Opinion: It’s been a long week from Albania

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George W. Bush always likes to start his speeches with long acknowledgements of friends and prominent people in the audience. ‘Appreciate’ is his favorite word. He appreciates so-and-so being here. And so-and-so. Sometimes it seems he is appreciating just about everyone in attendance. In his first presidential campaign an aide would give Bush a little file card just before every speech carrying the names of everyone to be recognized.

The President doesn’t need the card anymore. Or does he?

Tonight at a Republican gala fundraiser in Washington, as Times reporter James Gerstenzang notes, the president was the big draw. In his formal remarks he appreciated the crowd coming. He thanked Sen. Mitch McConnell and John Boehner, the House GOP leader. He thanked Sen. John Ensign from Nevada and Tom Cole from Oklahoma. And the dinner’s co-chairs, Congressmen Roy Blunt and Joe Wilson.

Then he came to an old friend. ‘I appreciate the chairman of the Republican Party,’ Bush said, ‘the general chairman, Mel Martinez, Senator Mel Martinez from the state of California.’

Oops, Senator Martinez is from Florida. Jetlag, no doubt.

--Andrew Malcolm