In Final Year, Bush to Focus on Foreign Policy [View All]

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In Final Year, Bush to Focus on Foreign Policy

By Peter Baker
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, February 21, 2008; 2:07 PM

MONROVIA, Liberia, Feb. 21 -- They proclaimed George W. Bush Day in Benin, thronged streets by the tens of thousands in Tanzania and christened the George Bush Motorway in Ghana. As he wrapped up his Africa trip in Liberia on Thursday, they sang about him on the radio, crooning his name and warbling, "Thank you for the peace process."

For a president in his final year in office and saddled with low poll numbers, heading overseas offers affirmation not always available at home. It has been years since President Bush drew crowds in the United States comparable to those he saw in Dar es Salaam, and it's hard to find U.S. highways named after him outside Crawford, Tex. Dancing women at home rarely wear his face on their skirts or blouses.

The president plans to pack his bags often in 2008, not just for the souvenirs but because, much as with any two-term presidency heading into its twilight, he may have more opportunity to assert leadership and solidify achievements than by staying in Washington. With Congress in opposition hands and the campaign to replace him captivating the nation, Bush's attention has turned to finding peace in the Middle East and accelerating the fight against disease and poverty in Africa.

"He realizes, like many presidents come to do, that he can have a real impact on people's lives in the foreign policy arena because prescriptive legislation is not needed," said former White House counselor Dan Bartlett. The more Bush traveled and met people, Bartlett said, the more it animated him. "Personal experiences often help bring passion to public policy."

That represents a dramatic change for a president who arrived in Washington with a largely empty passport, a disdain for nation building and an aversion to his father's focus on foreign policy. "Here's a guy who came to office believing that California is foreign policy and now understands that Kenya is domestic policy," said Bob Geldof, the rock star and activist who accompanied Bush on his trip. "It's a huge intellectual curve."

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/21/AR2008022101585.html