... is miserably lacking in the Obama administration.
Not only did it add insult to injury during the first official meeting of Obama with Britain's PM, Gordon Brown, it also led to a ridiculous attempt at a joke by SoS Hillary Clinton with her Russian counterpart.
The first incident actually lead to a scathing critique of Obama in the British Telegraph, by well-known columnist Iain Martin. Martin referred to Obama as "rudeness personified" and "shameless". He concludes his article by suggesting a possible gift Obama could have given Brown, saying,
UPDATE:
Here's a post over at Ace that gives a follow-up on this story. Ultimately, the Obama Administration MEANT to communicate that there is no special relationship between the US and Britain! Shocking.
UPDATE 2:
So this issue of the DVD set has been making the rounds on the www. I found this article, which lists the 25 movies included in the set [which is actually just the first 25 movies in the AFI 2007 List of Top 100 Movies], and was curious of people's responses. The article is not on a political website, but rather an entertainment/ pop culture site, which offers a different type of commentary from its readership. Some of the funniest I read were:
And, finally, someone get's the right answer! I'm not sure if this is strictly an American "tradition", but it could be a plausible answer for his shameless gift:
Not only did it add insult to injury during the first official meeting of Obama with Britain's PM, Gordon Brown, it also led to a ridiculous attempt at a joke by SoS Hillary Clinton with her Russian counterpart.
The first incident actually lead to a scathing critique of Obama in the British Telegraph, by well-known columnist Iain Martin. Martin referred to Obama as "rudeness personified" and "shameless". He concludes his article by suggesting a possible gift Obama could have given Brown, saying,
"...Get him a signed first edition of a good Robert Dallek book such as the brilliant Flawed Giant on LBJ. Come to think of it, Obama should read it too, if he hasn't yet, as it reveals a great deal about how a Presidency can go so wrong."I thought Obama was going to "restore" our image in the world. So far, not so good.
UPDATE:
Here's a post over at Ace that gives a follow-up on this story. Ultimately, the Obama Administration MEANT to communicate that there is no special relationship between the US and Britain! Shocking.
UPDATE 2:
So this issue of the DVD set has been making the rounds on the www. I found this article, which lists the 25 movies included in the set [which is actually just the first 25 movies in the AFI 2007 List of Top 100 Movies], and was curious of people's responses. The article is not on a political website, but rather an entertainment/ pop culture site, which offers a different type of commentary from its readership. Some of the funniest I read were:
- DVDs? And such boring choices of DVDs that any movie fan would already have in his collection? This is his gift? Thanks on making America look like sh**.
- (Response to above): Yeah, he should have gone with the Chilis gift card.
- (Response to above): If only we had a time machine! We'd go back and switch it to that Chili's gift card. Cramps!!
- DVD's??? The UK sends us a bust of Winston Churchill, he sends it back and gives him a DVD box set? Not even Blu-Rays, f***g DVDs! What a classless move. Makes us look like complete buffoons. He couldnt send some Lenox Crystal, A basketball signed by Obamas favorite team, even something just laying around the White House???
- It's like Gordon Brown gave Obama an iPod, and in return Obama gave Brown a homemade oven mitt. One that will only fit on his hand in North America, he'll need to get a special kind of hand to use it in England.
- Another point to consider is that Mr. Brown might already have the set. As has already been noted, you can buy similar if not identical sets on Amazon.com.uk so it's quite likely that he already has most of these if not the set itself. Still, it's not the most tacky thing a new Administration has ever done. At the dedication of the Holocaust Memorial in DC back in '94, the Clintons served honey-baked ham. Kind of hard to top that.
And, finally, someone get's the right answer! I'm not sure if this is strictly an American "tradition", but it could be a plausible answer for his shameless gift:
- "Speculation has been rampant and playful as to why Obama gave him these particular DVDs." Clearly, Obama was just regifting a boxed set.