Camelot it’s not.
Upon heads of state meeting for the first time in official capacity, it is customary to exchange gifts as tokens of friendship between the countries involved.
Gordon Brown, Prime Minister of Great Britain seemed to get the sincerity and solemnity of the occasion.
Mr. Brown gave Obama an ornamental pen holder constructed from the timbers of the anti-slavery ship HMS Gannet, once also named HMS President.
He also gave a framed commission for the HMS Resolute. The desk in the Oval Office is itself made from the timbers of the HMS Resolute. The Resolute has symbolic history between the two countries.
Lastly, Mr. Brown gave Obama a first edition set of the seven-volume classic biography of Winston Churchill, written by Sir Martin Gilbert.
The thoughtfulness and symbolism of these tokens of friendship given by our most treasured ally cannot be understated.
Of course, President Obama would have to reciprocate with something uniquely special to underscore our uniquely special bond to Great Britain, no?
Apparently not.
President Obama’s well thought out gesture was a 25 DVD set of classic American films.
Go ahead.. Read that again.
Obama gave the Prime Minister of England something which probably could be purchased from Amazon.com, or found at a flea market.
Now just imagine if George Bush had done this.
