It was as if President Bush needed Allawi at his side to vouch for U.S. policy, to allow Bush to say: Here is some success we can claim.
It would be unkind to portray Allawi as a prop or an exhibit, as in a court case. But several times, President Bush pointed to Allawi as if he were the proof of the policy's success.
Sen. Joe Biden, left, and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist sponsored a lunch at the Capitol in honor of Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, center.
(Melina Mara -- The Washington Post)
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Did Bush really think elections were possible in four months' time?
"I do," said Bush, "because the prime minister told me they are."
"He understands what's going on there," Bush said at another moment. "After all, he lives there."
When challenged about the optimistic picture the White House offers on Iraq, Bush said, pointing again, "But I'd talk to this man. One reason I'm optimistic about our ability to get the job done is because I talk to the Iraqi prime minister."
Allawi used their shared platform to get his own messages out as well. He took the initiative to offer responses to questions he had not been directly asked. He'd ask politely, "May I, Mister President?"
Allawi was accompanied on this trip by the Iraqi ministers of defense, foreign affairs, industry and minerals, planning, and health, as well as the Iraqi ambassador-designate to the United States, Rend Rahim Francke.
After his speeches in Congress and at the White House, Allawi was to meet with congressional leaders, where the closed-door talk was expected to be tougher than what happened in public. The congressional official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the message from some members of Congress would be:
"Look, man. You've got a big problem and your success is our success, so we've got to help you succeed. So don't give us this happy talk. Be straight with us. Don't give us this nonsense about things going well and the insurgency being under control. You tell us everything is fine, then we don't need to help you, right?"
