The anti-American blogosphere in Europe, - in addition to the MSM in Europe - seems awfully quiet so far during this latest Bush trip. As I see it, Europeans aren't really prepared to handle this latest initiative from Bush. And quite rightly so: Bush is in a win-win position. Either Europeans accept this overture and begin to work in tandem with him (something they are loathe to do), or Bush can go home, demonstrate to his domestic critics that an attempt was made at bridging the gap, but in the end America has no choice but to embrace unilateralist policies.

I'm also very skeptical about assertions that the US desperately needs EU involvement in Iraq. No one in their right mind in the State Department thinks that the EU will come through on Iraq. Even if it did, the contributions would be so paltry (but just enough to be able to justify freeloaderism) that it really wouldn't make a difference. The stage is set, rather, for noting that the invitation was there, but that the EU did not rise to the challenge.