A figurehead confirmed

For the last six years the president has been quick to tell the American people that the job of president is hard work. In actuality, however, for the last six years we've seen the president embrace the figurehead aspect of his job and leave the actual work to a team of incompetents and cronies below him. Finally, now with the announcement of his legacy-saving Middle East peace conference, it looks like the president is ready to get his hands dirty clearing the way for peace, as opposed to brush. Well, maybe not:

[I]t remains unclear how deeply Mr Bush will commit to peacemaking. He has left the details of preparing for the conference to the secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice.

Ms Rice will also chair the summit, which state department officials say could be held in the United States.

"It's not a very clear road map for what this conference is supposed to accomplish," said Ed Walker, a former US ambassador to Egypt and Israel.

"There is a deep reluctance to get into the weeds. You have got to have follow-up of a very serious kind, where the presidency is engaged."

An engaged, serious president, how cool would that be?

The Guardian has more on the Middle East peace conference that's collapsing before the ink on the invitations has dried.