By Bob Parks ——Bio and Archives--March 8, 2009
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They "inherited" the crisis. There was a "lapse" in the vetting process. The couldn't properly translate Russian at the State Department, and now for the latest Obama Administration excuse: the president is "too tired".Barack Obama's offhand approach to Gordon Brown's Washington visit last week came about because the president was facing exhaustion over America's economic crisis and is unable to focus on foreign affairs, the Sunday Telegraph has been told. 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.Try arrogant and clueless.
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.You heard it. Prime Minister Gordon Brown's visit, according to the Obama Administration, just wasn't worth all that pomp and circumstance.
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 could be the travel from place to place, announcing this appointee or that policy (and let's not forget the partying), instead of using The White House as the best possible backdrop. Then again, we are talking about people who truly believed they were the ones the world was waiting for, and man, the world was sure waiting to knock them down a peg or two. Maybe we should go back to electing geriatric presidents with more energy…?
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Bob Parks is a is a member/writer of the National Advisory Council of Project 21. Bob’s websites are Black & Right and youtube.com/BlackAndRight