[tomder55]

British PM came a knocking to the White House expecting to get the same royal treatment by his ideological kindred in Washington now that they have assumed control.

Brown spoke with lofty rhetoric about a 'Global New Deal' to be lead by this new partnership... “a bond that will not break.” .

Gordon Brown is in Washington today to touch the hem of Barack Obama's cloak. Like the bleeding woman healed by Jesus, so the man haemorrhaging political support hopes to be saved by this modern Messiah.
Already, Downing Street aides are describing the visit as a make-or-break moment, the best chance to rekindle Labour's hopes of winning the next election. The Prime Minister is presenting himself and the President as the leaders of a global alliance against the forces of conservatism, hoping that some of the glamour will brush off on to him.

Gordon Brown fiddles abroad while Britain burns | Rachel Sylvester - Times Online

But where he expected the pomp and circumstances of a Rose Garden press conference , what he got... after overnight protests from British diplomats... was a "pool spray" - a few shouted questions from selected agency reporters as the two men sat down for talks and photographers clicked away.

Now the press being poodles themselves write this off as no biggie... just the conditions of the White House grounds after yesterday's nor-easter.But the event could've been moved easily to the East Room where all the celebratory fanfare could've proceeded as planned .
Brown being hammered at home needed the pr boost it would've brought.

He visited Washington and all he got was a bust of Churchill (the only Global leader to be given Honorary US Citizenship ) that President Obama unceremoniously returned after it had sat in a prominent position in the Oval office of President Bush.
(Rumor has it that Obama requested a bust of Neville Chamberlain for his desk )

You have to excuse Obama's abrupt rudeness. He had a pressing meeting with the Boy Scouts of America to attend.

Was this a deliberate snub ? Is there real tensions between the US and England ? Or is this Obama's inexperience on full display ?

[Skell]

Leading a nation isn't about fanfare and celebrity in my opinion. Its about time all that BS that's put on for visiting leaders was thrown by the wayside. Does this really bother you?

[George_1950]

My guess is that cozying up to Bush's biggest ally will diminish Obama's bona fides to the third world nations, for whose admiration he lusts. I doubt that anyone knows Obama's long range diplomatic goals any more than his domestic ones. The budget process has flushed him out, irrevocably, at home; time will disclose his foreign ambitions.

[tomder55]

Leading a nation isn't about fanfare and celebrity in my opinion. Its about time all that BS that's put on for visiting leaders was thrown by the wayside. Does this really bother you?

On the contrary ;national relations are about the interaction of the nations ;and the personal relationship of the countries leadership plays a huge role in that history... Like it or not .Does it bother me ? It is what it is... It is irrelevant how I perceive it .


Brown is just another prop for Obama to be used and thrown under the bus when finished.

If you recall ; Brown and Tony Blair had some kind of deal where Blair would step down and Brown would replace him. Blair renaged on the deal and extended his time as PM because it is generally undertood that Brown is incompetent.

Clearly Brown wanted to be linked with the temporarily popular President and ride his coat-tails but evidently Obama sees no advantage in nurturing the relationship.

[tomder55]

My guess is that cozying up to Bush's biggest ally will diminish Obama's bona fides to the third world nations, for whose admiration he lusts. I doubt that anyone knows Obama's long range diplomatic goals any more than his domestic ones.

Scary thought but true .Those of us who have looked in detail to what he has said to date can gleem some insight into his probable foreign policy . But often events dictate actions .

I read somewhere else that Obama is sensitive to Churchill's colonial attitudes ;especially in relationship to Kenya . I need to find out more about it but that would explain his insulting return of the bust of Churchill to the Brits.

[excon]

I doubt that anyone knows Obama's long range diplomatic goals any more than his domestic ones.

Hello:

Maybe if you cleaned some of that wax out of your collective ears... He ran on CHANGE, and he's CHANGING things. What's the surprise?

