Gordon Brown has been given a collection of 25 classic American films on DVD as his official gift from Barack Obama.You'd think the Community Organizer would have a staff who would protect him from making diplomatic insults like this one ... unless it was intentional. Hillary! Clean up in aisle one! Wherever in the world she is, you can bet ashtrays and lamps are getting picked up on radar.It is not known which DVDs were included, but one is thought to be the Dreamworks film Toy Story.
One reason for the secrecy might be that the gift seems markedly less generous and thoughtful than the presents taken to Washington by the Prime Minister.
Mr Brown's gifts included an ornamental desk pen holder made from the oak timbers of Victorian anti-slaver HMS Gannet, once named HMS President.
Mr Obama was so delighted he has already put it in pride of place in the Oval Office on the Resolute desk which was carved from timbers of Gannet's sister ship, HMS Resolute.
Another treasure given to the U.S. President was the framed commission for HMS Resolute, a vessel that came to symbolise Anglo-US peace when it was saved from ice packs by Americans and given to Queen Victoria.
Finally, Mr Brown gave a first edition set of the seven-volume classic biography of Churchill by Sir Martin Gilbert.
The White House issued a press briefing today that put on record how much Mr Obama had appreciated the gifts.
The Prime Minister's reaction to getting DVDs is not known. Mr Brown is not noted for his love of cinema, although he once claimed on a trip to India that he was an admirer of Bollywood.
The Browns showered gifts on the Obama children too, using the occasion to promote British exports.
I’m taking up chinese horoscopes and wonder what year this is? The year of the Rat? The Dog? The Coon? The Snake? Can someone help me out?
Words fail. This is so completely un-called for that one can only come to the conclusion that this gift was meant to be an insult. How logically could anyone assume otherwise?
To all from Great Britian who may be reading this thread and come upon this exchange, I offer my abject apologies. Words fail me at this classless, tasteless, vulgar display from the President of the United States.
Obama could be promoting green gift-giving.