Is Obama snubbing the Brits?

Yea that seems to be what's happening. It's not just Obama it's also the US press. Just last week I heard randomly ...."and british prime minister Gordon Brown" and I was like WHAT when did he get into office (lol I know i'm soo late)...I hadn't heard about him being in the US at all until they casually mention his name when the need arises and they absolutely have to...
It's a big mistake to treat him that way at his first visit..

Not sure I understand your surprise here. Brown assumed office in June 2007, so it's not news, not something that Obama or the US press, or anyone else for that matter, could be expected to be making a particular fuss about at this point. Referring to him as you quote is simply how one refers to him. I can't see it as a slight at all.

Oh I meant they didn't really talk about him coming to washington when I said i hadn't heard about him, besides the brief mention...The fact that I was surprised that he's the new PM Is my problem lol and I threw that in there, so it made it confusing but i was trying to say the media didn't publicize his visit, they just briefly mentioned it...my surprise was irrelevant lol I should edit a little to make it more clear.

The story about the gifts crack me up. I don't know which is tackier, a bad gift or trumpeting the percieved bad gift to everyone who would listen. If I had to choose I would say the bad gift is merely an unfortunate gaffe from the protocol secretary. I am not sure what she was thinking. But the White House specifically requested the American Film Institute to compile the list last month. Hardly a spur of the moment snub, just the execution did not please everyone. The press trumpeting the bad gifts is just bad form but I am sure it sold some paper which is the intent. My mother would have smacked me upside the head if I complained about a gift no matter how bad. But then Prime Minister Brown, if we are to believe the press, also did not like the bomber jacket emblazoned with the presidential seal and Camp David logo given to him by President Bush either. And no, I don't think either president was snubbing the English or are trying to damage relationships.

As for the boys gifts of the Marine One helicopter model sound entirely appropriate. They are six and three for goodness sakes. What in the world do you expect to give little boys? Prince Andrew gave President Bush models of Marine One and Royal British helicopters. Which was entirely appropriate as he is/was a helicopter pilot. Nothing wrong with either instance.

As for the Sasha and Malia's gift of designer clothes and jewelry. Well, frankly if the cost is over a certain amount in order to keep them President Obama would have to buy them. This is where I have a problem with the gift exchange between foreign leaders. They are actually a gift to the entire country so if you get something that is a personal as clothes and jewelry in order to keep it the President would have to pay for it himself. Ie. buy it from the American people. The press kept saying the Gordons showered them with gifts. Well, maybe, but if Sasha and Malia want to keep them they better come up with the cash.

I will have to say the pen made out of the timbers of HMS Gannet given to President Obama from Prime Minister Gordon was brilliant. And really hard to top.

much ado about nothing - again (or should I say still).

Yup.........

I think this is reading far too much into far too little.

Exactly how much of an affect is one comment made by an unnamed official acting in a non-diplomatic capacity going to have on relations with Britiain?

Zero.

Yawn.

It's not the comment, it's the way he was treated while he was here.

I don't really think the gifts are the big of a deal. I very much doubt that PM Brown and his wife actually hand picked the gifts. That was left up to their staff. It does look like Obama's staff somehow dropped the ball. But, they are token gifts anyway....they aren't a big deal, IMO.

But why was the press conference cancelled? Any explaination about that? And, honestly, I didn't realize he even visited until I read this, and I watch the news every morning. Isn't this supposed to be a big deal?

A DVD set, is that really what he gave him?. A nice engraved pen would have been a good idea

I don't know but if it happened I don't know of any reason to interpret it as "snubbing the Brits".

I heard about it on a national news program. It wasn't a secret. If the press choose not to give it the amount of coverage you think it deservered isn't that the press doing the snubbing, not Obama? A press conference isn't a prerequisite to news coverage.

I'm going to blame the press again for this one, because it sounds like they've done the usual of making a mountain out of a molehill

I think that's exactly it with regards to the whole thing. Maybe the event was worthy of more pomp and circumstance than Obama gave it but in the end does it really matter? Does it really somehow imply that Obama doesn't think Britain is of any importance? IMO, not a bit.

It's the kind of thing the press can have a lot of fun with but ultimately doesn't mean a thing.

