It seems there are quite a few Brits a little, or in some cases, a lot offended at Barack and Michelle Obama.
According to The Telegraph, many British diplomats are offended because when British officials offered to let Obama continue to hold on to a loan of a bust of the former prime minister once voted the greatest Britain in history, Winston Churchill, the "thanks, but no thanks" type answer was considered a "snub."
The bronze by Sir Jacob Epstein, worth hundreds of thousands of pounds if it were ever sold on the open market, enjoyed pride of place in the Oval Office during President Bush's tenure.
But when British officials offered to let Mr Obama to hang onto the bust for a further four years, the White House said: "Thanks, but no thanks."
Diplomats were at first reluctant to discuss the whereabouts of the Churchill bronze, after its ejection from the seat of American power. But the British Embassy in Washington has now confirmed that it sits in the palatial residence of ambassador Sir Nigel Sheinwald, just down the road from Vice President Joe Biden's official residence. It is not clear whether the ambassador plans to keep it in Washington or send it back to London.
In another Telegraph article, written by Foreign Correspondent James Delingpole, he believes Obama will come to regret dispensing with the goodwill of one of our closest allies.
Iain Martin is quite right here: no matter how utterly rubbish we have become as a nation in the Blair/Brown years, Britain's friendship is something Obama will come to regret having dispensed with so lightly. This was not the act of a global statesman, but of a hormonal teenager dismissing her bestest of best BFs for no other reason than that she felt like it and she can, so there.
What was the guy thinking? In researching my new book Welcome to Obamaland, I discovered that Obama's judgment is pretty dreadful - but this? My favourite theory so far - suggested by presenter Greg Garrison - was that it was a move calculated to please his Lady Macbeth. At the moment in Britain, we're still in the "Doesn't she look fabulous in a designer frock" stage of understanding of Michelle Obama. Gradually, though, we'll begin to realise that she is every bit the terrifying executive's wife that Hillary Clinton was. Or, shudder, Cherie Blair.
LA Times' Top of the Ticket reports that Obama, not only denied the snub at length, but has also called Brown to "disprove" the accusation of his "rookie snub," then the White House proceeded issue a release detailing the content of the call.
All this attention has been noted by TIME, which asks if Europe is falling out of love with Obama.
Perhaps, but did anyone truly expect them to continue to worship him, especial with Obama not realizing that every move is being scrutinized as is everything his wife, Michelle, is doing?
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