Politico cited criticism of Obama's iPod gift by "etiquette expert," but WH says queen requested it
SUMMARY: The Politico reported that President Obama presented Queen Elizabeth II with "a personalized iPod," and noted criticism of the gift by an "etiquette expert," but did not mention that the White House reportedly said Queen Elizabeth asked for the iPod.
In an April 1 article, the Politico reported that President Obama presented Queen Elizabeth II with "a personalized iPod," and added, "The bestowing of the Royal iPod brought a cringe from one top etiquette expert, who said it confirmed that Obama hasn't figured out presidential gift giving." But while Politico staff writer Nia-Malika Henderson noted criticism of the gift by "etiquette expert" Anna Post of the Emily Post Institute, Henderson did not mention that the White House reportedly said Queen Elizabeth asked for the iPod that Obama gave her.
Indeed, while the Politico article reported that "perhaps surprisingly for folks in the U.S. the queen is no stranger to the iPod, because she already has one," it did not point out, as was reported earlier that night on Fox News' Special Report, that according to the White House, the queen requested a video iPod because she did not yet have one of that type.
From the April 1 edition of Fox News' Special Report with Bret Baier:
BRET BAIER (host): Major, my wife tells me I'm not the best gift giver, but after President Obama gave Prime Minister Brown the set of DVDs that didn't work in Great Britain, we hear that he gave the queen an iPod?
MAJOR GARRETT (Fox News senior White House correspondent): Yes, a video iPod, which we are told by White House staff the queen requested. She has an audio iPod, but not a video iPod.
What's on it? A video of her 2007 trip to the United States -- meaning Washington, D.C., and Virginia. Plus, also, on the audio side of that iPod, composer Richard Rogers, some of his famous American hits. And it's signed. And we're told it went over pretty well with the queen. Bret.
BAIER: OK. I'll add it to my list. Major, thanks.
On April 1, the Drudge Report highlighted a blog entry on the London Telegraph's website, which noted that the queen "already has" an iPod, but not that she requested a new one. Additionally, Fox News website TheFoxNation.com described the iPod story as "[a]nother gift gaffe!" and linked to a post on The Boston Globe's Political Intelligence blog that asserted that Obama should consider giving "something more personal than consumer electronics" next time. The Political Intelligence post also did not mention that the queen had reportedly requested the iPod.*
From the April 1 Politico article:
What do you get for a woman who has everything -- palaces, crown jewels, a nation at her feet? If you're President Barack Obama, and it's the Queen of England, a personalized iPod, of course.
The bestowing of the Royal iPod brought a cringe from one top etiquette expert, who said it confirmed that Obama hasn't figured out presidential gift-giving. Or that they shouldn't all come from Best Buy -- Obama already took some grief for giving British Prime Minister Gordon Brown a boxed set of DVDs when he visited the White House.
"For me, the iPod only works if he has some catchy reason why he gave it as a gift," said Anna Post of the Emily Post Institute. "Otherwise it feels like somebody at the White House pulled the lever and an iPod is what popped up. And if it was just pulled out of the blue, you run the risk of the 'Oh, how nice,' reaction from people which is the polite gloss of, 'What on earth am I going to do with this?' "
The Obamas recovered a bit in Post's eyes by also giving the Queen a rare songbook signed by Richard Rodgers. One of the queen's favorite musicals is Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma!
Post called that gift "the height of thoughtfulness."
But perhaps surprisingly to folks in the U.S. the queen is no stranger to the iPod, because she already has one.
Back in 2005, the queen, at the suggestion of her son, Prince Andrew, decided to join the iPod revolution and bought a 6GB silver model. Royal watchers say Her Royal Highness likes show tunes and easy listening music, but isn't a fan of rap or pop.
So the new iPod could be an upgrade for the queen. So far the Ipod gift hasn't resulted in the kind of "what was he thinking" response in the British press that came with the DVD gift. Also the White House loaded the iPod with video of her visit to the states in 2007.
*UPDATE: The CBS Evening News also reported on April 1 that "officials say" the queen requested the iPod.