Diplomacy?? Hmm. You don't know what that is, do you?? That's understandable... It's when our government TALKS to other governments - even the ones we don't like.

excon

[George_1950]

Maybe if you cleaned some of that wax out of your collective ears... He ran on CHANGE, and he's CHANGING things. What's the surprise?...

excon

Ex, you really do have something better than Koolaid, right? I heard an idiotic comment on C-SPAN this morning as I walked through my den, from a British correspondent by the sound of his voice, who said of Obama's snub of Brown, that as the most popular public figure in Europe, Obama's approval must now be earned, not given away. Ha, ha, ha, what a laugh. The liberals have completely lost their marbles.

I am reading a bio of Lincoln; I am curious to know just what it is that Obama admires most about the 16th president: that he suspended habeas corpus? That he, too, was a racist? That he wanted stronger and bigger national gov't? His ethnic cleansing of the Southern states? That he presided over the largest public lynching in America's history, resulting from trials at military tribunals? As for Obama's foreign agenda: we do not know, but we will soon learn.

[tomder55]

The Brits are very upset over this

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[speechlesstx]

Obama's blockbuster gift for Brown to reaffirm the 'special relationship': 25 DVDs

He had put clearly great thought into giving the U.S. President lavish gifts to signify Britain's 'special relationship' with the U.S.

During his historic trip to Washington, Gordon Brown gave Barack Obama an ornamental pen holder made from the timbers of the Victorian anti-slave ship HMS Gannet - once called HMS President.

The unique present delighted Mr Obama because oak from the Gannet's sister ship, HMS Resolute, was carved to make a desk that already takes place in the Oval Office in the White House, after being presented by Britain to the US in 1880.

Marking the special relationship: The Browns put a lot of thought into their gifts for the Obamas - but the gesture did not seem to be reciprocated

The Prime Minister went to the trouble of hunting down the perfect gift after becoming the first world leader invited to the White House by the new Commander In Chief.

So it would be perfectly understandable if Mr Brown felt a little underwhelmed at the official gift he received in return.

For despite being leader of the world's most bountiful nation, President Obama handed over nothing more thought-provoking than 25 classic American films on DVD.

It was the equivalent of receiving a pair of socks from an unfamiliar aunt at Christmas - and a less-than-glowing affirmation of the UK-US bond...

Mr Brown also took to Washington a framed commission for HMS Resolute, a vessel that came to mark Anglo-US peace when it was saved from ice packs by Americans and given to Queen Victoria.

He also gave a first edition set of the seven-volume classic biography of Churchill by Sir Martin Gilbert.

Mr Brown and his wife also showered gifts on the Obama children giving Sasha and Malia an outfit each from Topshop and six children's books by British authors which are shortly to be published in America.

In return, the Obamas gave the Browns two models of the presidential helicopter, Marine One, to take home to sons Fraser and John.

Classy. Someone said Obama was a re-gifter because they had given those DVD's to Obama. :D

[tomder55]

More on the HMS Gannet . This anti-slave ship was not what it would seem without clarification. The ship was involved in battle in the Mediterranean and the Red Sea against the Islamic anti-slave trade of African blacks . The Africans it would've saved then was among others people from Kenya.

Now it has been revealed that part of his antipathy towards the Brits was the fact that Kenya was a colonial possession of the Brits .

Obviously this was a very thoughtful gift ,one of those extending a hand moments that Obama talks so much about.


He now he wants to meet the queen .
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Wonder what gift idea he will come up with for her ?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00000DMUL...VQVQKBW3RXP9MD&

[speechlesstx]

Wonder what gift idea he will come up with for her ?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00000DMUL...VQVQKBW3RXP9MD&

LOL, a Queen box set. Nice, but maybe he'll come up with something a little more Americana.

[tomder55]

The Telegraph is reporting the reason for the snub was not disrespect . The real reason was the messiah is tired .

