Koizumi feels the texture of the "Velvet Elvis" presented to him by President Bush


Memphis, TN (APE) - President Bush concluded Japanese prime minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to Graceland yesterday by presenting the Elvis fan with another piece of American iconoclastic culture, a huge "Velvet Elvis". Koizumi was moved by the president's gift, and described the likeness as "eerie". Bush and Koizumi, who shares a birthday with "the King", appeared to establish a real bond throughout the visit. Also on hand were Elvis' surviving relatives, wife Pricilla, and daughter Lisa Marie.