W: No Good For America

When the Commander-in-Chief visits another country on the taxpayer dime (well, make that countless number of dimes), one would hope for a more resolute, strong, and beneficial outcome - not more doubt and no motion forward:

There is a lot of good a president can do on a visit to another country: negotiate treaties that enhance American security, shore up a shaky alliance, generate good will in important parts of the world. Unfortunately, President Bush didn't do any of those good things on his just-completed visit to Pakistan and India and may have done some real harm.

The spectacularly misconceived trip may have inflicted serious damage to American goals in two vital areas, namely, mobilizing international diplomacy against the spread of nuclear weapons and encouraging Pakistan to take more effective action against the Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters operating from its territory.

Was this an effective use of taxpayer dollars? Doubt it.