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March 8, 2009
Obviously, Mr. President, You're Doing Too Much
The Telegraph has learned why Prime Minister Brown was given short shrift by the White House last week. According to the headline, President Obama was
'too tired' to give proper welcome to Gordon Brown
The article goes on to elaborate.
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.British officials, meanwhile, admit that the White House and US State Department staff were utterly bemused by complaints that the Prime Minister should have been granted full-blown press conference and a formal dinner, as has been customary. They concede that Obama aides seemed unfamiliar with the expectations that surround a major visit by a British prime minister.
But Washington figures with access to Mr Obama's inner circle explained the slight by saying that those high up in the administration have had little time to deal with international matters, let alone the diplomatic niceties of the special relationship.
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.
It's perfectly understandable. All these bailouts. All this spending (even if it's someone else's money). The proposed massive restructuring of our health care system. So many people to try to save. So many Bushian wrongs to right. Of course it's exhausting.
Ease up, Mr. President. For your own sake, stop trying to do so much. One of the beauties of smaller government is that it means less wear and tear on those doing the governing. And you'd be surprised. It might even be the best course of action for the country.
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Posted by: Mike at March 8, 2009 5:48 PMhttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1159677/Pictured-The-credit-crunch-tent-city-returned-haunt-America.html
The most alarming part of the Telegraph story -- about which I posted at RIFuture-- is the quotation from an unnamed Obama Admininstration State Department official who tried to minimize the significance of the President's "diss" of the PM by denying the existence of any special bond between the US and the UK that might be shaken by bad hospitality:
Yep, that's the way to strengthen our alliances . . .
Posted by: brassband at March 8, 2009 7:29 PMMixing revisionist history with those Wednsday cocktail parties isn't a good idea.
Posted by: joe bernstein at March 8, 2009 9:35 PMWait 'til someone in the new administration tells the Israelis they have no "special relationship" with the US.There'll be a whining marathon to end all.A lot of those liberal Jews who voted for Obama will be having fits.
I think maybe it's time to pull back our troops from places like Afghanistan,Iraq,Sinai,Korea,and a few other places and put them on our southern border.
Afghanistan is a country no one has ever successfully occupied,because it is a country in name only.We should operate there and in Waziristan with special forces and drones.This is a major change in my thinking.I never was for going into Iraq,but now I am against losing our people incrementally in a tribal/clan wasteland whose major product is opium poppies.
If an American soldier has to lose their life it should be in defense of THEIR country and not some foreign ingrates.
The special forces are made up of people who volunteered to go on the sharp edge and I respect their choice.
They should be employed with adequate backup on operations that are considered absolutely necessary.
A lot of people here might disagree with me,but that's okay.I welcome any criticism.
joe,
Posted by: OldTimeLefty at March 8, 2009 11:51 PMWe are mostly in violent agreement.
OTL
The Brits are crying. The Brits are crying.
Posted by: Phil at March 9, 2009 5:37 AM"There's nothing special about Britain. You're just the same as the other 190 countries in the world."
Yes, I saw that, Brassband. It's difficult to be as sanguine as that official (from the State Department? yikes) that we can be all alone in the world without friends.
Posted by: Monique at March 9, 2009 7:23 AMAnd yet I keep hearing from my liberal friends that it was Bush who pushed away all of our world allies. At least W kept up relations with England, much to Tony Blair's demise.
Posted by: Patrick at March 9, 2009 8:18 AM