The Opposite of a Victory Lap

Dion Nissenbaum writes for McClatchy Newspapers: "Combined with the Bush's diminishing influence over world events, the fissures running through the Middle East make any last-minute administration achievements unlikely, said Aaron David Miller, the author of 'The Much Too Promised Land: America's Elusive Search for Arab-Israeli Peace.'

"'This is not an American story right now,' said Miller, who served as a Middle East negotiator for Presidents Clinton and George W. Bush. 'We are not feared in this region. We are not liked in this region. And we are not respected in this region, so there's not much leverage that we have.'"

The Washington Post editorial board writes: "Rather than consolidating achievements or clearing a path for his successor, the president's tour of Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia will serve to illustrate how much has gone wrong in the region for the United States on his watch -- and how unlikely he is to reverse the tide in his final months. In Israel, Mr. Bush will face the crumbling Israeli-Palestinian peace process he attempted to launch last year; in Saudi Arabia, he will find a regime that has been deaf to his pleas to help with soaring oil prices or support the Iraqi government. In Egypt, Mr. Bush will meet a ruler, Hosni Mubarak, who not only defied the president's 'freedom agenda' but also forced the administration to retreat to its old policy of backing corrupt autocracies.

"Then there is Lebanon, where what was once one of the administration's clearest achievements is unraveling. Last week, the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement launched an offensive against the pro-Western government of Fouad Siniora, which came to power in an election after the United States helped to end Syria's military occupation of the country in 2005. By yesterday, Hezbollah had gained control over western Beirut and other key areas outside the capital and appeared close to establishing itself as the preeminent power in Lebanon -- in essence reversing what Mr. Bush hailed as the 'Cedar Revolution.' Mr. Siniora's government, in which the administration invested some $1.3 billion in aid over the past two years, has already meekly retreated from an attempt to curb Hezbollah's creeping takeover of the country's airport and telecommunications. The Lebanese army, which has received $400 million of the U.S. aid, has been facilitating Hezbollah's disarmament of pro-government militias and its destruction of pro-government television stations and political offices."

And yet John D. McKinnon writes for the Wall Street Journal (subscription required) that "administration officials say there is quiet movement on the outlines of a future Palestinian state and that momentum is building on the economic-development front, particularly in the Palestinian West Bank. Even if Mr. Bush's 11th-hour push for a peace deal ultimately fails, growing investment in the area is pointing the way toward possible longer-term progress, officials say."

Optimism for Optimism's Sake

Jennifer Loven writes for the Associated Press: "In November, when Bush convened nearly 50 countries in Annapolis, Md., for a Mideast peace conference that launched the first formal negotiations in years between Israelis and Palestinians, he repeatedly said a deal was doable by the time he leaves office next January.

"'I wouldn't be standing here if I didn't believe that peace was possible,' he said at a Rose Garden send-off for Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

"Bush was just as cheerful in January before, during and after a Mideast trip. 'There's a good chance for peace,' he said in Israel, his first visit there as president. 'When I say I'm optimistic we can get a deal done, I mean what I'm saying,' Bush said in Egypt.

"He kept this stance into March, despite no visible progress in the Israeli-Palestinian talks that include bimonthly meetings between Olmert and Abbas. Bush declared that the 10 months left on his self-imposed peace clock was 'plenty of time.' 'I'm still as optimistic as I was after Annapolis,' Bush said after meeting at the White House with Jordan's King Abdullah II.

"The approach is classic Bush, for whom a favorite story is how the choice of an Oval Office rug with a sunburst pattern says 'optimistic person comes to work' to visitors. Truth be told, it's not so uncommon for most politicians and diplomats, said Jon Alterman, head of the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

"'The president is optimistic because he thinks his job is to be optimistic,' he said."

Not Even Good for Israel

Michael Abramowitz writes in The Washington Post: "Few doubt the sincerity of Bush's passion [for Israel], which has translated into unprecedented backing for Israeli self-defense and the most clearly stated presidential commitment to protect Israel if it is attacked.