The Bush team tried some of their patented political tricks on the international stage this week, but their run of luck appears to have played out, no matter what stage they are on.
As the president headed to Jordan for a summit meeting with King Abdullah and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki, the Bush team leaked a memo written by National Security Adivsor Stephen Hadley in which he was critical of Maliki to the New York Times:
[The] reality on the streets of Baghdad suggests Maliki is either ignorant of what is going on, misrepresenting his intentions, or that his capabilities are not yet sufficient to turn his good intentions into action.
Maliki was already in trouble at home with the head of a Shia faction who threatened to pull his followers out of the Iraqi parliament, which could cause the government to collapse.
While it’s possible that the leak to the New York Times was intended to give Maliki cover back home, his reaction to it seems to indicate that he was offended by it. He canceled an appearance at a state dinner with Bush and the king last night.
Maliki finally met with Bush this morning and at a news conference afterwards, the body language between them was not good.
One can only picture Air force 1 in route above Middle Eastern skies in a latest attempt to land somewhere, anywhere, and be noticed for actually achieving something, anything, that for once makes a common sense that benefits mankind and begins to mend a disturbed world, before returning to its lonely hanger, savoring another largely wasted journey. Chalk up still another lost opportunity for a head of state that desperately needs to look like he is winning at something, anything.