Bush, With A Month Left, Looks For Peace in Mideast

President Bush, who likes to say he’s sprinting to the finish line, will make peace in the Middle East his focus one month and one day before he leaves office.

Bush will host Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday, the White House said.

“The President looks forward to discussing with President Abbas our shared efforts toward peace in the Middle East, including progress made in building capable Palestinian institutions, fostering economic development, and training and deploying Palestinian security forces in the West Bank,” said White House press secretary Dana Perino in a statement on Tuesday.

Bush’s foreign policy legacy has been a hot topic since last weekend, when he visited Iraq and Afghanistan. In Iraq, where he had a shoe thrown at him, Bush talked up the country’s new government. In Afghanistan, he pledged that the United States and other nations would continue supporting the fight against extremists.

Bush leaves the White House on Jan. 20.