Evening Standard (U.K.) calls President Obama's gift to Brown "markedly less generous & thoughtful"

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Obama's blockbuster gift for Brown: 25 classic films
Joe Murphy
05.03.09

http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct2=us%2F0_0_s_1_2_aa&usg=AFQjCNEPWCl78Tj4P3r6M5IsmYA1v4MAUA&cid=1310324420&ei=mfqzSeCAH6CikQSniP_SAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fworldnews%2Farticle-1159627%2FObamas-blockbuster-gift-Brown-reaffirm-special-relationship-25-DVDs.html

Gordon Brown has been given a collection of 25 classic American films on DVD as his official gift from Barack Obama.

The Prime Minister flew home from his successful trip to Washington this morning with the "special collector's box" of films hidden in his luggage.

No10 had tried to keep the present a secret, refusing to answer reporters who asked what President Obama had given to mark the reaffirmation of the special relationship. However, the Evening Standard discovered the truth through White House insiders.

One reason for the secrecy might be that the gift seems markedly less generous and thoughtful than the presents taken to Washington by the Prime Minister.

Mr Brown's gifts included an ornamental desk pen holder made from the oak timbers of Victorian anti-slaver HMS Gannet, once named HMS President.

[bluestateguy]

1. That was probably a $300 gift

Which President Obama gave to the British Prime Minister in the White House, a building that his countrymen burned down in 1814.

[Occam Bandage]

8. I think it's been long enough that we can get over the War of 1812. nt

[Honeycombe8]

2. Yeah, that was sucky gift. I wonder whose idea it was? I'm more imaginative with my own family.

Geez. They better put someone else in charge of gifts to foreign leaders.

[azmouse]

3. Pres Obama should have given Brown a Shamwow.

:eyes:

I'd really like to know why this story still has legs. Why is this at all important? :shrug:

[ClassWarrior]

11. Or a Snuggie. Couldn't you just see Gordo in one of those cult robes?

My British friends don't have a very high opinion of Brown, and after this trip I can see why.

NGU.

[ErinBerin84]

4. dopey gift, but probably a lesson learned?

I doubt it will really affect Britain's opinions of Obama. Awkward, but ultimately not that important.

[Sultana]

5. Yea, yea, the gift sucked ass

Whoever executed the idea shouldn't allowed to pick the gifts anymore.

[madmom]

6. Maybe he didn't want to give "reaffirmation of the special relationship"

:shrug:

[Occam Bandage]

13. Yes, I think it was clearly Obama's intent to give a subtle fuck-you to Great Britain. nt

[amandabeech]

21. If that's the deal, it wasn't a great way to do it. n/t

[ClarkUSA]

7. British Tory press are whiny crybabies. Get over it and cover the Queen when she welcomes 44 warmly.

What a stupid, superficial materialistic issue.

[Occam Bandage]

9. The gift was lame as hell, yes. Obama's staffers should have done better. Let's move on. nt

[Mist]

10. Well, I'm a big movie buff, so no prob. But yeah, maybe something that showed

a bit more thought would have been better. Hell, a case of California wine might have made Brown happier--I couldn't believe the prices in England of what, over here, are modest table wines.

I'd like to add, Brown's gift to Pres. Obama lacked imagination, no matter what it was made of. How many desk pen holders are stashed in various closets all over the White House? It's the No.2 unoriginal gift for men. (No.1 being aftershave.)

[amandabeech]

22. I suggest you do a little googling of this particular desk pen holder,

its relationship to the President's desk, and why Obama likes both so much. Get me back to me when you've spent a little time in study and contemplation.

[Mist]

27. Yes, I know the pen holder is made from the sister ship of the Resolute, and the WH desk

is made from the Resolute. I still think pen holders are boring.

[keopeli]

12. It's a GIFT! How obnoxiously ungrateful of the press to report it this way

As though Brown was "hiding" it in his luggage. I put everything in my luggage, don't you?

You don't COMPARE GIFTS and have a public referendum on whether you like the gift? W would take people to his ranch and barbeque fer crissake!

Unbelievable!

