"Things have been warming up on the personal side," a source close to Forbes explained.

Bush expected Forbes to be his toughest competitor, so — with an impolitic lack of foresight — the Texas governor proceeded to do his utmost at the Republican debates and in comments to reporters to alienate the millionaire publisher. Of course, it was John McCain who turned out to be Bush's chief rival, and ironically W. had to defend a Forbes-like tax-cutting agenda from the Arizona senator's attacks from the left. Today, a Forbes source calls Bush's policy platform "Forbes lite." So, a Forbes endorsement may have made sense substantively, but hurt feelings had to be smoothed over before it could actually happen. Forbes and Bush have talked on the phone recently. For conservatives, the rapprochement is good news because it means Forbes may be able to move Bush in a free-market direction in the areas where his policy is yet to be fully fleshed out — particularly Social Security and health care. In the meantime, Mr. Bush, you can call him "Steve."