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As he headed back home from Washington, Gordon Brown must have rummaged through his party bag with disappointment.
Because all he got was a set of DVDs. Barack Obama, the leader of the world's richest country, gave the Prime Minister a box set of 25 classic American films - a gift about as exciting as a pair of socks.
President Obama sure has a way of slapping people in the face. The DVDs are the least of his concerns with the recent visit by the Prime Minister Brown.
Prime Minister Brown came over for a diplomatic visit and wanted to hold a joint press conference, Obama turned it down. I am pretty sure that you take advantage of a joint press conference with your closest allies when they visit.
Maybe Obama would have had a hard time sharing a teleprompter...I am just sayin!
The Prime Minister gave Mr Obama an ornamental pen holder made from the timbers of the Victorian anti-slave ship HMS Gannet.The unique present delighted Mr Obama because oak from the Gannet's sister ship, HMS Resolute, was carved to make a desk that has sat in the Oval Office in the White House since 1880.
Mr Brown also handed over a framed commission for HMS Resolute and a first edition of the seven-volume biography of Churchill by Sir Martin Gilbert.
In addition, Mr Brown and his wife 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.
So how did the Obamas respond to such lavish gift giving?
In return, the Obamas gave the Browns two models of the presidential helicopter, Marine One, to take home to sons Fraser and John.
Which, by the way, can be picked up by ANYONE in the White House gift shop!
...and of course the wonderful collection of DVDs.
Never mind the fact that Brown is mostly blind in his right eye and that the DVDs are regional and probably can't be played on European Players!
Wait, wait...it gets even better...
After 9/11, the White House was loaned a famous, very expensive, bust of Winston Churchill, a sign of mutual respect of allied partners.
The Obama administration has replaced that bust with one of Abraham Lincoln...this is fine, he probably put the Churchill bust in another area right? Wrong.
But when British officials offered to let Mr Obama to hang onto the bust for a further four years, the White House said: "Thanks, but no thanks."
Basically another smack across the face, a friendly gesture responded to with an insult.
So, for now we will just sit back and watch the Obama administration alienate our allies and continue to befriend hostile countries instead....it's a "change" alright.
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Comments
03.11.09
Please. You're just another Obama deny-er. He's the savior of this country. He's the answer to our problems. He is the one that we have been waiting for. Obama is the answer.
As long as He's going to pay my mortgage, make employers pay huge taxes, and make sure super-greedy rich people don't have unfair amounts of money, He can do what he wants with allies. As long as He ensures no one dies because of guns, cause the paralyzed to walk again (thanks federally-funded embryonic stem cell research!), and creates millions of government jobs, He can make whatever statements He wants on Al Jazeera.
Oh yeah, George Bush is a Nazi!
03.11.09
Regional coding issues aside, the gift is no better or worse than what Bush gave him the last time he came. As per your linked article,
"He was given a fur-trimmed brown leather bomber jacket by George W. Bush during his first trip to America in the summer of 2007. Commentators gleefully pointed out that the garment was hardly in keeping with Mr Brown's usual sober attire of business suit and tie."
Frankly, I don't think the gift-giving is any indication of abilities, diplomatic or otherwise. It's a box of DVDs.
03.11.09
Andrew-No disagreement for once buddy! I think that Bush's gift was horrendous as well! I omitted that because, frankly, I am sick of comparing with Bush, I leave him out of my criticism of Obama because I feel that the more we pick sides and fight on "who is better" the more we stray from realizing that both are not good and we should all be critical!
You are right though, Bush's wasn't good either...in this case, the comparison of gifts isn't even laughable, it is downright embarrassing.
03.11.09
I get your issue with the gift-giving, but you can't just throw in "befriending hostile countries" at the end without any rhyme or reason or evidence or anything really to back it up.
03.11.09
I'm so glad that you highlighted the grave disparity in gift giving between the US and UK to us. I'm sure diplomatic relations will be greatly affected because of it.
03.11.09
Nisha- I did leave that out (lack of sleep due to newborn). What I meant by that and wanted to reference was his back and forth on negotiating with Iran, his negotiating with Russia on the Iran issue (which Russia has been sending Iran it's weapons, so i doubt there will be much more than a smile and handshake on their behalf) and I am hearing rumors of Obama wanting to sell Lybia military aid or technology?
I also forgot my zinger "I guess we can expect Obama to send the Italian diplomats a Crayola package of all the flavors of Greens, Whites and Reds that they offer"....damnit : )
03.11.09
I find it unlikely that the head diplomat of a first world country
worries too much about gift exchanges.
And there is seriously something to be said for keeping your enemies closer.
03.11.09
You can't just add later- "oh yeah guys, sorry, I'm sleep deprived, what I forgot to add was..."
I'm sure if the British are going to stop being allies with us they would have better reasons than getting a box of DVD's. Geez...petty bull****!
Sometimes the 'wait n see before we blame' works best. So lets wait n see how 'terrible' Obama 'really' is.
