our man in the Arab Middle East

Seven years into your presidency is a little late to start doing diplomacy, but George W. Bush is trying. He’s providing photo ops, at any rate.

In Riyadh today, the president participated in a traditional sword dance with one of the princes of the royal family.

Jim Watson / AFP/Getty Images

It was a public — and a little awkward — display of affection, all part of Bush’s first visit to Saudi Arabia aimed at repairing strained relations between the world’s biggest oil producer and the world’s biggest oil consumer.

And he’s also trying to plant the seeds of his legacy:

My image [is] ‘Bush wants to fight Muslims.’ And, yes, I’m concerned about it. Not because of me, personally. I’m concerned because I want most people to understand the great generosity and compassion of Americans,” he said.

“I’m sure people view me as a warmonger and I view myself as peacemaker,” the president said. “They view me as so pro-Israeli I can’t be open-minded about Palestinian peace, and yet I’m the only president ever to have articulated a two-state solution. And you just have to fight through stereotypes by actions.”

The president said he hopes to change that image by opening a dialogue and letting “the results speak for themselves.”

“I mean, when this democracy in Iraq solidifies and emerges and is whole, people will understand what I meant about the democracy agenda. People will know that my view is not American democracy, but it’s freedom based upon certain principles that honors the traditions and culture of the host country.”

What a clumsy oaf.