You just can’t make this stuff up. Thank God we’re well respected in the international community now!
MOSCOW (AFP) – Russian media has been poking fun at US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton after she gave her Russian counterpart a “reset” button with an ironic misspelling.
Clinton’s gift to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at their meeting in Geneva on Friday evening was meant to underscore the Obama administration’s readiness to “to press the reset button” in ties with Moscow.
But instead of the Russian word for “reset” (perezagruzka) it featured a slightly different word meaning “overload” or “overcharged” (peregruzka).
Daily newspaper Kommersant put a prominent picture of the fake red button on its front page and declared: “Sergei Lavrov and Hillary Clinton pushed the wrong button.”
Full story here. I only wish that I was tech savvy enough to change the link to play “Send in the Clowns” when it’s opened.
Also over in the White House Obama exchanged gifts with P.M. Brown ,first of which is a pen holder fashioned from the oak timber of HMS Gannet, a Navy vessel that served on anti-slavery missions off Africa.
Another treasure given to Obama is a framed commissioning paper for the HMS Resolute, a Royal Navy ship that came to symbolize British-American goodwill when it was rescued by the U.S. from icebergs and given to Queen Victoria. It is the sister ship of the HMS Gannet.
Finally, Brown gave Obama a first edition of Martin Gilbert’s seven-volume biography of Winston Churchill, whose World War II partnership with President Franklin Roosevelt symbolized the U.S.-Anglo alliance.
Obama’s gift to Mr.Brown a ( a regift ?) 25 DVD box set of classic movies.classy
That is a pretty serious mess up. Lots of embarrassment to go around. However, even if it had the right word, isn’t that kind of a hokey gift to be giving at such an important time in relations with the Russians? They can’t be classier than that?
To my special friend Gordon, 25 DVDs: Obama gives Brown a set of classic movies. Let’s hope he likes the Wizard of Oz
By Ian Drury
Last updated at 8:17 AM on 06th March 2009 Comments (22) Add to My Stories
As he headed back home from Washington, Gordon Brown must have rummaged through his party bag with disappointment.
Because all he got was a set of DVDs. Barack Obama, the leader of the world’s richest country, gave the Prime Minister a box set of 25 classic American films - a gift about as exciting as a pair of socks.
Mr Brown is not thought to be a film buff, and his reaction to the box set is unknown. But it didn’t really compare to the thoughtful presents he had brought along with him.
Marking the special relationship: The Browns put a lot of thought into their gifts for the Obamas - but the gesture did not seem to be reciprocated
The Prime Minister gave Mr Obama an ornamental pen holder made from the timbers of the Victorian anti-slave ship HMS Gannet.
More… Presidential cover-up? Barack Obama doesn’t dye his hair, his barber insists - it’s just how I cut it‘Spectacular wives’ Sarah Brown and Michelle Obama hold their first formal meetingAmerica’s salute to Gordon Brown and his new dealNow Brown is snubbed by American press as his visit barely rates a mentionThe First Dinner Lady: While President Obama doles out cash, Michelle ladles out lunch
The unique present delighted Mr Obama because oak from the Gannet’s sister ship, HMS Resolute, was carved to make a desk that has sat in the Oval Office in the White House since 1880.
Mr Brown also handed over a framed commission for HMS Resolute and a first edition of the seven-volume biography of Churchill by Sir Martin Gilbert.
In addition, Mr Brown and his wife showered gifts on the Obama children giving Sasha and Malia an outfit each from Topshop and six children’s books by British authors which are shortly to be published in America.
In return, the Obamas gave the Browns two models of the presidential helicopter, Marine One, to take home to sons Fraser and John.
Mrs Brown has been praised for her well-chosen gifts for the Obama children - but Mrs Obama’s gift to the Brown children appeared less thoughtful
The Prime Minister has not had the best of luck when receiving gifts from U.S. presidents.
He was given a fur-trimmed brown leather bomber jacket by George W. Bush during his first trip to America in the summer of 2007.
Commentators gleefully pointed out that the garment was hardly in keeping with Mr Brown’s usual sober attire of business suit and tie.
Downing Street yesterday refused to state which movies were in the box set.
But the Mail has learned it included classics such as Star Wars, The Godfather and Citizen Kane and was produced by the American Film Institute as a ‘special request’ for the White House last month.
Perhaps pertinently, given Britain is floundering in an economic slump, the DVD collection was thought to feature the movie of John Steinbeck’s Great Depression novel, ‘The Grapes Of Wrath’.
The gift also included the Oscar-winning boxing biopic ‘Raging Bull’ starring Robert Di Nero and Alfred Hitchcock’s classic thriller Psycho - maybe a comment on the PM’s notorious short fuse?
And he will hope that at a General Election the British public do not shun his imploration for another term in office by thinking at the ballot box of the famous line from another of the movies, Casblanca: ‘Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.’
