You may have heard some talk last week that Bush is interested in improving his relationships with European countries he shunned in his first term, smoothing over some of the tensions that have built up since 2002.
Naturally, these rumors about improved relations are meaningless. As was reported in yesterday’s Political Wire, Bush won’t even accept a congratulatory call from Spain’s Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.
World leaders have been flooding President Bush with congratulatory calls since his reelection victory, but at least one — Spain’s Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero — appears to be having trouble getting through.
Socialist Prime Minister Zapatero, who angered Bush by pulling Spain’s troops out of Iraq earlier this year, “has tried to reach out” to the U.S. president since last week’s election, White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters on Wednesday.
But Bush has yet to return the call.
So, Bush doesn’t have time for Spain? Actually, he does, but only for Spanish leaders he likes.
Bush was a close ally of Spain’s conservative prime minister, Jose Maria Aznar, before Zapatero swept to power.
While Bush has yet to take Zapatero’s call, the White House said he had a “private meeting” with Aznar at the White House on Tuesday.
Once again, our president displays the temperament of a third-grader. How sad.