From the April 1 edition of the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric:
CHIP REID (CBS News chief White House correspondent): The grueling day began early this morning at 10 Downing Street, where the president and first lady were welcomed by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his wife, Sarah. At a press conference, Mr. Brown heaped praise on his American guest.
BROWN: Your first 70 days in office have changed America, and you've changed America's relationship with the world.
REID: Despite policy differences with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Sarkozy today expressed confidence in Mr. Obama, who insisted that their differences have been vastly overstated.
OBAMA: I am absolutely confident that this meeting will reflect enormous consensus.
REID: This evening, the president visited Buckingham Palace for a private audience with the queen and husband Prince Philip. Mr. Obama's gift for the queen? A video iPod with footage of her 2007 trip to Washington -- a gift that "officials say she requested.
...The Boston Globe's Political Intelligence blog that asserted that Obama should consider giving "something more personal than consumer electronics" next time.
What...like lingerie? How about a thong from Victoria's Secret? I wouldn't exactly call the gift of an iPod a faux pas. Don't these people in the media have better things to do?
How about the rare and signed (by the composer) songbook that Obama gave her in addition to the iPod? That seems pretty personal if you ask me. I mean, the Queen gave them an autographed picture of herself and Prince Phillip.
Are we going to be inundated with "gift" stories every single time he meets a foreign head of State?
"Are we going to be inundated with "gift" stories every single time he meets a foreign head of State?"
Probably. It's the Peter Principle at work. POLITICO has clearly found its level of incompetence at frivolous, two steps below irrelevant and five below interesting. Important we won't even mention. Whoops, I just did. Must be the Krauthammer effect.
Well, if he were giving a gift that offered meaning or substance maybe not, but since he is handing out ipod's and DVD's. YES. JOKE
You do know that he gave the Queen a rare Rodgers and Hammerstein songbook as well, right? It's mentioned in the article you're commenting on.
Are we going to be inundated with "gift" stories every single time he meets a foreign head of State?
Of course, because the press isn't sure that those people know how to act... I mean, when you think about it, they are different....
IRONY101 sez:
That IS debateable, however there's no doubt that the rip of the Sex Pistols' "Never Mind the Bollocks.." album on it probably pushed the bounds of good taste. Obviously another sign of the unrepentant terrorist William Ayers influence on the office of the chief executive...
Don't forget The Smiths THE QUEEN IS DEAD.
Where there any Barry Manilow tunes included?
I would have thought the Queen was a Britney Spears fan. The Queen thinks Britney reminds her a lot of herself when she was young...except for all the drugs and debauchery. ;>)
I don't think there was any intention to insult...
Remember this is a video Ipod too. Maybe he put on the clip of Eddie Izzard's "God Attack the Queen" bit from D2K.
God Attack the Queen/Send big dogs after her/to bite her bum...
Ummmmm, I think Apple has made some significant changes to the IPOD over the past 4 years, like the IPOD Touch. Gawd, these people can be such a**holes.
She is the Queen, what she can not buy her own?
What a stupid comment. She can pretty much buy whatever she wants, so what's the purpose of giving her a gift at all? I can just imagine if Obama had given her an autographed picture of himself and saying "well she can afford to buy anything else I could get her" the right would be up in arms over the egotism.
The Queen, and what Mrs. Obama wore, and whether an iPod was a good gift or even "proper etiquette", and for that matter is it OK to touch the queen in any familiar and friendly manner, or is she like some work of art in a museum not to be touched by the public...
This is not just mindless fluff for fluff's sake, but it's a calculated distraction from the real substance of the G20 meetings. The single most compelling element to these meetings, is the call (led by the French and German delegations) for more and better Regulatory oversight of the world's financial system, most notable U.S. financial services companies and banks, otherwise known as Wall Street.
We already know what the hack cable media, and other like-minded privately owned media in America, thinks about more and better Regulation of Wall Street: they're fighting against it tooth and nail. And so what shall they distract you with instead, to keep you from perhaps discussing or even thinking about, the all-important question of Regulations?
