Um, George? The Boss is on Line 2. You might want to take this one sir....Rove? Not this time. Cheney? Nope, somebody who trumps even him. Sir, I really don't think the Chief of Protocol can handle this one....

So Froom a couple of hours ago (quoting Jim Hoagland) notes:

"President Bush enjoys hosting formal state dinners about as much as having a root canal. Or proposing tax increases. So his decision to schedule a mid-April White House gala for Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah signified the president's high regard for an Arab monarch who is also a Bush family friend.

"Now the White House ponders what Abdullah's sudden and sparsely explained cancellation of the dinner signifies. Nothing good -- especially for Condoleezza Rice's most important Middle East initiatives -- is the clearest available answer."

Um, Dan? That answer turned up just about an hour later (damn deadlines anyway) and in the NYT:

Saudi King Condemns US Occupation of Iraq.  Read more…