Bush Trusts Instincts, Works on Success

Associated Press ^ | Fri Jun 6, | TERENCE HUNT

[Jewels1091]

WASHINGTON - President Bush (news - web sites), by his own description, is a practical man, a leader who doesn't want to waste time on high-profile meetings unless they hold the promise of success.

He likes to speak plainly and directly, he says, and tries to get leaders off their formal talking points and into more casual conversations. He trusts his instincts when sizing up people.

"One of my jobs is to try to help relax people in a setting. I hope I'm pretty good at that," Bush said the other day. "How do you feel, do you feel relaxed right now?" He got an affirmative response, and said with satisfaction, "It worked."

When it comes to big decisions, Bush says, he doesn't wrestle with himself. "You know I don't spend a lot of time thinking about myself, about why I do things."

Like his father, Bush doesn't like being analyzed. His dad disdainfully called it being put on the couch. But Bush offered some insights into his style and the way he deals with people as he talked with reporters on Air Force One after two Mideast summits this week, flying from Jordan to Qatar.

Sitting at a rectangular table in the plane's conference room, facing a flat-screen television on the far wall in front of him, Bush spoke at length without notes about the high stakes meetings, first with Arab leaders and then with the prime ministers of Israel and the Palestinian Authority (news - web sites). He seemed energized and comfortable with the subject.

"I am a direct person. I mean ... we don't have a lot of time, and therefore, I like to get to the point," Bush said. "I like to ask people, I can challenge people. I believe I can do so in a way that's not offensive to them. It's about as encouraging (them) as it was discouraging. And I hope they sense my sense of optimism. I mean, I'm an enthusiastic person when I believe that something is possible."

In Jordan, he summoned Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites) and Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas away from the conference table, to chat outside on the lawn for 30 minutes.

"What I wanted to do is to observe the interplay between the two; did they have the capacity to relax in each other's presence, for starters?" he said. "And I felt they did. In other words ... the body language was positive. There wasn't a lot of hostility or suspicion."

Sharon and Abbas didn't need his prodding to keep the conversation going. "I didn't need ... to be Mr. Chatty," Bush said.

Sharon is a man who means what he says, Bush said, and he got the same impression of Abbas. "I'm absolutely convinced he's an honest and upright man who believes in the future of the Palestinian people, believes that a democratic Palestinian state is possible."

For more than two years of his presidency, Bush was reluctant to delve into the unpredictable world of Mideast peace efforts, unconvinced that the parties were willing to make a commitment to peace.

One of the things that has changed, he said, is that people are weary of violence after 32 months of bloodshed.

"There is now battle fatigue. People are sick and tired of it," Bush said. "People are sick and tired of the death, suffering, of the humiliation. In other words, there's — hopefully history will show whether or not I'm right, but hopefully we have reached the point where a lot of good people have begun to realize that the immediate past will lead to nothing but more suffering and humiliation and death. And people are beginning to change their attitudes on the ground."

He said he went into the summit knowing basically how it would turn out, what concessions and pledges would be made by Israel and the Palestinians. He acknowledged Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites)'s intense negotiations with foreign ministers to find consensus.

"A lot of times you'll find out that the underbrush has been cleared ... and by the time the president arrives, everybody kind of understands," Bush said. "And one of his jobs" he said, referring to Powell, "is to clear out underbrush. That's an old ranch term."

Acknowledging that results are precooked, Bush said, "These trips, obviously, don't just happen. The statement just doesn't show up out of the blue."

U.S. officials worked with all the summit parties to refine the wordings of statements. Bush said he had to be assured of solid results before agreeing to make the trip.

"Look, I wasn't going if we weren't going to make progress," he said. "I mean, there's no need to go and stand up there by myself, and say, `Let's work for peace,' and look around, and nobody would be there with you."

[Jewels1091]

Pretty good article....although the reporter seemed surprised Bush could talk on a topic with no notes.