President Bush tonight paid an unannounced visit to the Alexandria home of his former speechwriter and policy adviser Michael Gerson.

Mr. Bush and first lady Laura Bush ate dinner with Mr. Gerson and his wife, Dawn, along with a few other unidentified guests. They stayed for about two hours.

If the president hadn't yet digested or discussed Barack Obama's landmark speech on race yesterday, he most likely has now. That was the topic of Mr. Gerson's column today, and do we really think Mr. Bush didn't get into it with one of his favorite former advisers on that topic?

— Jon Ward, White House correspondent, The Washington Times