I don’t get a chance to applaud George Bush often, but I figure that it’s particularly appropriate in the case of Bush deciding to attend the Summer Olympics in Beijing.  I find it interesting that Bush is doing the right thing despite John McCain and Barack Obama both being on the record stating that they would not do the same.

Of course, AP is now reporting that Bush is being forced to defend his decision…

He defended his decision to attend the opening ceremonies next month despite boycott plans by other leaders over China’s human rights record. “The Chinese people are watching very carefully about the decisions by world leaders, and I happen to believe that not going to the opening ceremony for the games would be an affront to the Chinese people, which may make it more difficult to be able to speak frankly with the Chinese leadership,” the president said.

He just can’t win!  When he alienates us from the rest of the world with his isolationist foreign policy, he’s rightly called out by the press for damaging our image abroad (which is why we need President Obama, we’re told.)  But now when he does the right thing and pursues “peace, commerce, and honest friendship” with China, he’s forced to defend himself.

I’ve got to wonder, though, if the president would do the same if the Olympics were being held in Iran.  Would an Iranian Olympics help him to understand that bullying Iran into war is “an affront to the Iranian people” and makes “it more difficult to be able to speak frankly with Iranian leadership?”