Politics & prezzies

Evidently it was a slow news day in the UK Friday, as a tempest has risen in that particular teapot over Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s visit to the US.

No, not over a jumped-up Labour party apparatchik-made-PM-by-default (when Blair read the graffiti on the wall & resigned to take up the role of World Elder Statesman, & collecting huge speaking fees) coming to this country to lecture President & Congress on the need to avoid protectionism (American) in solving the global economic crisis. (Because the UK needs all the economic help it can get.)

Evidently they’re in a snit over the exchange of official gifts. To wit: Brown’s-to-Obama = superb; Obama’s to Brown = sucko. & this is a matter of complete outrage to the British press.

Oh, please.

Iain Martin, reporter/blogger for the Torygraph was so worked up as to not only write about it; he imperiously condescended to be interviewed by NPR on the subject.

According to Martin, Brown “clearly put a great deal of thought” into the choice of official gifts: a pen holder carved from oak timbers of HMS Gannet (a ship of some apparent significance to the Brits) & a framed commissioning paper (whatever that is) for HMS Resolute, sister ship to the Gannet. & also a first edition of Martin Gilbert’s massive biography of Winston Churchill.

In return, Obama gave Brown a boxed set of classic American film DVDs.

Martin also whines that the gifts exchanged on behalf of the prime ministerial & presidential offspring shortchanged the Brown boys: Sarah Gordon presented the Obama girls with an outfit from Topshop (a British slightly upmarket clothing chain store—with outlets in the US), & six British children’s books. The Brown boys got a couple of toy helicopters modeled after Marine One.

Again, Martin snipes that Sarah Gordon “put a lot of thought” into the choices, while, again, the Obama gifts smacked of “someone realizing that at the last minute that a gift would be required & sending someone down to the White House gift shop to get something.”

He’s referring to this exchange as “Giftgate”. How droll.

What I love, though, is him attributing the choice of Brit-gifts to the Prime Minister & his wife. Like they weren’t picked out by underlings, exactly the way the Obamas’ prezzies were chosen by aides.

Let me just say this: if the Browns were spending time pondering just the right tone to set with bleeding official gifts (that the President cannot keep beyond his term in office anyhow), then that would explain the current state of the British financial situation. Not a good recommendation for the former Chancellor of the Exchequer.

I’ll concede that a set of DVDs wouldn’t be what I’d be looking for in the way of gifts-I-can-return-for-obvious-reasons. But perhaps the Yankee thinking was along the lines of, “the PM has a lot to do, what with the state of their economy, & those pesky Tories nipping at his heels. Let’s get him something entertaining, that he doesn’t have to devote a lot of concentration to.” Would that be a seven-volume biography of FDR? No—movies!

Although the scandal is roiling exclusively in Britain; it’s hardly made a blip in the American media. The Times, the Guardian, the Daily Mail & others have ponderously weighed in on the alleged scandal. NPR, the Chicago Sun-Times & a few bloggers are the extent so far over hear.

Of course, British media are accustomed to covering those gritty beats of Royals’ antics & lager louts getting tossed out of soccer matches across Europe, so this might be considered both something of a departure & right up their alley.

Here’s some advice to the media in that sceptred isle: get over yourselves. If you feel slighted on behalf of your leader, do what you usually do: go on a binge. & then grow the hell up.