More echoes of Nixon and Vietnam

Bush's trip abroad after his "almost bizarre" announcement of George Tenet's departure is working out to be yet another perfect example of his personal disconnect, while skeptical (or worse) Europeans largely dismiss his attempts to draw similarities between the Iraq conflict and WWII. But his reception in Italy is stronger than I had imagined it would be:

U.S. President George W. Bush's visit to Rome drew protests and disrupted transportation, as 10,000 police and soldiers guard against terrorist attacks and patrol demonstrations against the occupation of Iraq.

The city's Ciampino airport is banning flights for two days because of the visit by Bush, who met the Pope after talks with Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi. Bush is also holding meetings with Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. Flights arriving into Ciampino were diverted to the Leonardo Da Vinci airport, with delays of as long as three hours.
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Bush's visit contrasts with his predecessor Bill Clinton's 1994 trip to Rome, when the former U.S. president was met with crowds of cheering revelers. Richard Nixon was forced to move entirely in a helicopter during a 1969 visit to the capital after anti-Vietnam war protests turned violent.