A Compelling Story

Here are the transcripts of Bush's public appearances with Harper and Fox, then Fox, then Harper.

Here's the transcript of a press briefing by Dan Fisk, senior director in the National Security Council for the Western Hemisphere.

Itza Tourist

William Douglas writes for Knight Ridder Newspapers: "President Bush traded in his business suit Thursday for a white tropical short-sleeve shirt and khaki slacks as he played tourist, something he rarely does on foreign trips.

"The president was all smiles and business casual as he spent about an hour walking through the impressive ruins of Chichen-Itza, a Mayan archeological site about 127 miles west of Cancun, where he's meeting with Mexican President Vicente Fox and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. The ruins date back to the sixth century."

James Gerstenzang writes in the Los Angeles Times that Bush -- typically uninterested in sightseeing -- pretty much had no choice but to accept Fox's invitation.

The Washington Times has a picture of Bush clowning around on the pyramid.

Straw Man Watch

A reader who prefers to remain anonymous e-mails me to point out that Bush's argument Wednesday that sectarian rivalries in Iraq are not his fault is, in fact, based on a straw-man argument.

I wrote about Bush's assertion in yesterday's column, Don't Blame Me.

"Today, some Americans ask whether removing Saddam caused the divisions and instability we're now seeing. In fact, much of the animosity and violence we now see is the legacy of Saddam Hussein," Bush said.

But my reader points out that nobody is saying Bush is responsible for the sectarian animosity. "They are saying he is responsible for not having a plan to deal with it, [for failing] to put in place a secure government in a timely manner to prevent us from becoming an unpopular occupying force that further aggravates the situation, and for making the region a magnet for foreign fighters and terrorists who throw more gasoline on the situation."

Nuking the India Deal

Paul Richter writes in the Los Angeles Times: "The Bush administration's proposed nuclear deal with India is meeting with a chilly reception from lawmakers, who are predicting that instead of swift approval, the initiative faces revisions and delays, if not outright rejection. . . .

" 'It may be going too far to say there's panic within the administration, but I think there's deep concern that it hasn't been received nearly as well as hoped,' said a Republican House staff member, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the political sensitivity. 'They're trying to create the impression of momentum. Frankly, I don't think it's there.' "