Now that President Bush is back on U.S. soil after a recent trip to China, he has some work to do.

But first he’ll need to buy some supplies, or, have someone buy them for him.

He’ll need Scotch tape — lots of it — American flag stickers, scissors and a nicely bound book with blank pages inside, preferably one with a patriotic flair.

Then, he’ll need to clean off all the papers on his Oval Office desk, so he’ll have room to work. He might ask Laura or his daughter Barbara to help, but he might prefer to do the work himself.

The task at hand? It’s time to create a scrapbook cataloging his memories from the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

And this is going to be one big scrapbook.

The best place to start is in the beginning, so Bush should be sure to include a photo of himself with his arm around Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin during the opening ceremonies. Hopefully he snapped a few shots of the amazing spinning globe and the awesome torch lighting too.

From there, Bush has many photos to choose from. The American president — the first ever to attend the Olympics on foreign soil — has been living it up in Beijing, it appears.

Bush played volleyball in the sand with superstars Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh. He road a bike along the Olympic bike trail. He broke a sweat on the softball field with the U.S. team.

The president has watched Michael Phelps win gold — twice —and posed for a photo holding the American flag with Phelps and fellow swimmer Larsen Jensen.

Bush cheered on the U.S. men’s basketball team in the same arena with the top political leader in China. And when “The Redeem Team” got so far ahead that China couldn’t possibly make a comeback, Bush exited early, but not before waving proudly to the U.S. women’s basketball team in the stands.

Like a standout athlete, Bush sat at the interview table with Bob Costas for a lengthy TV interview about the games and politics alike.

Then, he rushed back to the Water Cube — the swimming venue — to see more action.

And finally, before his four-day tour ended, Bush made a visit to the U.S. baseball team’s practice.

What a ride.

But who can blame him? Bush is currently an unpopular president at home, who has no option but to ride out his lameduck status. Why not go to the world’s greatest sporting event and boost the confidence of our athletes?

And, despite the look of the scrapbook, it hasn’t all be fun and games. Bush has spoken with Putin about Russia’s invasion of Georgia. He’s had the chance to spend time with several of China’s leaders, pressing them on human rights issues.

And, perhaps most importantly, he’s extended a respectful handshake to the most populous country in the world. We all know China is a force with which to reckon. By participating in their games, Bush is showing cooperation and respect for the country. His handshake doesn’t mean he supports communism or every Chinese decision, but it might go a long way in earning the trust of the Chinese.

Sports bring us together as people. The Olympics are the world’s greatest sporting stage. The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat open hearts and minds in everyone.

Perhaps more U.S. presidents should use the Olympics as a grounds for talks, symbolic gestures and a plain old good time.

After all, Bush won’t be the only person making his scrapbook this year. Countless U.S. and foreign athletes now have pictures of the president that will forever be a part of their sporting memories.

In an arena full of strangers, clear across the world, surely nothing makes you feel more proud to be American than posing for a photo with the president.

Just ask Michael Phelps.

Julie Finley is the managing editor of The Natchez Democrat. She can be reached at 601-445-3551 or julie.finley@natchezdemocrat.com.