More on Bush’s meeting with Zine El Abidine Ben Ali

In the post below I noted the defining event of GWB’s day – a meeting with Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. I have since read reports of that encounter and I must say I misjudged the situation: apparently there weren’t any weighty issues to discuss, nor did the meeting require much preparation on the part of GWB. The rule is: when in doubt as to what to say to the Tunisian president, talk about gay marriage.

From CNN:

"I strongly believe marriage should be defined as between a man and a woman," Bush said during an Oval Office session with Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. "I am troubled by activist judges who are defining marriage."

Can you just imagine poor President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali during this? What message will he take back to his people in Tunisia? Maybe: “The President of the United States assures us that marriage should be defined as between man and woman. The policy implications for us remain unclear. We will study this message and let you know, once we come to an understanding of what this means for our country.”