With Silvio Berlusconi's sweeping back into power in a rather unsurprising general election victory, it's worth taking stock of where Bush's friends and enemies have ended up over the years. The left has long fancied the notion that friendship with Bush was political suicide for foreign leaders, but...
Berlusconi is back.
British PM Tony Blair stepped down after 10 years in power.
Australian PM John Howard was booted after more than ten years in office.
José MarÃa Aznar got booted after one term (but mostly because the Spanish gave in to terrorism).
As far as Bush's enemies on the international stage, Chirac and Shroeder were replaced by the less hostile Sarko and Merkel. Conservatives were elected in Canada and Mexico. If Bush isn't popular abroad, and he isn't, it's hard to see how that's hurt the foreign leaders closest to him.
