I read that George W Bush is being likened to Eisenhower. True

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A.� The claims are made because neither man seems a thrusting intellectual. Both have been mocked for their inability to speak a coherent sentence. Both have been called lazy.< xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

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Q.� Is that it

A.� The Republican right, squaring up for a fight with China, was irked by his attempts to calm tensions in the Pacific. He was considered weak against communists. European allies, particularly Britain and France, felt betrayed by unilateral decision-making over global affairs that affected them.

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Q.� Yes, that's George W Bush all right!

A.� No, Dwight D Eisenhower, actually. The similarities with Dubya and Ike are amazing, though. Eisenhower was considered by his enemies (and a few friends) to be a bit thick. But they were all proved wrong. His presidency (1953-1961) was low-key, but effective.

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Q.� This is your chance to give me a potted biography, isn't it

A.� Oh all right then - since you ask so nicely. The two-term presidency of Dwight David Eisenhower was one of relative calm and prosperity. Ike, born in 1890, was supreme commander of the Allied forces during the Invasion of Normandy in 1944. He became 34th president in 1953 and ended the Korean War. Born in Denison, Texas, Eisenhower had a fairly obscure military career - until America entered the Second World War. A lieutenant colonel in 1941, he was a five-star general by 1945. As supreme commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force, he commanded the most powerful force ever assembled under one man. He is one of the few generals ever to command major naval forces; he directed the world's greatest air force; he is the only man ever to command successfully an integrated, multinational alliance of ground, sea, and air forces.

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Q.� And then his political career was assured

A.� So it would seem. In 1950, President Harry Truman appointed Eisenhower supreme commander of the Nato forces, making Eisenhower the first man to command a large, peace-time multinational force. Truman saw that Eisenhower's genius lay in getting people to work together toward a common objective, but he was equally skillful as a strategist and administrator.

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Q.� Just that

A.� Oh no - one of Ike's great assets was that everybody liked him. His trustworthiness, manners, concern with others and ability to listen patiently all contributed to his popularity. He never bad-mouthed anybody - not even political enemies. He was never considered an intellectual giant, but he could look at a problem, analyse it, and choose from the available options.

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Q.� And what does this all tell us

A.� Some political commentators say that after the devious administration of smartiepants Bill Clinton, America needs a simpler and more honest administration. If Eisenhower could govern the country simply, perhaps George W Bush can.

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By Steve Cunningham