I don’t know about you, but I’m a little less excited about Michelle Obama’s “undue” familiarity with the British monarch, than I am the president’s unnecessary obeisance to the House of Saud.
I’m funny, that way.
You know, you can hardly blame Midwestern politicians newly sprung on the world stage for not knowing the intricacies of international protocol, but are there no professional bureaucrats left at the State Department to prevent the first family from embarrassing the country?
It’s almost like the leadership at State wants them to stumble.
But that couldn’t be.
And just what is that line of succesion again? The O should have gotten a whole lot of gone from Hillary, like made her ambassador to Zaire or Uzbekistan.
I vote for North Korea myself. But, Mongolia would serve.
Byron/
Or Ulan Bator in Outer Mongolia. (“Inner” just won’t do–too accessible to the rest of the world)
I apologize for not having a link, but I read somewhere else this morning that the WH protocol office is unstaffed (shocker, huh?), and that when PM Brown came to visit, the WH was unaware that State could fill the protocol role.
“But that couldn’t be.”
BWAAHAHAHAHAhahahah!!!!!!
Lex … I thought I was kidding when I said that the Obama administration must have fired the White House protocol office staff, and that was why Mr. O made his big boo-boo when the British Prime Minister visited Washington with such beautifully appropriate and thoughtful gifts. But now that he bopped over to Britain and gave the Queen her very own iphone, [or some other technological device I haven't mastered yet] IIRC, fitted out with his very own speeches for her delectation, I’m convinced that Mr. Obama and his staff did indeed fire the White House protocol office and decide to ‘go it alone.’ As you all know already, the White House has always had an in-house diplomatic protocol adviser, to keep ‘newbie’ presidents from making diplomatic howlers which would endanger our country’s relations with other great powers.
Guess they’re gone-gony-gone-gone now. May the Good Lord protect us all.
Marianne
I’ll bet that they followed up with gifts of “Reset buttons” for the King and the Queen because that worked out so well with the Russian foreign minister.
Gross. I can divine the difference between a bow and a nod. The act of obeisance to the House of Saud, which is providing exactly what for GWOT? As compared to the UK? Even GHWB’s “Mother-son” joke is better than this.
The One’s middle name again? And I don’t mean Marcus Luttrell either.
Hey, look at the bright side-he did not kiss the King of Saudi Arabia the way a certain Republican did.
Don’t ask -don’t tell.
Isn’t that the way a Muslim bows to the King of the House of Saud, Protector of Mecca? Just asking…And Skippy, does it not bother you that your President…and mine…BOWS to anyone?
Something happened to Skippy’s soul to render him, shall we say, less than patriotic.
No POTUS should EVER bow to another head of state except when it is mutual as when the POTUS conducts a state visit to Japan.
Ford’s visit to Japan was amusing in a way. Ford in a morning coat bowing to the Japanese PM who returned it.
Courtesy yes, obeisance, absolutely never!!!
Hey, QM, I’ll lay you odds that Skippy finds this just as disturbing as you do, so lay off the ad hominem. The difference is that Skippy has a memory, and can recall the previous President groveling to the Saudis, too. Neither the bow nor the hug were becoming or proper to the POTUS. Neither displayed sound judgement in his actions.
The video was disturbing. I’da said the same thang had it been W. QM’s comments spot-on.
Disturbing is exactly the word. Watching the video, it’s so clear that he was being reflexive and stopped himself halfway through–it wasn’t a Japanese or western style bow, but he had one foot in front of the other, knee bent and arm on his thigh… headed for the floor. Wow.
FbL/
Yes, replayed it several times, and I’m struck by the smooth, automatic immediacy of the movement, no hesitation whatsoever; as you say, totally reflexive–until, of course, he caught himself. Yeah, put me in the “disturbing” column as well. And sickening.
Greetings:
One of the things my father used to say when he was trying to shape my character was, “They can make you poor but they can’t make you kneel.”
This is the 2009 version of the 1950’s “Ted Mack Amateur Hour”. But then with this electorate, what do you expect?
Scott Ott has a perfect column on it, showing the positive spin that will be put on it by the sinister side of the spectrum.
http://www.scrappleface.com/?p=3470
Disturbing doesn’t even begin to cover it. That bow told the Saudis that we are their servants to command.
And as FBL pointed out – it wasn’t just supposed to be a bow, that is very clear.
Change – we are regretting.
Seeing the picture has almost made me puke, I’m glad the video didn’t work. What a disgrace.
I’ve quoted you and linked to you here: http://consul-at-arms2.blogspot.com/2009/04/re-protocol.html
Jim Lehrer News Hour here (Oz) today (Wednesday) showing Tuesday in USA, had a news item about “Dateline”? doco same night your time, about BAE and Margaret Thatcher in the late 80s / early 90s, has PM curtseying to the Saudi Princes, making a megadeal for British Fighter Aircraft. Maybe that is what it takes?