Bush, Koizumi Rock the White House

WASHINGTON —  After an elaborate welcome ceremony Thursday on the White House South Lawn, President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush gave Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi a refurbished 1954 jukebox containing 25 songs by Elvis Presley, his favorite singer.

“Prime Minister Koizumi searched the keys and found ‘I Want You, I Need You, I Love You,’ ” the first lady said. “He and the president sang a duet.”

Koizumi gave the sportsloving president a bike and an enlarged version of a Japanese postage stamp that features Babe Ruth.

In the evening, the Bushes held a formal dinner, the eighth of their White House tenure, in honor of Koizumi. The prime minister leaves office in September.

Koizumi, who is divorced, did not bring a date. He made his entrance between the president and Laura Bush, who wore a taupe dress by Bill Blass with cherry blossoms hand-painted on the Chantilly lace bodice.

The guest list included Washington officials and two Japanese American Olympians, speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno and ice skater Kristi Yamaguchi, astronaut Soichi Noguchi and baseball legend Hank Aaron.

Today, the U.S. and Japanese leaders have their sights set on Graceland. Their tour guides: Elvis’ former wife, Priscilla, and his daughter, Lisa Marie Presley.

The first day of Koizumi’s visit was not all fun and games. After two hours of discussions in the Oval Office, Bush and Koizumi held a news conference, warning North Korea to cancel any plans to test-fire a long-range missile.

“The leader of North Korea is just going to have to make a decision,” Bush said. “Does he want to be isolated from the world or is he interested in being an active participant in the nations of the world?”

Koizumi said he and Bush discussed what actions would be taken if North Korean leader Kim Jong Il followed through on Pyongyang’s apparent preparations to launch a Taepodong-2.

“We would apply various pressures,” Koizumi said through an interpreter. “I believe it is best that I do not discuss what specific pressures we were talking about.”