Barack Obama

British Insecurity Wire: Gordon Brown Gets His Bilat!

By Michael Scherer | @michaelscherer | September 25, 2009 | +

British PM Gordon Brown talks with President Obama all the time. But, if you believe the British press, and that is a big if, he really wanted to “talk” with President Obama this week, as in a formal, sit-down, diplomatic, bilateral talk. As the Guardian reported Thursday:

Gordon Brown lurched from being hailed as a global statesman to intense embarrassment tonight, after it emerged US President Barack Obama had turned down no fewer than five requests from Downing Street to hold a bilateral meeting at the United Nations in New York or at the G20 summit starting in Pittsburgh today.

This is essentially par for the course. If Brown and Obama are going to be in the same city, the British Press, apparently aided by leaks from Downing Street, just has to throw a tantrum of some sort. Is the special relationship between Brown and Obama really special? How special? Etc.

Yesterday White House Spokesman Robert Gibbs was asked about the latest “controversy” over whether Brown would get his precious bilat with Obama. His impatient response is worth the read.

QUESTION: Gordon Brown, are we snubbing him? And if not, why did we turn down five requests for bilaterals?

GIBBS: The notion that there remains anything other than a special relationship between the two countries is silly and absurd. The President spoke with Prime Minister Brown on the phone in the lead-up to G-20 just two weeks ago. They spent time after the climate change dinner on Monday. They spent time after the Security Council today, and obviously went into the Friends of Pakistan meeting together, on an issue that’s of great concern to both countries.

So I think — I think this is a media-generated bunch of silliness.

QUESTION: Bunch of silliness?

GIBBS: Bunch of silliness.

QUESTION: But why did we turn down the request for a bilateral?

GIBBS: We have — because we’re talking to them constantly. The notion that you can only do this in one meeting I think would — doesn’t make any sense. Because of the special relationship we have, we’re in constant communication.

QUESTION: Can I ask a…

GIBBS: Stop reading those London tabloids…

Apparently, however, the silliness was not so silly for Brown, who has won the day with persistence. His request for a private meeting (and yet another important-looking photo) with Obama has been granted at the last minute. The news came in a White House press release at 9:03 a.m. They will meet this morning. I would not be surprised if the bells of Big Ben are chiming.

Related Topics: gordon brown, special relationship, Barack Obama

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  • rustyreturns

    If I were Brown, I would just un-pack my completely useless Star Wars Anniversary video disc pack which is not compatible with my DVD player and fling them across the room at Obama like little frisbees.
    .
    That should get his attention!!

  • grape_crush

    Meanwhile…

    …and…

    …but those things in comparison to the red carpet review/whinging about meetings are much less interesting, right?

  • deconstructiva

    Can they just have a beer and a photo op instead?

  • cfukara

    ” … If Brown and Obama are going to be in the same city … just has to throw a tantrum of some sort. ..”

    What a revelation! That titbit must be worth our while. And MS must be feeling indeed gratified that he has earned his keep for the day – and always.

    This is the stuff that makes our MSM shine as a beacon of enlightenment and freedom in the world and our civilization as we know it.

    Would it matter to know that even as the world calmly witnesses an ongoing epic catastrophe of human genocide, those who unleash it are conniving and priming the world for the next killing fields and the next genocide?

    “(USA), France and Britain demanded .. that (Iran) fully disclose its nuclear ambitions “or be held accountable” to an impatient world community.”

    How many in USA see things that way?

    Where do these see an “impatient world”?

    The same world that would that DEMAND with fear and circumspection that Israel “fully disclose its nuclear ambitions “or be held accountable” to an impatient world community”?

    The world whose resolutions at the much-hyped UN are dismissed by nuclear-armed Israel as the blabber of idiotic gentiles?

    And here comes the gentiles AGAIN – in all their pontificating glory – as they channel their frustrations and blood lust onto the weak unlucky barbarians

    [Maybe things are as they should be. And god said: from the fools it shall be taken away - in billions of dollars every year from these pontificating saber-rattlers into Israel. "Change"? Maybe: A lot more of the orgy of blood thirst and human slaughter. Do you remember that the clowns had "incontrovertible evidence" that placed nuclear arms in Iraq? Here we go again. Don't we have any evidence of nuclear ambitions by Israel? No lessons learnt by the world.]

  • Dee in Columbia MD

    What kind of American advocates for flying objects to be sent in the general direction of our President — as much as I detest George Bush’s policies, I certainly didn’t appreciate those flying shoes. I’m still wondering where the heck was the secret service guy that should have jumping in front of those flying shoes.

  • cfukara

    ” .. where the heck was the secret service guy that should have jumping in front of those flying shoes. ..”

    Lets see.
    Would you jump on the tracks in front of an oncoming freight train?

    Tchk! Tchk!

    We, the civilized people, don’t think that it is natural – indeed we hold it as criminal – for one to commit suicide … and we hold one who pays another to do thus as an accomplice ..

  • greenlyfe

    LMAO. That was perfect.

    ITD w/you most of the time but that was just excellent.

  • greenlyfe

    Honestly – it’s a blog. There’s room for a hella lot of stuff and this constant refrain of (look – there’s actual news to discuss) is annoying. I like these kinds of posts, I like the thousand word picture posts, I like reading about politics and news.

    And there’s plenty of news too IMO.

  • spob

    Maybe Gordon Brown needs to start spouting off about Israeli agents–then he’d get some respect from Obama.
    .
    Look at Obama’s buddy, the Chavez wannabe:

    http://www.miamiherald.com/1506/story/1248828.html

  • http://theblindspotsofgod.wordpress.com lawyermommy

    Leaking material to the press aided by a very vocal British tabloid press—works every time.

    Now if only I could get more information on how to use that tack in disseminating information—media and leaks. *sigh*
    Even getting subpoenas would be a breeze if the news media carried some germane matters, matters of particular interest to moms like me.

    LM

    http://theblindspotsofgod.wordpress.com/

  • spob

    Dee, feigned outrage and piousness is just annoying.

  • cfukara

    I am tempted to agree with you that the reality of innocent kids being shot at, bombed, raped, tortured, murdered or killed by drones (controlled remotely by psychopaths who make-believe that they are playing video games) is a big deal: It does not conceivably rise to what we should be preoccupied with.

    Until YOU and/or your loved ones are the at the receiving end – as in 9/11.

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