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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2009
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10

Obama Dodges Sitdown With Brown for Chat in UN Kitchen

White House declines 5 requests for talks from humiliated prime minister

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(Newser) – Brit papers are buzzing about President Obama's snub of visiting Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who asked for a meeting five times. Brown—keen to boost his profile as an international statesman as his poll numbers flatline in Britain—had to settle for a 15-minute "walk and talk" with Obama in the UN kitchens yesterday. The spurned prime minister "lurched from being hailed as a global statesman to intense embarrassment," the Guardian noted.

The chill is part of the fall-out from Scotland's release of the Lockerbie bomber, plunging relations between the nations to a new low. The British government denies there was any snub, although Obama has found time for private sitdowns with the leaders of Russia, China, and Japan. Obama and Brown will chair a meeting on Pakistan tonight. Brown's plans to speak to the UN General Assembly during a prime slot also fell through yesterday after Moammar Gadhafi's rambling speech delayed the prime minister's talk by nearly two hours.

Rabbi Arthur Schneier, chair of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation, and Bono listen to Gordon Brown after he was presented with the foundation's World Statesman Award Tuesday night.
Rabbi Arthur Schneier, chair of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation, and Bono listen to Gordon Brown after he was presented with the foundation's World Statesman Award Tuesday night.   (AP Photo/Appeal of Conscience Foundation, Diane Bondareff)
President Obama shares a word with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown prior to a NATO summit dinner earlier this year.
President Obama shares a word with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown prior to a NATO summit dinner earlier this year.   (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown addresses the 64th session of the General Assembly at United Nations headquarters yesterday.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown addresses the 64th session of the General Assembly at United Nations headquarters yesterday.   (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown addresses the 64th session of the United Nations General Assembly yesterday after his speech was delayed by a rambling Moammar Gadhafi.
Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown addresses the 64th session of the United Nations General Assembly yesterday after his speech was delayed by a rambling Moammar Gadhafi.   (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
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10 comments
VIEWING:
 
SilenceDogood
Sep 24, 09 7:00 AM CDT
I feel safer, our government at work. I’m sure someone will blame the on GWB or the Republicans. Reply
Vote up! Vote down!
-5
IN RESPONSE:
DontLikeYou
Sep 24, 09 7:12 AM CDT
Obama is so far left of even the most radical leftist. He masks it with common American language that we are used to, but his actions speak his real motive. He is attempting to move us away from our traditional place in the world. It will not work and his one term will not be enough time for him to do much that cannot be undone by a good president who follows him in 2013.
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-4
IN RESPONSE:
Corona_Kinq
Sep 24, 09 8:24 AM CDT
Cmon C_k, how exactly is he radical?
Vote up! Vote down!
+2
IN RESPONSE:
rockermocking
Sep 24, 09 8:31 AM CDT
it's always their fault.... ugh. this isn't even RELATED to the article. the point is that he snubbed Brown because the Lockerbie bomber was released. Try understanding an article before posting random shit.
Vote up! Vote down!
+4
IN RESPONSE:
BeatBlaster
Sep 24, 09 9:19 AM CDT
He's not radical left. Stop with your scare tactics. We voted him in to change things not maintain our "traditional place in the world." Get a grip! You lost, we won. Get over it.
Vote up! Vote down!
+1

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