Diplomatic hand-holding

The two leaders discussed a variety of issues, including the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, terrorism, security, trade and Mr. Bush's call for more democracy in the Middle East.

But the focus was on oil prices.

As The New York Times reports, the talks "focused on a plan by the Saudis to increase their oil-pumping capacity over the next decade rather than on any short-term efforts to bring prices down."

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As the Sydney Morning Herald points out, the prince's second visit to the ranch makes him the only world leader to have had two invitations.

Voice of America reports that "President Bush told reporters the Crown Prince understands that it is very important to make sure oil prices are reasonable," before the prince arrived at his ranch.

A high oil price will damage markets. And he knows that. I look forward to talking to him about that, as well, you now, we'll talk about his country's capacity. It's an important subject.

Given the importance of the kingdom as the world's number one oil exporter, any meeting between Saudi leaders and leaders of the world's richest, most powerful, most voracious consumer of non-renewable energy is bound to be scrutinized by the media.

But many sources are specifically calling attention to an image of Bush and Crown Prince Abdullah holding hands at the ranch Monday. In a report with the headline " Bush and Saudi ruler walk hand-in-hand," The Globe and Mail writes:

It's not often that US President George W. Bush is seen walking hand-in-hand with anyone but his wife Laura. But [Monday], he readily took Crown Prince Abdullah by the hand as the Saudi leader arrived at the President's Texas ranch.

AP George Bush and Prince Abdullah stroll through spring flowers at the Bush ranch in Crawford, Texas.

The hand clasp with the oil kingdom's 81-year-old de facto ruler had two objectives: a break from recent record-high world oil prices, and a message of U.S. support for the Saudi royal family as it faces a growing internal terrorist threat.

A Chicago Sun-Times article also analyzes the hand-clasp:

When Bush and Abdullah held hands walking into their meeting, the gesture prompted questions about two men showing that kind of physical intimacy.

Fred Jones, the National Security Council spokesman, said hand-holding is an Arab expression of "friendship, respect and trust."

Regardless of one's politics - and opinion of liberal documentary filmmaker Michael Moore - today's picture of President Bush holding hands with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Abdullah is likely to conjure up images of the " Shiny, Happy People" segment in Mr. Moore's controversial film Fahrenheit 911. In the film, the rock band R.E.M.'s "Shiny, Happy People" tune playing in the background as images of former president George H. W. Bush and other Bush family members greeting Saudi leaders and diplomats flashed on the screen.

Early indications are that this meeting between Bush and Abdullah is already producing some ... well ... shiny, happy people.

One of them is White House National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley, who praised the Saudis for their "very ambitious" $50-billion plan to expand output from the current 10.8 to 12.5 million barrels a day by the end of this decade and eventually to 15 million barrels a day. Mr. Hadley also announced that the US and Saudi Arabia have "established a joint committee, to be chaired by Secretary [of State Condoleezza] Rice and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al Faisal to discuss a range of strategic issues important to both sides," according to the " Washington File" published on the State Department's website.

And there are many more happy individuals on Wall Street. Oil markets responded with optimism to the Saudi promise of additional crude supply as US light crude fell 82 cents Monday.

But, perhaps most important, the happiness will be felt at the gas pump by average Americans, as the resulting drop in prices begins to ease the pressure induced by prices that have been rising toward $2.50 per gallon. A recent Christian Science Monitor report breaks down how rising oil prices have pinched the typical car driver over the last few months.

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• Feedback appreciated. E-mail Matthew Clark.