People from around the word loved Obama when he was running for President, but you have to wonder how much longer that will last if he keeps with his diplomatic gaffes. Here are three ones:
1. The State Department Can’t Spell in Russian. How in the world does Hillary Clinton’s State Department not know how to spell Russian?
2. When British Prime Minster Gordon Brown stops by the U.S., he gives Obama a thoughtful and and expensive gift, in return Obama gives Gordon Brown 25 DVDs. This is the kind of thing you expect someone clueless to do. Brown gave Obama a pen holder crafted of wood from the HMS Gannet, an anti-slave ship previously named the HMS President. The Gannet was a sister ship to HMS Resolute, whose timbers were used to construct the desk in the Oval Office. Obama sent an internet across the river to the Costco in Arlington to buy some DVDs (just kidding, I don’t know if Costco had all the DVDs in stock, the intern probably had to go to the nearby Borders, or maybe across the street to the Pentagon City mall).
Who thinks that giving the Prime Minister of our best diplomatic friends a few DVDs is a good gift?
3. The White House Does not know the Name of Brazil’s President. Yesterday President Silvia stopped by the White House and this visit caused some issues:
Still, the White House made several moves interpreted as snubs by the Brazilian media.
Silva aides said the trip was pushed forward from Tuesday because of the St. Patrick’s Day holiday — making Latin America once again look like an afterthought. Then, the White House announcement misspelled his name as "Luis Ignacio" and put "Lula" — a nickname that decades ago became a legal part of the Brazilian leader’s name — in quotes.
Strange days.
1. A lame, lame mistake. But, really– the world will laugh at HRC and the bureaucrat rats at State– Obama gets a free pass.
2. I like the movies. Pens from old ships are over-rated.
3. Name misspelled, now that one is no good, but really Brazilian press– just because you aren’t the darling doesn’t mean we have made all of “Latin America, once again, look like an after thought.” It was just Brazil.
Come on, just wait a couple of months until his administration gives you something in the foreign policy arena you really can’t stand. When you put stuff like this up, it just makes you sound like most liberals did during GWBush’s administration– whiney.
Sina Maria,
You really think it’s appropriate to give our best diplomatic allies $400 of DVDs which won’t even play in the UK? http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mandrake/5011941/Gordon-Brown-is-frustrated-by-Psycho-in-No-10.html I can see giving an insignificant Head of State a similar gift, but not the the PM of the UK.
Anyone can screw up a name or a translation. It happens and neither the name nor the translation were Obama’s fault. But blame for giving Gordon Brown such a weak gift rests partially on Obama’s shoulders.
In the long run, it doesn’t matter. It’s just an example of a lack of diplomatic savvy in the Obama White House.