No. 9 George W. Bush - Mexico
Date: February 16, 2001 President Obama's first trip abroad to Canada was no mere coincidence. This gesture, a subtle knock at President George W. Bush's inaugual venture to Mexico, was, in part, meant by Obama to present early policy juxtaposition to the Bush administration abroad. Embarking on what was deemed the 'Cowboy Summit,' President Bush famously confided in then-Mexican President Vicente Fox that Mexico was America's most important bilateral partner in the region. This relationship would soon deteriorate, as the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and the debate over Mexican immigration would ultimately put a wedge between Bush and the Mexican government.
