We are seeing the Bush Doctine play out and it will accelerate as his term nears and end. It could end like Clinton's term, with total disaster for the people of the middle eastClinton was seeking a legacy that did not involve a blue dress. He was also looking to set up a deal that looked good on paper, but would not upset hard-core Israeli nationalists. Many of them live in New York and he didn't want to cost Hildebeast votes in the 2000 Senate race.
Bush has no such side agendas, but what I do expect is that he will get either the Arab League as a whole or the Saudis to begin formal talks with Israel before he leaves office.
-Eric
Yep. We will see the small moves until November and then come what may, the pressure will be on after the midterm elections. I really like the the contrast in the way Bush is pursuing it vs. Clinton. As you note Clinton was all for the fanfare. Bush is pursuing pretty much the right policy - come what may he does what he thinks is right - and that opens him up for attack either way. By not being so open he is accused of not doing enough, and what he does do he is accused of being too partisan or too tough or too rough.
I do not have much objection to his policies or strategy or even tactics. He is the first President to openly advocate a Palestinian state (for which he gets no kudos from the left at all - heck, even many European leaders don't advocate that openly) and I believe he is right to press these issues. Enough is enough already. The region has been a mess for decades, its not his fault that its a mess, and he is willing to jump in and try to fix what he can. And I think we've all had enough of this scapegoating Israel as the boogieman. The gig is up. Time for these regimes to get off the dime and make the necessary changes to at least bring about tranquility if not formal peace.