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I’ve not been on top of these as I used to be. But this one last week with Gerhard Schroeder was a very good one. It wasn’t nearly as confrontational as some have been, and unlike the leaders of smaller countries, the press managed to not to completely ignore the Chancellor. A few lighthearted moments, both of them were cheerful, and I can’t help but think that Bush benefits enormously having a translator’s words to wait through after every sentence, which prevents his tongue from getting in front of his brain, which is what causes his little Bushisms.

The White House - President Welcomes German Chancellor to the White House

Q Hi. Thank you, Mr. President. Do you oppose Germany’s bid for a Security Council seat?

PRESIDENT BUSH: We oppose no country’s bid for the Security Council. We agree that there needs to be U.N. Security Council reform. The U.N. also needs broader reform than just the Security Council. There needs to be management reform. There needs to be reform of the Human Rights Commission. There needs to be broad reform. And part of that reform is the U.N. Security Council, and I want to thank Gerhard’s frank discussion about Security Council reform. But we oppose no country.

Do you want to call on somebody?

CHANCELLOR SCHRÖDER: We are very much in agreement that this reform is duly and urgently needed, and it’s always been clear that it is first the reform and then the candidacies to potential seats. And obviously, then, the process will have to continue.

And if you ask me about whether I see differences, then I’d possibly say there are differences in the timing. We were pushing to have things happening very quickly. But I was very pleased, indeed, to hear that there was no opposition vis- -vis Germany, as such, from the President.

I thought that was interesting. Maybe Gerhard will endorse Bolton so we can get a move on.

Perhaps someone familiar with Saxony jokes can explain this one to me:

CHANCELLOR SCHRÖDER: I just have to add at this point, it is important that our national German President hasn’t even yet decided whether we are going to have these elections. So by that very rule, we shouldn’t be discussing them here as a topic.

But when it comes to elections, I think there’s this wonderful saying from back home in Lower Saxony where I come from which says, “Ducks are fat at the bottom end.” (Laughter.)