If he had bowed to the king of another country, would people be so upset? Or are they more upset because it was the Saudi king?? I'm not sure.

Personally, I've always been bothered by all of this nonsense. If it had been about President Bush, I would feel the same way. Showing respect is never a bad thing, and that's what a bow is, IMO. I can understand the people who think it's subservient and that it weakens the President's position. I can also see what Klyd was trying to say. That is, after all, why we call him "Mr. President", which was chosen quite purposefully by the founding fathers.

Honestly, I'm not sure that I feel anything either way. I think that he's trying very hard, that he's new, that he never lived in the White House, or came from a family that spent time with kings and queens, so perhaps he's unsure of protocol. I don't see how that would make him a bad president.

If I had to sum up how I feel about all of this with one gesture, I think it would be a shrug.