...isn't really that Obama and his administration did something stupid, even now that it's looking even dumber than it did initially. It's hardly as though US-British relations are going to disintegrate over Obama and his gang blowing a dinner and giving the prime minister 25 DVD's that won't even play in a British DVD player (the PM's gifts to Obama included a pen holder made from the timber of the HMS Gannet - a British anti-slavery ship - and a multi-volume first edition biography of Winston Churchill but, strangely, no Fawlty Towers videos). In fact, it would barely merit comment if it weren't for the past 8 years of Bush bashing (often inspired by events far less remarkable or oafish), as Power Line notes:
Can you imagine the Democrats' reaction if the Bush White House had given a European head of state a set of DVDs that can only be played on North American machines? It would have been conclusive proof of Bush's provincialism, lack of sensitivity to our allies' sensibilities, ignorance of the wider world, techno incompetence, failure to appreciate the superiority of European civilization, blah blah blah. That's how it would have been reported and editorialized on in every newspaper. So let's check tomorrow's papers and see whether that's how Obama's gaffe is covered. Or whether it's covered at all.
It is indeed interesting to note the utter lack of response from those who gleefully reported, obsessed over, and cheered every George W. Bush foible and fumble. Whether Obama is snubbing the British PM, smashing his head while trying to board a helicopter, or mistaking a window for a door, the silence is deafening. Apparently these days the President's intelligence is gauged by his ability to read a Teleprompter. Uh, most of the time anyway. Neato!
Power Line link via Althouse