of how Bush interacts with other world leaders. Secretary Ban thanked Bush for attending last night’s dinner, to which Bush responded brusquely, “My pleasure.” U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and U.N. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad were a little more gracious, warmly thanking Ban for his hospitality. Perhaps realizing his goof, Bush chimed in with his own word of thanks, then blurted out, “The red snapper was delicious.” He then went on to explain why he didn’t stay for the whole event, citing an important meeting he had with his daughter, Jenna, who is getting married soon.