You already know: the Queen and etiquette and wardrobe etc.
And as an aside: was it an iPod touch that the President gave to the Queen?
If so, then that's a great gift. No wonder she actually requested it ahead of time (and is that "proper etiquette", to ask for gifts by brand name and model?)...
The iPod touch is as amazing an example of the leading edge of this technology we use this very instant, as presently there is....
Every Monarch should have one.
Demo 2020 - If so, then that's a great gift. No wonder she actually requested it ahead of time (and is that "proper etiquette", to ask for gifts by brand name and model?)...
What are you 12? Maybe he could have given her one of those really cool Obama Plates. It was not a "great gift" it was a piece of electronic hardware. You give a gift that has meaning and some history, shows that you thought about the great history these two countries share. Much like Brown did when he came to visit the U.S. Brown gave a wooden pen desk set, the wood coming from a Anti-Slave Ship. Obam is a Joke, and will continue to be a joke to the world as he continues to do these types of things.
Obam? markbfoot-in-mouth, 12 year olds are much nicer than you, less snarky about those who are sincere. Perhaps you're in your rebellious teen period instead.
Perhaps you have no point. Perhaps....
Obam is a Joke, and will continue to be a joke to the world as he continues to do these types of things.
That's why they love him so, eh?
Where was Politico when GW was giving out fur trimmed jackets or back rubs to heads of state?
Historically gifts exchanged are usually valuable and useless. If the president had only given the iPod it could have been construed by some to be a breach of etiquette, but he also gave her a rare songbook by Richard Rogers, signed by Mr. Rogers.
I've been searching the web and can't believe all of the comments from the unwashed American masses concerning the "inappropriate" gift of the iPod, but no mention of the the Rogers songbook, which could be considered quite a treasure to some.
There are also a lot of comments decrying the "tastelessness" of the gifts followed by comments that the Obama's are "Ghetto Chic".
To me, nothing says high class like a swipe at a gift giver followed by an out and out racist attack.
"Are we going to be inundated with "gift" stories every single time he meets a foreign head of State?"
Probably. And in spite of krappola like this, Michelle's approvement polls have moved from 48% in June, to 76% today. I would like to think this means something on the order of "American people reject media manipulation, demand substance," but that's asking a lot.
Kind of embarrassed, King. That quote isn't from you, but a cut/paste left over from another thread. I meant to respond to, "To me, nothing says high class..."
Indeed. I am sure that Politico had NO problem with Bush W and his winking or cowgirl gifts (he gave the statue to the Queen as gift). I'll take the Ipod ANY DAY!
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Drats. You can click here for the images:
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They probably had no problem with Dumbya thanking the Queen for coming over to celebrate the US Bicentennial "in 1776", either - but the Queen sure as hell did . . .
Jim Quinn? Who the h*ll is he?
Jaysus, is there an inexhaustible supply of idiots with Irish names, or do all of them have cable/radio gigs by now?
Sure it's flippin' embarrassin'.
Concho,
104.7FM in Pittsburgh,,aka The War Room...
A Rush Wannabee with a phony Christian sidekick, Radio Rose..They are dumb as stones but give one a laugh in the morning 6-9. He has a stranglehold on the Trailer vote in West Pa and Eastern Ohio.
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS it's Racism....debatable whether its soft or not!!.Given that we're talking about the President and the First Lady of the USA and Americans are going out of their way to be critical of things far less "tacky" than the continual gaffe machine that was Bush 43."Sexist "back rubs,coarse language while talking (on mic) with an open mouth of food in a room of World leaders;well documented use of 'colorful' language and other "cowboy talk....I remember hearing a newsperson saying he hoped the public wasn't surprised to hear that such language was used in meetings even at that level!!!Wow!!! What would happen if Obama did such a thing!!!The hypocrisy and double standard is obvious but typical!!
The double standard might just be political, as opposed to being based on race. I'm not sure what there is to indicate the latter here.
