Prologue to Britain

"A central problem for Bush in Britain is that while he is greeted with wary respect at 10 Downing Street, his unilateralism and folksy Texas style don't go down well with the chattering classes, who regard him as exceedingly dangerous and something of a buffoon," said Anthony King, professor of government at Essex University.

Mr. King said that while Mr. Bush profits from appearing with Mr. Blair, the president's presence is a liability for Mr. Blair.

"Bush's visit will remind people, and not just the members of the chattering classes, of what Blair has done that they dislike most," he said, "namely, joining the United States in the war in Iraq."

...The visit to London is certain to meet protests from militants representing a wide range of causes, who are expected to congregate here. "Many groups and activists are uniting to make London inhospitable for Bush," the Web site for Global Resistance predicts. "We need to make the place as unwelcome as possible."

The London police were harshly criticized in 1999 when they cracked down on actions against the visiting Chinese president, Jiang Zemin, and a Scotland Yard spokesman said that in light of that episode, the police were now being counseled to make sure policing was "appropriate, relevant and proportionate."

Ghada Razuki, spokeswoman for the Stop the War Coalition, said that while the police were restricting access to the government center, they were raising no objections to plans for large street protests and a demonstration in London's traditional forum of dissent, Trafalgar Square.

...Mr. Bush will travel by helicopter and limousine and is unlikely to confront protesters personally, but their presence will be far more visible than on his Asian swing.

"We want to make sure that the biggest photo opportunities are ones of streets filled with protesters," Ms. Razuki said.

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....hey, do what you want....can't wait to see the pictures.