Bush Shows Diplomats Some Love

From his appearance yesterday at Foggy Bottom:

Our citizens have really no idea how competent, courageous and successful the people here who work at the State Department are -- I do. After my -- now my eighth year as president, I've gotten to know the people in the State Department well, and I'm impressed, and so should our citizens.

But the president also spoke of the need "to strengthen the State Department's capacity to bring freedom and peace around the world" through "efficiencies" and "interoperability." That, apparently, was the subject of deeper discussions that occurred behind closed doors.