United for Peace of Pierce County, WA - We nonviolently oppose the reliance on unilateral military actions rather than cooperative diplomacy.

Writing for the Financial Times late Sunday on the eve of the G8 summit in Hokkaido, Andrew Ward judged the Bush presidency all but over. -- "With just four months until the election and six months until he leaves office, Mr. Bush’s time and political capital are almost spent. For a while last year it looked possible that he would launch air strikes against Iran in a final spasm of military action. But that option now appears dead, with speculation shifting to whether Israel might take matters into its own hands." -- "Mr. Bush will bid farewell to the G8 on a more harmonious note than would have been thought possible five years ago," Ward wrote. -- "He has friendly or cordial relations with all the group’s leaders — in contrast to the tensions with Jacques Chirac of France and Gerhard Schroeder of Germany after the invasion of Iraq. -- There are even signs that the reputation of the U.S. around the world is rebounding. -- Sentiment towards the U.S. improved in 10 of 21 countries surveyed for the annual Pew Global Attitudes Project this year. But researchers cautioned that the improvement could be explained by anticipation of Mr. Bush leaving office." ...

GEORGE W. BUSH: WEAKENED LAME DUCK BOWS OUT ON A HARMONIOUS NOTE
By Andrew Ward

When George W. Bush attended his first G8 summit in July 2001, the biggest threat facing the rich world appeared to be the rioting anti-globalization protesters who laid siege to the event in Genoa, Italy.

Two months later, al-Qaeda attacked the U.S. and the man who ran for office promising to keep foreign entanglements to a minimum was transformed into a warrior president.

Never during Mr. Bush’s two terms has the G8 had a weightier agenda than this year’s toxic mix of economic, security, and environmental challenges. Yet his ability to influence events has never been weaker.

His wings clipped at home by a Democrat-controlled Congress and overseas by the burdens of Iraq and Afghanistan, Mr. Bush was already a lame duck when he attended last year’s summit in Germany. A year later, his paralysis is almost complete.

The past 12 months have not been all bad for the Bush administration. His surge strategy in Iraq has shown signs of success, reinforcing his belief that history will assess the war -- and his presidency -- more kindly than contemporary opinion. But the U.S. housing crisis and accompanying economic downturn have dashed hopes of a broader revival in fortunes.

With just four months until the election and six months until he leaves office, Mr. Bush’s time and political capital are almost spent. For a while last year it looked possible that he would launch air strikes against Iran in a final spasm of military action. But that option now appears dead, with speculation shifting to whether Israel might take matters into its own hands.

Whether it is Iran or climate change, energy security, or the credit crunch, none of the big challenges facing the G8 will be fixed before Mr. Bush departs.

What John McCain and Barack Obama, the two main presidential candidates, say on the campaign trail is arguably more important than what Mr. Bush says in Hokkaido.

Against this backdrop, he has modest aims for this week’s summit. He will press European leaders to open their markets to genetically modified foods, arguing that such products are crucial to increasing global food supplies. He will also urge G8 members to meet unfulfilled aid commitments to Africa, pointing to his own administration’s strong humanitarian record there.

In other areas, his priority will be resisting action. The U.S. is anxious to avoid knee-jerk regulation of financial markets in response to the credit crunch. On climate change, Mr. Bush has become more engaged but remains opposed to the kind of aggressive cuts in carbon emissions targeted by European countries unless China and India also commit. Rather than pick a fight with Mr. Bush, other G8 members are likely to defer serious climate change negotiations until next year, knowing that both Mr. McCain and Mr. Obama support mandatory measures to control greenhouse gases.

Mr. Bush will bid farewell to the G8 on a more harmonious note than would have been thought possible five years ago. He has friendly or cordial relations with all the group’s leaders -- in contrast to the tensions with Jacques Chirac of France and Gerhard Schroeder of Germany after the invasion of Iraq.

There are even signs that the reputation of the U.S. around the world is rebounding.

Sentiment towards the U.S. improved in 10 of 21 countries surveyed for the annual Pew Global Attitudes Project this year. But researchers cautioned that the improvement could be explained by anticipation of Mr. Bush leaving office.