The Oval Office is an intimidating place. More than once, I heard President George W. Bush talk about people waiting in the West Wing reception area who he knew were gnashing their teeth and waiting to give him a piece of their mind. But once they were ushered into the Oval Office, he said, they would look around the room, at the carpet, and up at the ceiling and stammer something like, “N-n-nice tie, Mr. President.”