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those with more political savvy than me.. Before this agreement/visit, were we NOT closer with the Pakistani govt than the Indian? I am not the mental giant politically at FR but am trying to learn!

The prior ties between the USA and India were governed by Cold War necessities. Things have changed a lot in the last 5+ years in which Pres. Bush has been in power. PM Manmohan Singh (the Indian Prime Minister) credited the upswing in US-India ties to Pres. Bush.

An excellent source for an analysis of the new horizons in the US-India partnership is this transcript from a hearing on "U.S.-India Civil Nuclear Cooperation Initiative." Here are a few interesting excerpts from this hearing:

"President Bush’s desire to transform relations with India is based on his conviction that, as he has said, "This century will see democratic India’s arrival as a force in the world." We believe it is in our national interest to develop a strong, forward-looking relationship with India as the political and economic focus of the global system shifts toward Asia. We know that many in Congress embrace this view. And the time is right. The Cold War, when India was the ultimate non-aligned nation and the United States the ultimate aligned nation, is long past. It is time to shift our U.S.-India relationship to a new, strategic partnership for the decades ahead.

India is a rising global power with a rapidly growing economy. Within the first quarter of this century, it is likely to be included among the world’s five largest economies. It will soon be the world’s most populous nation, and it has a demographic distribution that bequeaths it a huge, skilled and youthful workforce. India’s military forces will continue to be large, capable and increasingly sophisticated. Just like our own, the Indian military remains strongly committed to the principle of civilian control. Above all else, we know what kind of country India will be decades from now. Like the United States, India will thrive as a multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-lingual democracy, characterized by individual freedom, rule of law and a constitutional government that owes its power to free and fair elections.
[...]
In addition to aligning ourselves with a country that shares our democratic values and commitment to a multi-ethnic, multi-religious society, developing civil nuclear cooperation with India will bring concrete benefits to the U.S. and to the international community more broadly. Under Secretary Joseph will address this initiative in detail, but let me outline here some of the key reasons why we believe this initiative makes excellent sense:

Security Benefits: All the steps that India pledged on July 18 strengthen the international nonproliferation regime, and all align with our efforts to prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction. India’s September vote in the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that found Iran in noncompliance with its nuclear obligations reflects India’s coming of age as a responsible state in the global nonproliferation mainstream.

Environmental Benefits: Nuclear energy is one of the few proven sources of energy that does not emit greenhouse gases, and thus can help India modernize in an environmentally friendly manner that does not damage our common atmosphere and contribute to global warming.

Commercial Benefits: As a result of our involvement in India’s civil nuclear industry, U.S. companies will be able to enter India’s lucrative and growing energy market, potentially providing jobs for thousands of Americans.

Energy Benefits: India’s expertise in basic science and applied engineering will add significant resources and substantial talent in the development of fusion as a cheap energy source if India can participate in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) program and help make the next generation of reactors safer, more efficient and more proliferation-resistant as a member of the Generation-IV Forum (GIF)."

The full-text of this hearing is available in post #27 on this thread (the hyperlink leads to State Dept.'s web site).

"Before this agreement/visit, were we NOT closer with the Pakistani govt than the Indian?"

Thats how it was under Bubba's rule. All that has change completely under Bush. Check this (a small surprise):
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1587733/posts

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