PRESIDENT BUSH RETURNS TO HIS FRATERNITY ROOTS

PARIS -- "How did he ever get to be president?" asked a French reporter watching George W. Bush in a joint press conference with the president of France, Jacques Chirac, in the splendor of the Elysee Palace last week.


"Just like that," was the appropriate answer from an American reporter. At the end of his first trip to the major capitals of old Europe, Bush was obviously exhausted and perhaps confused, too. "That's the fraternity boy we covered in the 2000 campaign," said the American reporter. Bush was slow, forgetful, smirky and downright nasty -- as he often was as a candidate. It was as if Sept. 11, 2001, and all the wars since had never happened.

Chirac was amused, at least on the surface. When Bush could not put together an answer to a complicated question, the Texan, as they like to call him here, smiled and said: "That's what happens when you're over 55." He turned to Chirac and said, "You know what I mean?" This time Chirac, who is 69 years old, did not seem amused at all.

Then David Gregory of NBC News, who speaks French, asked a question of Bush in English and added that he would like "Monsieur le President Chirac ..." to answer as well.

For some reason, that made Bush mad, and he said, more or less to Chirac, who spoke in French but understands English: "The guy memorizes four words, and he plays like he's intercontinental! ... Well, que bueno -- now I'm literate in two languages."