I agree completely it is not sexual, it is just bullying.
With the anecdotes of Bush's alpha-male gestures adding, I cannot help but think of a colleague of mine as I worked in a meditteranean country, that is southern of my own native culture. The more southern, the more physical contact occurs as communication, as the prejudice goes, and it is true. But that colleague was extreme and special: it was always about taking the upper hand over the others, regardless of the official status in the company. He had started on the production line, and as he was not dumb, was on his way upwards (union representative, clerk job...).
I had seen him coming, and knew if you give in, he would go on, it was compulsive by him: take a finger, then the hand, then the whole arm... So the first time he reached to grasp me, I just plainly hit back hard on the shoulder with a smile. He understood very well, and we were again on a very sane basis ;-)
But Bush comes from a Wasp family, I can't figure someone like him using such way of "communicating" his dominance.
And I can't figure such a primitive way of setting the relations among heads of state: WTF are symbols and protocol made for!!???
I loath Chirac, but:  Bush would never tried such cheap shots with him, as far as I know: every bully find some day his alpha-male...
I believe he made a mistake: Angie is tougher than she looks, more than one CSU bully broke his teeth on her.

La répartie est dans l'escalier. Elle revient de suite.