Independent UK: Enter Obama, pursued by politicians desperate to bask in his reflected glory

[marmar]

Enter Obama, pursued by politicians desperate to bask in his reflected glory

By Leonard Doyle in Washington and Anne Penketh
Saturday, 26 July 2008



Gordon Brown's political nightmare will continue to haunt him today when he welcomes to Downing Street the man who is arguably the world's most popular politician.

Barack Obama arrived in London last night from Paris on his plane, nicknamed "Obama One", having conquered continental Europe and been anointed with headlines of "Obamania" in European newspapers.

After emerging from the aircraft – which has his catchphrase "Change we can believe in" printed on its side – a relaxed Mr Obama met the American ambassador, Robert Tuttle, and his wife, Maria, before greeting the waiting press. The presidential candidate and his entourage were then driven to their West End hotel, the Hyatt Regency London near Marble Arch, in a convoy of black Mercedes people carriers.

In Paris, where opinion polls mirror those across Europe by showing public support for his candidacy as US president, he appeared to have won the unofficial endorsement of President Nicolas Sarkozy, who praised him effusively at a news conference. Mr Obama and the French President emerged from talks that focused on the hot spots toured by Mr Obama on his international trip: Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan.

On Thursday, Mr Obama successfully played the political rock star in Berlin with the only public event of his global tour, when he delivered a speech to more than 200,000 Germans in the city's central Tiergarten.

Mr Brown could have bathed in the reflected glory of the Democratic presidential candidate by holding a joint press conference with him today after their scheduled 45-minute meeting. However, he is forbidden by protocol from doing this as he did not hold a press conference with John McCain, the Republican candidate, last May. ......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/enter-obama-pursued-by-politicians-desperate-to-bask-in-his-reflected-glory-877789.html

[Arkana]

1. The Great Obama is magnanimous

and will allow these lesser beings to bask in the awesome he radiates from every pore. :colbert:

[Cha]

2. Yeah, I think Obama really

likes us mere mortals :*

[windbreeze]

3. and again...

the content of the prayer he left at the wall, is quoted, in this article...imo...the note says much about Mr.Obama...but it is wrong for the world to know what it said..

Seems there are all sorts of restrictions for visiting Senators...especially if they are running for prez...I never knew there were so many protocols that required observation...I guess if you do it for one, you have to do it for all, is a good policy...but apparently it didn't help Gordon Brown...musta been ashamed of McCain...so he had to act accordingly with Mr.Obama...kinda fitting in a way...wb...