Bush may skip opening ceremony

President Bush has said he plans to attend the Beijing Olympics, but the White House has not ruled out the possibility that he may miss the opening ceremony, which China hopes to use as an international showcase.

Critics of China say that Bush avoiding the event would be a powerful sign of international anger over China’s violent response to demonstrating Buddhist monks in Tibet. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s spokeswoman said this week that Brown will not attend the opening ceremony.

Republican John McCain on Thursday called on President Bush to reconsider his decision to attend opening ceremonies at the Beijing Olympics, joining Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama in the opposition they expressed earlier this week.