Well at least now we know why George W. Bush sent his daughters to South America to scout out real estate in Paraguay – he just loves the food!


Yes, it seems that the leader of the free world’s recent whirlwind tour of our neighbors to the south was more than just the typical diplomatic genuflection of a lame-duck President:  It was a gastronomic tour de force.


While extolling the benefits of ethanol as an alternative fuel to President Lula of Brazil, President Bush also stressed the importance of a well-balanced diet and three square meals a day.


I appreciate the fact that you’re about to buy me lunch.  Looking forward to eating some of that good Brazilian food.


Then in Uruguay, the President worked up quite an appetite while attempting to sway Uruguayan President Váquez away from an economic alliance with Hugo Chavez of Venezuela.


I’m really looking forward to this trip.  I’m especially looking forward to the asado.  I appreciate the  – I appreciate your willingness to cook some Uruguayan beef.  You’ve told me all along how good it is, and after we answer a few questions, we’re about to find out . . .


Oftentimes when you think of a country like Uruguay, you think of natural resources – fantastic farms, a lot of cows, and lambs, and blueberries – which, by the way, came up today in our conversation . . .


You thought I was teasing about the blueberries, but I wasn’t.  It turns out Uruguay produces a fantastic blueberry.  And the fundamental question is, will that blueberry – will the blueberry grower be able to sell the product into the United States.


President Bush then moved on to the north in an effort to become more intimately connected to his food.  After loading lettuce crates onto a truck in Guatemala, our President proclaimed to reporters:  “It was really, really fun.”


Well of course it was.  That’s why Guatemalans do it all day long.  But handling lettuce can really, really make you hungry as well, and President Bush had to bring the question and answer session with the Press to a speedy end.


This will be your last question, and then we can start thinking about dinner . . . la cena.  Que vamos a comer? (What are we going to eat?)


President Berger of Guatemala, not knowing what else to do, answered the U.S. President, “Tortillas.”


“Tortillas,” Bush said.  “Que bueno.”


The take home point from Bush’s Latin America travels is that our President is a one-man diplomatic army, and this army marches on its stomach.  This helps to put President Bush’s previous diplomatic efforts into perspective, such as last year’s visit to India when a trade agreement was finalized allowing the exchange of U.S. nuclear technology for Indian produce.


The United States is looking forward to eating Indian Mangos.


Look for more of President Bush on Bravo Channel’s next season of Top Chef.