Bush and Sarkozy pledge close ties in meeting

President George W. Bush, using all the trappings of his family's oceanfront estate, worked on a cozier relationship with France and its new president. Bush welcomed Nicolas Sarkozy, the French leader known for his fast-paced style who may also be this White House's last true chance for better relations between the two nations. Sarkozy, visiting Bush for the first time as France's president, came with plenty of his own warm words. He focused on more than two centuries of united history between the countries, thanking the US for sacrificing lives to help defend France in time of war. "That is a lot more important than Mr. Sarkozy or Mr. Bush," he said. "Because after Mr. Bush, and after Mr. Sarkozy, we'll continue to be friends of the Americans."