International diplomacy is amazingly messy up close. One would think that with hours of planning, and mutual pledges of cooperation, shout fests and shoving matches could be avoided. But they seem almost inevitable on international trips of the president (I recall shoving and shouting in Ankara, verbal threats in Beijing’s Great Hall) and they tend to focus on the press, which does not get the same Secret Service protection as some others.
Today, in New Delhi, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs used his foot on behalf of the U.S. press corps. From the pool report:
Indian officials decided to cut agreed-upon number of WH pool allowed into spray of extended bilat from eight to five. Katie Lillie and other U.S. officials lobbied hard for the eight, but no luck until Gibbbs announced loudly and persistantly on steps of Hyderabad House that he would pull POTUS of bilat with PM Singh unless “the White House 8,” as we’ve come to be known, were all allowed in. At one point, Gibbs literally had his foot lodged in the closing front door, asking if the Indian security officials pushing hard to shut it were going to break his foot. More angry words ensued, and after Gibbs convinced them, through high volume and repetition, that he was serious about pulling POTUS, we all made it inside, to hold with larger Indian press contingent, for start of extended bilat.
