Obama gives Queen Elizabeth II an Ipod with his speeches

[Berkut]

Well, the brits are certainly taking it much better than most Americans.

It does seem like such a crass gift though - is Best Buy Obamas sponsor or something?

I guess the question is what is the expected diplomatic gift?  Maybe this sort of crap is par for the course.

Well, it isn't - which is kind of the point. He seems to be pulling it off though.

Consumer electronics are not generally high level diplomatic gifts.

[saskganesh]

heh. I wonder what Mr. Battenberg is thinking?

No doubt something hillarious that would offend black people everywhere.

well, it's his trademark:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1848553.stm

[Berkut]

Could you imagine the screeching from the left if Bush had given someone an iPod as a diplomatic gift?   

They would have gone bonkers.

And yes, I mean YOU JR!

[Caliga]

There was some guy from the Guardian on NPR this morning who said the protocol people where more concerned about the fact that Mochelle Obama put her arm around the Queens shoulders - which was not kosher or something, I guess. In fact, he said he doesn't think it has ever been done.

The Queen reacted with aplomb though, and put her arm round Mrs. Obama's waist, and the Special Relationship will apparently survive.

Didn't a former Aussie PM grab the queen?  I remember the British press nicknaming him "The Lizard of Oz" for doing that.

[Ed Anger]

Didn't a former Aussie PM grab the queen?  I remember the British press nicknaming him "The Lizard of Oz" for doing that.

I bet Keating did that. The dude was cool. I remember when they used to show the Aussie parliment on C-SPAN, and the guy was a hoot.

[Malthus]

heh. I wonder what Mr. Battenberg is thinking?

No doubt something hillarious that would offend black people everywhere.

well, it's his trademark:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1848553.stm

I'm a bad person - I laughed at most of those.

Particularly this one:

"If it has got four legs and it is not a chair, if it has got two wings and it flies but is not an aeroplane, and if it swims and it is not a submarine, the Cantonese will eat it." (at a 1986 World Wildlife Fund meeting)

[Valmy]

Could you imagine the screeching from the left if Bush had given someone an iPod as a diplomatic gift?  

They would have gone bonkers.

And yes, I mean YOU JR!

Maybe.  he probably gave them stuff like cowboy boots.

[Ed Anger]

Enjoy!

http://www.state.gov/s/cpr/c29447.htm

[The Minsky Moment]

Enjoy!

http://www.state.gov/s/cpr/c29447.htm

It would appear the principal purpose of that unit is to track gifts given and received to ensure compliance with federal bribery and corruption law.

If it's OK for the Sultan of Brunei to give Bush a CD entitled "Jazz for Quiet Moments," a custom engraved ipod for the Queen seems OK.

[Richard Hakluyt]

I find the Duke of Edinburgh rather amusing, it's not an appalling list of gaffes for nearly 60 years of attending tedious diplomatic receptions, factory-openings, ship-launchings etc etc

Now the Queen, 57 years of doing the job and she never puts a foot wrong..........it's uncanny 

[Sheilbh]

There was some guy from the Guardian on NPR this morning who said the protocol people where more concerned about the fact that Mochelle Obama put her arm around the Queens shoulders - which was not kosher or something, I guess. In fact, he said he doesn't think it has ever been done.

The Queen reacted with aplomb though, and put her arm round Mrs. Obama's waist, and the Special Relationship will apparently survive.

You don't touch the Queen in public.  But, apparently Her Maj initiated it and got on famously with Michelle Obama especially (unlike the last Touchgate when Australian PM, Paul Keating slapped the Queen's arse ).  I think the royal meeting went well, the Duke of Edinburgh even made a mildly racist joke - so all went well.

As far as I can tell the White House are being especially friendly with the British government because they were really surprised that Brown in Washington played as a snub in our media.

Edit:  And, incidentally, we did have a minor protocol heart attack when George W Bush winked at the Queen

[Sheilbh]

I think the American gift is better than the Mexican one.  So, by the looks of it, does Phillip:

[DGuller]

I dunno, levitating sombrero looks cool to me.

[Sheilbh]

Looking at gifts the Queen's received it's a bit of a mixed bag.  George Bush sr. gave her a pair of cowboy boots.  Germany once gave her a canary.  Brazil showed decidedly Republican leaning by sending her jaguars(!) and sloths(?).

I think my favourite is Canada for gifting her two beavers

Here's the site:
http://www.royal.gov.uk/The%20Royal%20Collection%20and%20other%20collections/TheRoyalCollection/TheRoyalCollection.aspx

[fhdz]

I'm a bad person - I laughed at most of those.

Particularly this one:

"If it has got four legs and it is not a chair, if it has got two wings and it flies but is not an aeroplane, and if it swims and it is not a submarine, the Cantonese will eat it." (at a 1986 World Wildlife Fund meeting)

Yeah, that's pretty brilliant.