Mark Knoller: Bush's Use of Camp David for Foreign Guests
Even President Bush has trouble remembering the last time he invited a foreign leader to visit him at Camp David.
"I was checking back, I think it's been over two years since we've had a foreign leader come and visit us here," said Mr. Bush as he began a joint news conference Friday at the presidential retreat with Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
Actually, it has been nearly three years.
Not since a visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin of Russia in September 2003 has a foreign leader been to Camp David with Mr. Bush.
It's a rare event, and usually reflects the importance the President places on relations with another chief of state or head of government.
Our CBS News tally of Camp David visits shows that Mr. Bush has invited foreign leaders there 11 times. A few more than once:
-Feb 23-24, 2001: Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain
-June 30, 2001: Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi of Japan
-May 3-4, 2002: Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar of Spain
-June 7-8, 2002: Pres. Hosni Mubarak of Egypt
-September 7, 2002: Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain
-September 14, 2002: Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi of Italy
-March 26-27, 2003: Iraq War summit with Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain
-June 24, 2003: Pres. Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan
-September 18-19, 2003: King Abdullah of Jordan
-September 26-27, 2003: President Vladimir Putin of Russia
-June 9, 2006: Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen of Denmark
The practice of inviting foreign leaders to Camp David began with President Franklin Roosevelt. In his day, the camp was named Shangri-La – and was established as a place FDR could go to escape the summer heat of the nation's capital.
Camp David is about 70 miles from the White House – a forty-minute flight on Marine One.
Most of those invited to Camp David number among Mr. Bush's best friends among foreign leaders – or those with whom he wants to cement a warm relationship.
As America's closest ally, British Prime Minister Blair was the first foreign leader invited to Camp David. In fact, he's been there three times. And two of those visits were overnight stays.
President Bush also uses his Texas ranch to curry favor with foreign counterparts. And many of the same leaders invited to Camp David have also been to the 1600 acre spread in Crawford, Texas.
-November 14-15, 2001: Pres. Vladimir Putin of Russia
-April 5-7, 2002: Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain
-April 25, 2002: Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah
-October 25, 2002: Pres. Jiang Zemin of China
-Feb 21-22, 2003: Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar of Spain
-May 2-3, 2003: Prime Minister John Howard of Australia
-May 22-23, 2003: Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi of Japan
-July 20-21, 2003: Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi of Italy
-March 5-6, 2004: Pres. Vicente Fox of Mexico
-April 12, 2004: Pres. Hosni Mubarak of Egypt
-October 24, 2004: King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain
-March 23, 2005: Pres. Vicente Fox of Mexico and P.M. Paul Martin of Canada
-April 11, 2005: Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel
-April 25, 2005: Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah
-August 4, 2005: Pres. Alvaro Uribe of Colombia
Our CBS News count shows Pres Bush has made 56 visits to his ranch since taking office. That covers all or part of 374 days – more than a year.
Mr. Bush has made even more visits to Camp David: 105 visits since taking office – adding up to all or part of 331 days.
Ronald Reagan holds the record for most visits to Camp David. His stays there covered all or part of 517 days. He once said that of all the perks of the Presidency, he would miss Camp David most of all.