Ok, call me corny, but I think this is CUTE.
I mean what fun. I'm glad our president can show leaders of the world what a good person he is and that Priscilla and Lisa Marie showed the Japanese PM a good time.
It doesn't ALL have to be serious world issues.
It reminds me of Ronald Reagan's style.
I remember reading about a quip me made to Canadian Prime Minister Mulroney about how lucky they were to have their wives as they were walking towards them to board AF1.
Can you imagine John Kerry taking a world leader on a private tour somewhere..say for example a tour of his (his wife's (his wife's ex husband's))) 50 bedroom mansion in Idaho and the 30 SUVs parked outside, or something like that? And would he ever stop talking about his 'heroics' in Vietnam ?
I agree. It looks like they had a whole lot of fun. It's good for both Bush and Koizumi. It's too bad Koizumi's term as PM of Japan is nearly over, he will be missed I'm sure.
It is cute. It just goes to show that no matter who we are, or how big we get, we all have secret desires. Thankfully, Koizumi's is harmless.
Events like this are very much the way business is conducted in Japan. The socialization phase is every bit as important as the business phase. In Japan, the business meetings are invariably followed by dinner and a night of drinking and carousing. Obviously, Bush can't and won't do this, but being the good host and catering to his guest's whims can only help relations with this very important ally.
This trip was not in any way the waste of time that some here have suggested.