"Mr Bush has been keen to visit Mrs Merkel's constituency since her trip to Washington in May, when over dinner he expressed a keen interest in her experience of living under Communism.
Mrs Merkel responded by inviting him to see her native Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania on his way to meet Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, in St Petersburg tomorrow ahead of the weekend summit of the Group of Eight leaders.
Mr Bush has expressed admiration for Mrs Merkel's straight-talking style, particularly her recent comparison of the Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmedinejad with Adolf Hitler. He has said that Mrs Merkel, having lived for 35 years under Communism, has a deep understanding of freedom and democracy.
"Bush needed a place where he could get rid of his jet lag prior to G8," said Julianne Smith, the Germany analyst at the Washington Centre for Strategic and International Studies. "Where else should he have stopped off than with his favourite politician in Europe right now?"
That last statement must hurt. After allowing Mr Bush to take all sorts of liberties in their courtship, the Prime Minister finds himself jilted in favour of a Jeannie-come-lately who opted out of Iraq and whose contribution to "the war on turr" has been limited, to say the least.
It's just not fair. To cast aside Mr Blair in favour of a new and younger friend shows no constancy. And now Tony has to face Vlad and Jacques at the weekend, in the knowledge that everyone will see how he is no longer number one in George's affections.
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