Posted on 03/10/2009 11:04:25 AM PDT by Parmenio
Britain's most senior civil servant has complained that Downing Street is finding it “unbelievably difficult” to make arrangements with the United States for the crucial G20 summit. Sir Gus O'Donnell, the Cabinet Secretary, reportedly said that the handover to the Obama Administration was hindering discussions about the meeting in London next month. The Prime Minister hopes that the summit on April 2 will produce a co-ordinated global strategy to tackle the economic downturn. So far, his attempts to get his Washington and European allies to agree to a coherent common platform for the meeting have proved frustrating.
...snip ...
Mr O'Donnell said that No 10 was having trouble even getting in touch with key personnel at the US Treasury department. “There is nobody there,” he told a civil service conference in Gateshead. “You cannot believe how difficult it is.” His comments come after Downing Street was left frustrated by the White House’s chaotic handling of Gordon Brown’s visit last week. No 10 aides were left scrambling when the President's staff changed press arrangements at the 11th hour. Sir Gus's remarks appear to confirm the problems Mr Obama has faced in getting his administration staffed and up to speed during the worst economic crisis in decades. The Times reported last week that Tim Geithner, the Treasury Secretary, had been forced to operate virtually on his own without any of the 17 deputies his department is supposed to have. Sir Gus criticised the US system of new administrations appointing their own senior civil servants as “absolute madness”...Sir Gus said. “If there’s a change of administration, you’re out, and a whole new bunch of people come in who probably haven’t been in government before.”
(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...
Bambi takes “incompetent” to a whole ‘nuther level.
Or they’re deliberately dissing the UK again; either one.
The Obama Administration: The lights are on but nobody’s home.
Why should Zer0 sweat little things like the economy when he has big stuff to worry about like payback to ACORN and global warming? < / sarcasm >
The US isn’t even answering the phones anymore.
Our new allies will be Syria and Cuba I guess.
The Times misspelled "contemptuous."
exactly, formerly our #1 ally is getting slapped around
The kiddies were not in the sandbox?
how long until the world is longing for the good old days with Bush?
Obamachev doesn’t appear to be improving our reputation over seas.
Probably do like us more in Cuba and Venezuela.
Chaos might be good in this situation. Obama is incompetent and WAY over his head. He is being overwhelmed, that is obvious. People in this situation don’t get too much done. The dem party is already revolting over some of this stuff. It is obvious that Treasury is not functioning. Actually, things are looking up.
“Smoothest transition in history”
Thank you and have a nice day!
Britain is just another country...
And, as part of my austerity program and promise to spend taxpayer money wisely, I am removing Great Britain Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell from the White House gift list.
That means he will not be receiving the standard gift package of the Top 25 Classic Movies on CD as had been scheduled; a saving of some $21.99 for the taxopayer.
Timmy TurboTax is the only one there to answer the phones anyway, right???
Call back at 3am and see bambi answers
There won’t be either. All the Democrats they could possibly nominate seem to have tax or ethics problems, and all the Republicans have left town and aren’t coming back as long as these clowns are running the show.
It was smooth — up until noon on January 20. Then Bush left office.
The Obama Adminstration..Playing hockey with an oval puck..
Zero: I’ll be ready on Day One...to cash my check...
It seems to me that the word on the street is that Obama is poison and that if you join the administration your career is in jeopardy.
Wonder what the ZeroBots are thinking now of their Messiah?
Man, I’ll betcha the LameStream Media will REALLY point this out on their evening newscasts tonight.....
I think the Brits already are.
0bama is an amateur on the world stage. The most powerful office in the world, and it’s staffed by a snot nosed socialist who has NO grasp of the breadth of the office and its responsibilities.
I don’t know if we can stand four years of this idiot. Between bankrupting the nation and future generations, pushing us over the precipice into socialism, and destroying what remains of our credibility in the world...this is change we clearly DON’T need.
It’s time to take back the country.
Hey, Jesus managed it pretty much all by himself too....
The conference should go on without the US. I would even take it so far as to stop with the invites as well. That will make this administration look even more stupid than it does already.
do you think maybe the Queen won’t be available for her tete a tete w/ BHO? That seems to be his top consideration in attending the G20. A man has to have his priorities.
Meanwhile in FR Breaking News Obama is reported as stating: “You know, I have more than enough to do without having to worry about the financial system...”
full list at www.nachumlist.com
I agree with that. But a portion of the American people won’t notice at all. Unfortunately.
I'm in favor of small government, especially in the Treasury.
Call back at 3am and see bambi answers
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Keep pressing ‘0’ to get a live operator. ;)
Maybe they need somebody with a more impressive-sounding name.
Hope Brown isn’t the kind of guy to take this sort of thing personally. He has to make a very difficult decision soon about whether to send more British troops to Afghanistan against the advice of the Top brass to support the ‘surge’ Obama has planned. This will make Brown’s decision either easier or harder. At this stage, I can’t tell which...
England needs to go ahead and schedule it. If this Administration doesn’t want to be there.....so be it. They don’t need them anyway.
Nope. Even Jesus "appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach." (Mark 3:14) And "he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits." (Mark 6:7)
The smartest, most competent and most ready from day one administration EVER. (extreme sarcasm).
“There is nobody there,”......
Zero.....
I’m surprised the Bush appointees in Treasury (the 17 vacant deputies) left before new appointees were in place. How can you have any kind of transition without a face to face turnover?
Were the Bush appointees dismissed, or did they run for the hills?
Just thinking out loud.
Advice to Brits: Say that you are the caterer. You’ll get through.
“how long until the world is longing for the good old days with Bush?”
Never.
The lights are on but nobody’s home!.....
P.S.
Speaking for myself, I am trying to deal with one idiot, dangerous president at a time.
We aren't available to take your call at the moment, but, if you'll put in one of those snappy DVD's I gave you to pass the time, I'll be along shortly.
However, I have enough things to worry about now with the economy, than to deal with trivial things like finances, allies, the war, treaties, the Constitution, and other pesky trivialities.
Come to think of it, just leave a message at the tone, and, after the Senate confirms a secretary sometime in 2011, they will get the message to me, using the dope pen set you gave us. Maybe...depends on what other trivial distractions get in the way."
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