I don't think the suggestion is cowardice, it's more perhaps that he isn't his own man. That when the security experts say no, as they always must tend to, he didn't have the confidence to overule them.

If that's true it mightn't be wholly a bad thing. I once read a book about riving by an experienced teacher. He said the the strongest reprimand he ever gavce pupils was to ask them to pull ove rto the side of the road and say "You are driving with a degree of confidence that your present level of ability does not justify."

I'd hate to see Bush driving with a degree of confidence his present level of ability does not justify. So maybe we should be grateful if he is maybe a bit diffident at times.

Here is an article about all this from today's Guardian - and here is a lengthy current discussion on their website - on whether he's up to the job