I still think there is a racial component to the criticism.Clinton wasn't attcked this way this early!!I understand genuine disaggreement and political posturing but this is different.I'm reminded of Fuzzy Zoeller's comment regarding Tiger Woods menu selection after he won his 1st Masters."What do THEY eat,,chicken and greens" ..etc..
There is a disrespectful air about the criticism that is unprecedented based on the facts and importance of individual issues.The disparaging comments by media nd elected leaders is very different..he's game for any kind of attack ..not so with anybody else.Its MORE than just political!!!
Clinton may not have been attacked to this degree, but he was attacked early. And it was after the 1994 elections where the partisan divide became much more pronounced.
Also it should be considered that Bush was a disaster, so it's very important for partisans to tear down any Democratic president after someone like that just to diminish the obvious contrast. Why do you think there's so much talk about the teleprompter, for instance? Bush was an idiot, so conservatives have to go to great lengths to pretend that Obama is no different. I can't imagine that things would be any better with Hillary in office because she's white. Then one could say it's because she's a woman, but honestly under these circumstances it's hard to imagine how it would be wildly different no matter who was in office.
For some people there's a racial issue here, of course. Some of the tone might be due to that. I just don't think you can attribute something as ordinary as a double standard to it. If John Edwards had given the Queen an Ipod, some idiots would surely criticize him for it as well.
Then why is a new President with a 60-70 percent approval rating getting so much negative coverage in the press ..because his critics make almost everything fair game so its news.There is so much criticism levied that a lot gets covered..Your hypothetical comparison for Hilary is probably valid but compared to reality(actual past presidents) Obama is being treated differently.Despite Bush 43 losing the popular vote and the controversial Supreme Court decision preventing the Florida recount ,he was accepted as president even tho it was tenuous.It took many blunders before he was criticized even remotely this much or with this type of venom.I don't think some of it would have been levied at Hilary or Edwards.C'mon..shirtsleeves in the Oval office is disrespecting the Presidency?..going on Jay Leno and talking almost entirely about the economy directly to the American people is BAD?Being warmly received in Europe is somehow a negative when we need every ally we can get to help turn around the big mess we're in!What do you think would happen if Obama said "It would work much better if it was a dictatorship and ...of course I'm the dictator"! There are bloggers already asking for impeachment and US Senators still feeding the birth certificate nonsense....I'm sorry if you don't see it as racism but how do you explain how nasty and disrespectful some people are being to the President of the United States who's policies aren't even in place yet and didn't cause the problems we already had when he was elected?..
"Then why is a new President with a 60-70 percent approval rating getting so much negative coverage in the press ..because his critics make almost everything fair game so its news."
Because Bush was a disaster and an idiot and so partisans desperately need to minimize the difference between Bush and Obama in the view of the public. If they fail to do this, and Obama's policies are even moderately successful, the Republican party could be lost in the wilderness for a very long time.
Remember that Hillary was the early favorite, and got hammered by conservatives from the start. Also remember the history of vitriol that was aimed at her while a Senator and even as First Lady. Some people said during the primaries that we needed to pick Obama over Hillary to avoid the extreme reaction from right-wing screechmonkeys. What I said was that it wouldn't make much difference, that the right-wingers were going to react pretty much the same no matter what.
Sadly, I was right.
You don't think we'd be hearing about Vince Foster every day? Try to imagine the reaction to everything that Bill Clinton said or did as "First Gentleman" or whatever title that would be adopted. Try to imagine the sort of comments that we'd hear every time she laughed, and especially if she cried or lost her temper to even the slightest degree. How do you think her efforts at health care reform would be received? Europe is pretty routinely demonized by conservatives anyway, so I don't see a difference there. Anyone saying "I'm the dictator" would be blasted for it. They're clutching at any straw they can, and I don't see why they wouldn't behave the same way with someone else.
Bush wasn't treated this way because Democrats don't play the same way. Democrats are frightened of public reaction, while Republicans are much bolder. Republicans control the dialogue, they have a larger megaphone, and they display little sense of shame or consistency in their rhetoric (this is generally speaking, of course). Go back to 1998 and think about Bill Clinton. Do you really think that "Monicagate" was just cause for impeachment? Of course not. Clinton was popular, intelligent and largely effective, and Republicans had to resort to desperate measures to dampen that public perception. It may be more accelerated right now (and some of that is surely due to racism), but the nature of their game is pretty much the same as it was then.