[ClassWarrior]

16. Good point. Even here in the uncivilized colonies, we know it's rude to whine about a gift.

:rofl:

NGU.

[WinkyDink]

19. The recipients don't compare; on-lookers may do as they please.

[Pirate Smile]

14. Who the f@#$ cares! We have real problems and the British press' need to focus on dumb ass crap

is starting to really piss me off. Grow up, people. They are making themselves look like dicks.

[treestar]

15. Why are they whining about this?

Damn them, and why should there be any gifts at this time? Stupid, stupid, stupid.

[amandabeech]

23. Diplomatic form and symbolism.

As one poster wrote, an interpretation of this would be that Obama told the U.K. that any special relationship was totally off by way of the gift and the cancellation, without explanation, of the stand up.

If so, it was an ugly way to break up, and I cannot believe that President Obama and his administration, including Secretary of State Clinton, would choose to present the bad news to the U.K. in this way.

[Warren Stupidity]

17. Global Economic Collapse caused by Pervasive Corruption

or 'I don't think my token gift was good enough'.

Well if you are in the Media Corp, which one are you going to report?

[WinkyDink]

18. Much as I am a fan of Pres. O., it is TRUE that the UNITED STATES' gift to the PM of the UK was not

especially on the level of "Presidential", and that is aside from seeming last-minute.

IOW: History should have been taken into account (and I don't mean with Tetley Tea). DVD's can be later, when the two men are, say, cozier.

[keopeli]

20. I disagree completely. Let us not forget that the U.S. brought the world movies and the technology

that has lead to the miracle of DVDs.

Do we really need to defend ourselves for having a President who by all accounts is dealing with the largest economic meltdown in a century, if not ever?

Some day, history may reflect a lot of different things. She may not like Obama. She may laugh at the naivete of his choices or praise his genius.

Obama may be looked upon as a brilliant politician by how he used issues like his gifts to distract the press and thus the public.

A century from now, history may look back on our age as the birth of the technological revolution that eventually saved the planet from disaster and Obama was clever enough to remind the world subtly about the many, many good virtues of the U.S. as we try to repair the blemish of the "W" years.

In the moment though, we're forced to react to what we know, which isn't very much. So when the press writes stories in a way that ridicules nothing less than a kind gesture as being un-"Presidential" to use your word, they are praying on our sensibilities rather than informing the public.

Peace

[amandabeech]

24. I'm with you.

I thought that the British gift to Obama and to us, the United States people, was incredibly well thought out.

Perhaps on the inevitable first state visit of President and Mrs. Obama to the U.K., a more suitable gift may be found for PM Brown and the British people.

[Tex-Slim]

25. MOVIES

Well... I could go either way here. I mean, yeah, the gifts were a bit different indeed, but there were both some respected films, and at least IMHO some real dogs, in the set - but then again, who died & made me a film critic!

Seriously, it wasn't that bad a gift, was it?

But you gotta love the symbolism in the gift from the Brits... yeah, OK, they did put quite a lot more thought into it... and didn't delegate the task to the AFI...

[AyanEva]

26. WTF is with this "special relationship" crap?

If I hear that phrase one more time, I'm going to scream.

[fujiyama]

28. I found the gift cringeworthy

It was just so poorly thought out and I'm a little surprised anyone is bothering to defend it. It makes it even worse, when considering the gift given to Obama.

No, "gift-gate" is not particularly significant, but it's a distraction nevertheless - gives another stupid thing for the British press and RW bloggers to whine about. Obama has always struck me as fairly classy so I was surprised about this. Then again, I seriously doubt this was his idea (or hope it wasn't). Obama has so much on his plate right now, so the stress and pressure is intense. I'm sure the gifts given to foreign leaders is the last thing on his mind.

Brown is under a lot of pressure too and it's more important to him and Britain about how the US deals with Afghanistan, Iraq, and of course the current economic crisis.

[liam_laddie]

29. Two points to consider...

One - Brown's a Scot; maybe he'll appreciate the thrifty aspect.
Two - Hope they're Region II encoded. Or the PM has a universal DVD player.
:rofl: