British journalists are nonplussed, to say the least, that President Obama didn't schedule a full press conference for today's White House visit by Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
USA Today's The Oval blog has the story:
Though there was never any announcement on this side of the Atlantic that there would be a full-blown joint news conference today when British Prime Minister Gordon Brown stops by to meet with President Obama, some British journalists are rather cranky this morning about the fact that there won't be one. Some who flew over with Brown last night thought there would be an Obama-Brown newser, and were surprised to hear when they arrived that there wouldn't. They see it as a snub.
"Embarrassing," says Benedict Brogan of The Mail. Embarrassing, that is, for Brown.
"Mr Brown might lament," writes Toby Harnden of The Telegraph, "that despite the so-called 'special relationship' Britain is now getting the same treatment as the president of Uruguay but he need not despair. I'm told there's a chance he might get drinks with Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday evening."
Although President Obama was only in Ottawa for six hours on February 19, at least there he had a full-fledged press conference with his host Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
Of course I'm not holding my breath for the American MSM to consider that the president may be making significant freshman faux pas when it comes to dealing with foreign dignitaries and media.