But following Mr Brown’s his recent troubles - the UK entering recession, soaring job losses and home repossessions, Labour struggling in the polls and threats of leadership challenges - he may be pleased at being able to settle down for a quiet night in front of the ultimate feel-good movie: It’s A Wonderful Life. Print this article Read later Email to a friend
All I can say is wow. I knew that Clinton and Obama weren’t qualified for their positions but this is just too stupid to comprehend. I can’t wait to hear YaHey tell us how we are wrong.
All I can say is wow. I knew that Clinton and Obama weren’t qualified for their positions but this is just too stupid to comprehend. I can’t wait to hear YaHey tell us how we are wrong.
Not stupid but very funny. Guess the “enlightened” left is not as brilliant as they tell us they are
This on the heels of the “missile shield swap for help with Iran” story that Russia obviously put out to embarrass Obama. The Obama admin is very definitely working to send a new tone in foreign policy. Remains to be seen whether it will create breakthroughs in long difficult relationships, or if a Pollyannish approach leaves us hurt or weakened. Another big gamble.
This on the heels of the “missile shield swap for help with Iran” story that Russia obviously put out to embarrass Obama. The Obama admin is very definitely working to send a new tone in foreign policy. Remains to be seen whether it will create breakthroughs in long difficult relationships, or if a Pollyannish approach leaves us hurt or weakened. Another big gamble.
They topped that today in NYTimes: Obama Ponders Outreach to Elements of the Taliban
Come on YaHey why don’t you comment on this situation. I would love to hear your thoughts on this.
Other than sophomoric right wingers looking for Obama admin missteps, I don’t think anyone thinks much of this.
Hillary and co. got the Russian “reset” word wrong and they had a laugh. Why is it so newsworthy to you?
First of all I am not a right winger. I am pretty much middle of the road in my political views.
The Hillary Russian episode shows that Hillary isn’t ready for prime time and doesn’t have the experience to be our top diplomat. How hard is it to get the Russian language right? It shows poor planning and execution on her part something that YaHey said was one of her good points.
The Hillary Russian episode shows that Hillary isn’t ready for prime time and doesn’t have the experience to be our top diplomat.
No it doesn’t, it shows she made a simple mistake.
How hard is it to get the Russian language right?
You do realize it is one of the more difficult languages for a non-Russian to learn right? My cousin is fluent in 5 languages and is struggling to learn Russian.
It shows poor planning and execution
No it doesn’t.
I think you are blowing this way out of proportion and I really doubt you are down the middle politically. Call it a hunch.
Do you think that when meeting Sarkozy Obama should speak fluent French, or do you think its more likely that a translator is likely to be present? are you for one moment suggesting that a error in translation is likely to have been made by Clinton or a translator?
My guess is Hillary wanted “reset”, my guess is a translator is more likely to be responsible for this than her specifically, unless of course unbeknownst to us all she’s a polymath and languages are another string in her bow.
… a translator is more likely to be responsible for this than her specifically, unless of course unbeknownst to us all she’s a polymath and languages are another string in her bow.
It’s simple. A leader is responsible for everything his/her people do, or fail to do.
Of course, neither she, nor her boss has much (any?) actual prior *leadership *experience. Maybe they could each take the appropriate boy scout/girl scout leadership merit badge course via correspondence.
Come on YaHey why don’t you comment on this situation. I would love to hear your thoughts on this.
Other than sophomoric right wingers looking for Obama admin missteps, I don’t think anyone thinks much of this.
Hillary and co. got the Russian “reset” word wrong and they had a laugh. Why is it so newsworthy to you?
First of all I am not a right winger. I am pretty much middle of the road in my political views.
The Hillary Russian episode shows that Hillary isn’t ready for prime time and doesn’t have the experience to be our top diplomat. How hard is it to get the Russian language right? It shows poor planning and execution on her part something that YaHey said was one of her good points.
By that logic, was George Bush unqualified to be President because he made up a few English words along the way?
If you don’t think Hillary is qualified just come out and say it. Pointing to a simple mistake like this doesn’t make your case any stronger, it just makes you look like a partisan hack.
The Hillary Russian episode shows that Hillary isn’t ready for prime time and doesn’t have the experience to be our top diplomat.
No it doesn’t, it shows she made a simple mistake.
How hard is it to get the Russian language right?
You do realize it is one of the more difficult languages for a non-Russian to learn right? My cousin is fluent in 5 languages and is struggling to learn Russian.
It shows poor planning and execution
No it doesn’t.
I think you are blowing this way out of proportion and I really doubt you are down the middle politically. Call it a hunch.
Yes I know that Russian is a hard language to learn. My point was there are more than enough Russian speaking employees at the State Department and Hillary couldn’t find one that could get the translation correct and she didn’t even double check what she was sending out with another translator. That to me is poor planning and execution. What would you call it? Let me guess a mistake.
Why do you think I am not middle of the road politically from this post?
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