Corridors of Power: Bush’s Visit to Rome and a Native American Apology

Corridors of Power: Bush’s Visit to Rome and a Native American Apology

Editor's Note: Corridors of Power, penned by WPR Editor-at-Large Roland Flamini, appears in WPR every Monday.

SORRY ABOUT THAT NO. 1 -- It's generally considered poor form in the international community for a foreign leader visiting a friendly country to have a private meeting with the leader of the opposition, but President George Bush wasn't going to be in Rome and pass up a chance to spend quality time with prime minister Silvio Berlusconi. Prior to Saturday's presidential visit, the Italian government had made it clear to the White House that a meeting with Berlusconi would not be appreciated, and the newspaper La Repubblica, which is close to the left-of-center administration, warned that it would represent "a slap in the face of the Italian government." But the White House shrugged off Rome's objections, and the reunion with one of Bush's stalwart Iraq supporters went ahead as planned.

In Rome, Bush seems to have tackled the controversial meeting head-on, and explained his motives to Prime Minister Romano Prodi. According to Italian reporters, Bush later told them Prodi's response was, "I don't blame you." Berlusconi, the president said, "is a personal friend of mine." But in no other capital on Bush's five-country tour was a comparable meeting scheduled.

Keep reading for free!

Get instant access to the rest of this article as well as three free articles per month. You'll also receive our free email newsletter to stay up to date on all our coverage:

Or, Subscribe now to get full access.

Already a subscriber? Log in here .

What you’ll get with an All-Access subscription to World Politics Review:

A WPR subscription is like no other resource — it’s like having your own personal researcher and analyst for news and events around the globe. Subscribe now, and you’ll get:

  • Immediate and instant access to the full searchable library of 15,000+ articles
  • Daily articles with original analysis, written by leading topic experts, delivered to you every weekday
  • Weekly in-depth reports on important issues and countries
  • Daily links to must-read news, analysis, and opinion from top sources around the globe, curated by our keen-eyed team of editors
  • Your choice of weekly region-specific newsletters, delivered to your inbox.
  • Smartphone- and tablet-friendly website.
  • Completely ad-free reading.

And all of this is available to you when you subscribe today.

More World Politics Review