Allies of Mr Obama say his weary appearance in the Oval Office with Mr Brown illustrates the strain he is now under, and the president's surprise at the sheer volume of business that crosses his desk.
A well-connected Washington figure, who is close to members of Mr Obama's inner circle, expressed concern that Mr Obama had failed so far to "even fake an interest in foreign policy".
Barack Obama 'too tired' to give proper welcome to Gordon Brown - Telegraph

I don't get it. It was clear when he was beginning to set up the administration that he was handing off foreign policy to experienced Clintonoids while he was planning on evidently micro-managing domestic policy.
But then it became clear that he did not trust the Clinonistas enough to give them free reign. He began to create all these czar positions so decision making could be centralized in the White House instead of the by the cabinet secretaries.

Clearly the economic situation would be taxing on it's own. But ,if our major allies notice we are neglecting the detail of foreign policy you can be sure our enemies notice.

Besides the snafu over Brown's visit this was also demonstrated this week in the rediculus performance by Evita with the Ruskies. Can no one in the State Dept read Russian ?
VIDEO: Wrong red button - David S. Cloud - POLITICO.com
We worked hard to get the right Russian word. Do you think we got it?” Clinton said as reporters, allowed in to observe the first few minutes of the meeting, watched.

“You got it wrong,” Lavrov said, to Clinton's clear surprise. Instead of "reset," he said the word on the box meant “overcharge.”



Maybe overwhelmed is a better word.Can you imgaine the mockery the press would've given Condi Rice if she had done such a snafu ? Joe Biden is rubbing off on her.

Serves her right . The President is tired because he is over worked (maybe he should sleep instead of partying on Wednesday nights)... and I'm tired of Evita's apology tour.

[speechlesstx]

Why in the world are we giving the Russians a red button anyway? Isn't that like the most ridiculous thing our government can come up with (besides DVD's for Brown)? Isn't it comforting to know that less than 2 months into his administration Obama is in over his head?

[George_1950]

... Isn't it comforting to know that less than 2 months into his administration Obama is in over his head?

ABC’s George Stephanopoulos: “You were asked is he ready. You said ‘I think he can be ready, but right now I don’t believe he is. The presidency is not something that lends itself to on-the-job training.’”

Sen. Biden: “I think that I stand by the statement.”
Obama's Running Mate, in 2007: 'I think he can be ready, but right now I don’t believe he is.' - Jim Geraghty - The Campaign Spot on National Review Online

And

"Sources close to the White House say Mr Obama and his staff have been "overwhelmed" by the economic meltdown and have voiced concerns that the new president is not getting enough rest." 'Obama is overwhelmed.' - Jim Geraghty - The Campaign Spot on National Review Online
I suppose being First Agitator ain't all it's cracked-up to be.

[twinkiedooter]

The DVD gift to Brown was truly horrible. He should have given him an autographed photo of himself in a heavy 24K gold frame. Now that would have been much more suitable considering King Big Ears loves himself so much. And Brown could have ditched the photo and kept the frame to either hock or melt down. What a disappointment.

He was tired? Tired trying to use his brain to think? He needs to spend more time away from the WH than he has already spent. Doesn't this sound very similar to Shrub 43 and his first 100 days of non stop partying away from the WH?

And his upcoming meeting with the Queen? I can hardly wait to see what for gaffe gift he's going to give to her! Maybe a jewel encrusted pack of gum holder perchance? Ah, just what the Queen needs. She can ditch the gum and hock the jewels.

[speechlesstx]

Naturally, the most tech savvy administration ever sent his thoughtful 25 DVD collection to the British PM in the wrong format.

Alas, when the PM settled down to begin watching them the other night, he found there was a problem.

The films only worked in DVD players made in North America and the words "wrong region" came up on his screen. Although he mournfully had to put the popcorn away, he is unlikely to jeopardise the special relationship – or "special partnership", as we are now supposed to call it – by registering a complaint.

A Downing Street spokesman said he was "confident" that any gift Obama gave Brown would have been "well thought through," but referred me to the White House for assistance on the "technical aspects".

A White House spokesman sniggered when I put the story to him and he was still looking into the matter when my deadline came last night.

By the way, when Obama's unlikely gift was disclosed, a reader emailed me to ask if Clueless was among the films. Funnily enough, it was not.

[tomder55]

I'm sure the President still has the COSTCO receipt if he wants to return them.