YEAH, I BET THOSE QUESTION-AND-ANSWER SESSIONS ARE REALLY DEEP AND PROFOUND

From today's Washington Post:

At the nadir of his presidency, George W. Bush is looking for answers. One at a time or in small groups, he summons leading authors, historians, philosophers and theologians to the White House to join him in the search.

Over sodas and sparkling water, he asks his questions: What is the nature of good and evil in the post-Sept. 11 world?

Translation: "Terrorists are evil and I'm good, right?"

What lessons does history have for a president facing the turmoil I'm facing?

Translation: "Sometimes the real good guys don't look good till way later, right? Like Truman -- people hated him when he was president, right? But he was right about the communist menace, right? And the Brits voted out Churchill, right? That means I must be better than Churchill, because I won twice, right?"

How will history judge what we've done?

Translation: "Everything's gonna look 180 degrees different when this is all in the history books, right? 'Cause I'm right, right? I'm right and the terrorists are evil, right?"

Why does the rest of the world seem to hate America? Or is it just me they hate?

Translation: "They're just jealous, right? That's what my mom used to say when kids made fun of me at school -- 'Pay no attention, they're just jealous.' That's it, right?"

...Stelzer said Bush seemed smarter than he expected. The conversation ranged from history to religion and touched on sensitive topics for a president wrestling with his legacy. "He asked me, 'Do you think our unpopularity abroad is a result of my personality?' And he laughed," Stelzer recalled. "I said, 'In part.' And he laughed again."

Translation: "Well, that's just how I am, and if they don't like it, well, tough. Right? Right?"

Oh, to be a fly on the wall. Or maybe not.