Exactly!. Ok the DVD set was a strange one, but i've had stranger gifts given, plus old Gordon will have plenty of things to watch when he's not in parliament

Why no State Dinner? My word, it was the first time our greatest ally had been here since the new administration had taken office.
Good grief, I've been reading about all his parties. He could have had Stevie Wonder play piano for the Brits or something.

Barack's staff is clueless about protocol and Barack himself is about as presidential as Bubba from the trailer park. We have to remember we elected a first term junior senator as POTUS, we can't expect him to know how to act, that is what his staff is supposed to tell him.

I have to agree. It actually would have taken so little on his part. It's not like the President had to work all day broiling the mutton himself. And because of the business of President, a short appearance at the dinner would have been understood. But to just blow the man off entirely is fairly faux pas to me.

I agree. A state dinner is not too much to ask for a visiting Prime Minister of England. In fact, I would expect nothing less. This is most certainly a gaffe on Obama's part (or perhaps I should say on the part of his staff). As Cindy said, his staff is there to advise him and I'm pretty certain that all the staff that was in the White House with Bush didn't all get fired so someone must have had some idea of the proper protocol for a visiting dignitary.

It might be much ado about nothing HERE (and there's been almost nil ado about it so that's not a problem) but if the Brits are hot about it, then I'd say it deserves some damage control. It's not important how Americans feel about it, but it is important how the British feel about it. It is anyway if we value their friendship. Think about it on a personal level -- if you did something that you thought nothing of, but your friend felt offended or snubbed by it. You'd realize you'd made a mistake and would try to patch things up between the two of you, because you care about what he/she feels about it.

Each little thing seems like no big deal until you add them all up together. But to me, as others have said here, was the comment by the Obama official. Nothing special about Britian? No special relationship? That is the major put down if you ask me. Wow. Someone needs a history lesson.

I have to agree, Tim. You said it better than I could.

Absolutely. Diplomacy is ALL about perception. Obama, up to now at least, has been perceived in a tremendously positive light in Europe. While he's still got some of that good will left, I think he ought to actually go to the UK and trade on it to reinforce it.

I think it is such a hoot to see people who have said they would lose sleep over what other countries think of the US or that they don't care what other countries think of them or the US, are now so incensed about hurting another countries feeling. I guess it is all in what the particular opinion of the other country is.

I am not sure what happened with the Prime Minister Gordon's visit. I am not well versed in international politics. So I don't really know if it was blown out of porportion or not. Alot of the comments from the English did not seem to think it was such a big deal. I do know there was alot of jockying between England, Germany and France on what leader would be the first to officially visit the US. England got the nod so I am not sure why more was not made of it. And I don't think it is because Barack is clueless. He made the decision to visit Canada as his first foreign country visit, revisiting a tradition that was broken eight years ago. So he knows something about the rules. I am a little puzzled but I am not really worried about it doing anything about our ties with England. They go long and deep and in light of all else that is going on in both our countries this is fairly easy to get over. I will wait and see what will happen. Hopefully he will make a more meaningful gesture when he visit England in April.

You picked up on that too. To be fair though, not all people think that way, some actually understand how important the relationship with other countries is and how they all affect one another.

So telling someone you don't care what their opinion is and are not going to lose sleep over your opinion is good relations with our allies. There isn't a better way of saying it?

Now I'm the one who's going to say "much ado about nothing." Of course!! It depends on the country. And informal relations and foreign policy are two very separate and different things. Kruschev had a great time when he visited the US in 1959, but that didn't put so much as a dent in the Cold War.

Agreed with post above -- I was busy typing yet while it got posted.

I think you have changed the subject. No one is saying that we run the country based on other people's opinion. I don't know where you are getting that or what you think I am spinning or what Mexico has to do with the topic. The issue is about diplomacy and how to have good relations with our allies.

On the subject of diplomacy and good relations with our allies, I said that I thought it was funny how some people who didn't care about other countries opinions and said as much in a very non diplomatic fashion are all the sudden taking on other peoples diplomacy to task. I thought it very ironic and still do.

BTW - It is my opinion that we are representing the United States whether we are talking to a diplomat or a citizen. Peoples opinions are formed not just by our leaders but by us as individuals.