[snowsislander]

I'm guessing this picture will NOT appear on the front page of tomorrow's NYT, and maybe it won't even be anywhere in the paper tomorrow.

Well, the New York Times does have the AP wire story running at http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2011/05/24/world/europe/AP-EU-Obama-Table-Tennis.html:

Other gift ideas for the president? How about spell check and a calendar.

Visiting Westminster Abbey to lay a wreath at the tomb of the Unknown Warrior, Obama and the first lady had occasion to sign the distinguished visitors' book. But the president appeared to have his election year in mind, dating his entry in the book May 24, 2008.

"It is a great privilege to commemorate our common heritage and common sacrifice," he wrote. But he paused to check his spelling of "commemorate" with the Dean of Westminster before completing his message.

A Westminster Abbey spokeswoman, who spoke on condition of anonymity in keeping with the abbey's policies, confirmed that Obama wrote the wrong date. She said it would not be erased and would remain that way in the book.

[ml/nj]

I did just check a printed copy of the Times: no picture. In fact no mention of Obama at all, which strikes me as unusual, until page A13. The story is headlined, "Taking in Some London Sights, the Obamas Display Skill at Official Travel." This is the ninth paragraph of that article and the only mention of the 2008 dating that I saw in my quick scan of the paper:

They went to Westminster Abbey, where Mrs. Obama was heard by the Press Association, the British news agency, to say, “It’s a pleasure to be here again,” while Mr. Obama reportedly said, “She gets to come to all the fun places.” (Mr. Obama apparently became confused about what year he is living in when he signed the visitors’ book, dating his entry “24 May 2008.”)

ML/NJ