British Prime Minister David Cameron's three-day visit to the United States provides a chance for Barack Obama to atone for the way he dealt with Cameron's predecessor George Brown, in incidents that occurred early in Obama's term and were considered a slighting of Great Britain.
The British were miffed when Obama called France his strongest ally, removed a bust of Churchill from the Oval Office and appeared to denigrate the special relationship between the two countries. When Gordon Brown came to visit, there was no joint press conference or state dinner and Obama presented Brown with a set of DVDs that Brown could not play using the European video system.
Obama's domestic critics have argued that Obama seeks to curry favor with America's enemies and gives short shrift to allies such as Great Britain and Israel. In this election year, Obama has attempted to disprove that argument
Now, Obama is trying to recreate the bond that existed between Tony Blair and Presidents Clinton and Bush. He has hosted the PM at a college basketball game that is part of the March madness of America's collegiate championship. Michelle Obama will lead the US delegation to the London Olympics this summer.
A further indication of the chumminess was a joint article penned by the two leaders for the Washington Post in anticipation of the visit. To cite from the exuberant article:
The alliance between the United States and Great Britain is a partnership of the heart, bound by the history, traditions and values we share. But what makes our relationship special — a unique and essential asset — is that we join hands across so many endeavors. Put simply, we count on each other and the world counts on our alliance...
Our troops and citizens have long shown what can be achieved when British and Americans work together, heart and hand, and why this remains an essential relationship — to our nations and the world. So like generations before us, we’re going to keep it up. Because with confidence in our cause and faith in each other, we still believe that there is hardly anything we cannot do.
It doesn't get better than this and a 19 gun salute to boot. Cameron enjoys a getaway from London and basks in the company of a leader considered the hope of progressives, not bad for a Tory leader and certainly better than his Labour predecessor.
The two leaders will be discussing Afghanistan, where the situation has deteriorated following the murder of 16 Afghan citizens by an American soldier. The US may want to speed up withdrawal and this must be coordinated with the British.
It will be interesting to see if the British Prime Minister brings up the American position on the Falkland Islands, where the Obama administration has recommended UN-brokered talks between Britain and Argentina, rather than backing British claims to undisputed sovereignty over the islands.