What Is the Bush Doctrine, Anyway?

India Watch

Bush is apparently pretty confident that Congress will pass his controversial nuclear deal with India. He's invited the Indian Prime Minister to town, one day before the congressional recess -- presumably on the assumption that there will be a signing ceremony to attend.

AFP reports: "The nuclear agreement, signed by President George W. Bush and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in July 2005, offers India access to Western technology and cheap atomic energy as long as it allows UN nuclear inspections of some of its nuclear facilities.

"If Congress endorses the agreement it would lift a three decade-old ban on nuclear trade with India. . . .

"The White House said Thursday that Bush would welcome Singh on September 25 for talks on bilateral relations, including the nuclear deal. . . .

"A US administration official said he was not aware of any agreement to be signed by the two leaders on the nuclear deal.

"'The fact that they agreed to meet at this particular time is a strong indication that both sides really are satisfied with the level of effort that they put into it,' he said, speaking on condition of anonymity."

Congress is due to adjourn Sept. 26.

The A-word

As for what Bush privately thinks of the Iranians, Amanda Terkel of Thinkprogress.org calls attention to Bob Woodward's depiction of a telling White House meeting on Iran in spring 2007.

Latin America Watch

Matthew Lee writes for the Associated Press: "The Bush administration is facing a new headache, this time in Latin America, as two leftist governments it can't ignore booted the U.S. ambassadors this week.

"Simmering ideological tensions between President Bush and the populist presidents of Bolivia and Venezuela boiled over on Wednesday and Thursday in twin diplomatic spats that threaten U.S. counternarcotics operations in the region and possibly American energy supplies."

U-Turn Watch

Jim Abrams writes for the Associated Press: "Two months after the White House called a highway trust fund rescue plan a 'gimmick' and threatened a presidential veto, President Bush is expected to sign legislation infusing $8 billion into the financially teetering fund that supports road and bridge projects around the country.

"That change of heart came after the administration acknowledged last week that the trust fund, which derives its revenues from the federal gas tax, was going broke much faster than anticipated and that Washington would have to begin delaying payments to states for construction work as early as this month.