So far, the climate seems to be excellent, they both look often in each others eyes (no ´ignoring´ look).
Mr. Bush is a different president from Clinton and I think the Europeans are still not quite clear on what those differences are.
What you see is what you get. If he says something, it's not posturing...he means it. It's confusing to many Europeans, but it's one of the reasons he got re-elected, and remains popular enough to govern in a very difficult political environment.
I sense that Merkel may recognize this. I think that generally, women are better at reading people than men are. If Merkel reads Bush accurately, there WILL be a new ear of cooperation between two countries who should share many common ideals.