03.11.09
Liza-Wow here I thought I was free to say whatever I wanted, less you forget you are reading MY BLOG. Fact of the matter is that Brazen posts them up...I freely write whatever the hell I want on my site whether you agree or not.
You have just as much freedom to stay away from reading my posts, actually with your throwing around of "rules" like "You can't just.." you might as well just stay away.
I don't, by the way, have to wait until 2012 or 2016 to give my opinion on Obama's progress, it is our duty as citizens to keep our branches of government in line. When a republican is in, the democrats get there say. I seem to remember a lot of name calling and crying when Bush was in before his terms were up but now I am SUPPOSED to not be given every right that liberals have had for the past eight years to give my opinion..
Anyone that is in that type of hypocritical state can shove their opinions right up their...
03.11.09
I'm not sure Obama even has that much power to make a difference. It's not like he's supreme dictator or emperor; he's just the president, with a million and a half checks and controls behind the scenes.
Wasn't Bush going to pull out troops anyway?
McCain or Obama, I can't see that much difference.
03.13.09
Chris- since when is negotiating synonymous with capitulation? Obama's first diplomatic venture with the Russians was an attempt to get them to cooperate in stopping the Iranian nuclear program. Just because you talk to a country or leader doesn't mean that you're caving in to every single demand that they want.
I think the DVD gift is a total non-issue, as well as the Churchill portrait.
I understand you don't like Obama and probably never will, but you can't let it color your perceptions about each and every little thing that he does.
I think George W. Bush was a damned good baseball executive, and that's never going to change regardless of what I think about his Presidency. He drafted A-Rod and Soriano- that shows some insight and talent evaluating ability.
You know I don't buy into the whole Obama euphoria phenomenon, but if you can't find anything that he says or does that you can approve of, then it's going to be a very very long 4 years.
03.13.09
Tim- I am having a real hard time with Obama, you are right, there are some things that I like about him but he falls enormously short on his policies.
I like the fact that Obama is a personable guy and a good speaker (with a teleprompter). His family is a nice little photo opportunity. He genuinely seems interested in helping out people but his policies for doing so are so far ass-backwards it's scary.
Russia is a huge concern for me. While I agree with the whole negotiating thing, I didn't say anything about caving in. My concern with Russia is Russia itself. They have been funding the Iranian military and sending weaponry down to them which is ending up in our opposition's hands in Iraq, killing our soldiers.
I think they not only know this is happening but also encourage it. I think that they want to become a super power and would love to wipe out the opposition to that little by little.
Obama sharing a few words with him is not going to do much, it is like me dicussing policies with a liberal blogger here, although I make my case and walk away happy, doesn't mean I changed that person's mind.
03.14.09
We may not go to war over the 25 DVD's but look at the slap in the face here. If you spent time planning a special gift with deep meaning and your spouse hands you a plastic rose in return you wouldn't feel the pain? Don't reply with "They aren't lovers" These guys are Worldleader's. look at the symbolic meaning behind all Brown brought to the President. Oh here take these DVD's of some great American movie's back home....PSSST Michelle come over here (whispers to his wife: go down to the White House gift shop and get some toy's for the kid's...toy helicopter's or something) It was thoughtless and just plain old RUDE what Obama gave in return.
The newspapers in the UK wrote of excitment in Brown's visit and spoke of what he was bringing as gifts for Obama and the meaning behind them. I find it hard to believe Obama nor anyone on his staff knew of this.
The Queen is breaking ROYAL protocol for Obama by granting him an audience on his visit. Even though it is NOT a state visit. I just hope he doesn't bring a PLASTIC ROSE as a gift for her.
I hope his policies get more thought than his gift giving.
LOL...Nuff said?
03.14.09
If the telepromter was up when he thinking of a gift to give this might not have happend.
03.16.09
@Tim, the DVD gift and Chruchill portrait a non-issue? For you perhaps. Most certainly not the Europeans. Do a search and see what they have had to say. These things were an embarassment and were widely reported as a slap in the face. We all know it wasn't Obama's fault entirely as mush as it was his handlers. But I sure would've loved to read your blog had Bush made the same gaff. You would've blown it up as inciting some kind of international incident.
BTW Tim, since when don't you buy into the Obama Euphoria? Within days of his inauguration you were blogging about his greatness and achievements.
It's o.k. to criticize Obama. I swear you won't be smited by Obama (although I can't say the same for the cult-member-like liberal bloggers on Brazen Careerist). Obama is not a child and doesn't need the tireless defense of every action and comment by the bloggers on Brazen Careerist.
03.18.09
Maybe we need to hit the "OVERPAY" button on our relations with Great Britain. 8-)
03.18.09
Haha, is that what it said? I thought it was interpreted as "Overshot", which would be funnier but either way, what an administration gifting nightmare.
06.25.09
Bush sucks
06.25.09
Ah yes, a true testament to the intelligence of the left, thank you Anonymous
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