I have to agree with SMTDL. If Obama spoke like Bush did or like the stereotypical black, urban male, it would be a big deal.
You think Pres. Obama made here a mixed tape as well? Maybe he could give her a autographed teleprompter. She may have asked for and that is fine, but that should not have been the official gift. This guy has no clue, acts like he is in the 12th grade. You all have to be embarrassed by this guy.
I'm embarrassed by the guy who gave Merkel an unwanted massage. If the Queen had not received her requested gift, I would have been embarrassed.
Hey, what left wing memo did you get the Merkel comeback, I have seen it used in so many post and from Left Wing Media commentators, it had to come from someone?? w.democomebacks.go
No memo, just rather not see our leaders make foreign heads of state visibly uncomfortable. Were you embarrassed by that?
When you find a left wing memo site, clue us in. You may recall the back rub was sort of embarrassing at the time and mentioned by many a commentator. It was strange enough to stick in the memory.
This ipod story is just a stupid theme with no substance. Come on, admit it. You'll feel much better.
It was the first thing that popped in to my head when I heard someone mention the potential damage that Obama could cause if he "embarasses himself."
It's also embarrassing that there's such a thing as an "etiquette expert" in the first place.
Easy to say that now, but I can't even force myself to imagine the angst I would have felt had Obama eaten his bangers using his salad fork...
Right, I don't remember conservatives caring much about what any other country thought about anything (did Bush ever apologize for that?). But this is supposed to be noteworthy, somehow. Either we care about international relations or we don't. If Obama were to do something genuinely offensive, I would expect him to apologize. This story doesn't even come close.
I'm embarrassed by the guy who gave Merkel an unwanted massage.
Actually, Bush got a raw deal on that one-- shoulder rubbing like what he did is an old western U.S. tradition, a sign of affection and greeting. It's actually very Latino, too. Bush did nothing wrong-- sorry, but only uptight people would think it was offensive.
Older people out here used to do it all the time, BTW-- it's an old-fashioned gesture.
Do you have a link for that? And just because something is appropriate in one setting doesn't mean it's appropriate in another.
talk about no clue!!!!!!!!!!!! How can you continue to pretend that this was the only gift he gave her?I know you know better but this just shows how stooopid you righties can be. You will ignore the fact that he also gave her and autographed music book and keep pounding away at the Ipod. You are being a jerk. If you want to discuss the issues using all the facts then please read the whole article and links. If you have then you are either being a jerk or your compehension skills need some serious work. I suggest you go back to about grade 4 if I remember correctly. That is where most of us learned that skill. Coming on this site to raise crap or ire is a waste of your time and mine. If you dig just causing trouble then I think you have a serious problem.Grow up and come back with your crap together.
Maybe Obama should have put some food on her family. Or rubbed her back. Would that be acceptable?
This is too MUCH! It is only 2:40 here in New Orleans, but I need a drink. This is one of the silliest things I've read today.
Ok, etiquette experts are the sorriest excuse for a "job" there is. I can't really think of anything less relevant. That being said, if the Queen requested an iPod, give her a damn iPod! To do anything else would be rude.
Right. If he had given her an anti-gravity device, Faux Noise would have said "Obama thinks the Queen is too fat." He couldn't win against this kind of media bias.
What? Queens cant have fun? My gosh!
RT
www.anon-tools.cz.tc
I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned this yet, and I'll apologize in advance if someone did and I missed it, but ... I think that the Politico is applying a double standard here. At the end of their long screed on Obama's lapse in etiquette, they referred to the Queen as "Her Royal Highness."
Folks, if I'm not mistaken, Queen Elizabeth has not been "Her Royal Highness" for over fifty years. The correct honorific would be "Her Majesty." Prince Charles is "His Royal Highness" until the time (if any) that he is crowned King.