President Bush announced two new foreign-policy initiatives last week. The first was to send a high-level diplomat to direct talks with Iranian diplomats. The second was to agree to a "horizon" for withdrawal from Iraq.

Oh, dear Lord! A flip-flopper! An appeaser!

Of course, the Bush administration will try to convince us that these are not policy shifts: a "horizon" is not a "timetable," etc.; these are not the same things that Barack Obama has been advocating since the beginning of his presidential candidacy.

Baloney.

Obama supporters should thank Bush. This makes it harder for hard-line conservatives to criticize Obama's platform.

Of course, the problem with these policies is that they are several years too late. Indeed, the troop surge in Iraq apparently has been a good policy (Obama and Democrats would do well to admit this), although, again, about four years too late.

I don't know whether Bush really has had a change of heart, is being careful with his legacy or thinks this might undercut support for Democrats in some way. Regardless, I am (finally) thankful for his flip-flops.

Gregory E. Frey

Raleigh