Hillary Clinton's Russian Gift Gaffe Lost in Translation

Elitist and sophomoric attempts to communicate “cool” to other nations are, in a word, dangerous. Obama stiffed the British by prematurely returning a bust of Churchill. Then he underwhelms by offering a “very personal” collection of DVD’s to the British Prime Minister, Gorgon Brown. The following was reported on March 5, 2009, by Shawn Mallow, of WiZbang:

“Upon heads of state meeting for the first time in official capacity, it is customary to exchange gifts as tokens of friendship between the countries involved. Gordon Brown, Prime Minister of Great Britain seemed to get the sincerity and solemnity of the occasion. Mr. Brown gave Obama an ornamental pen holder constructed from the timbers of the anti-slavery ship HMS Gannet, once also named HMS President.
He also gave a framed commission for the HMS Resolute. The desk in the Oval Office is itself made from the timbers of the HMS Resolute. The Resolute has symbolic history between the two countries.
Lastly, Mr. Brown gave Obama a first edition set of the seven-volume classic biography of Winston Churchill, written by Sir Martin Gilbert. The thoughtfulness and symbolism of these tokens of friendship given by our most treasured ally cannot be understated.
Of course, President Obama would have to reciprocate with something uniquely special to underscore our uniquely special bond to Great Britain, no? Apparently not. President Obama's well thought out gesture was a 25 DVD set of classic American films. Go ahead.. Read that again. Obama gave the Prime Minister of England something which probably could be purchased from Amazon.com, or found at a flea market. Now just imagine if George Bush had done this.”

Every move made by our new President, whether foreign or domestic, exposes the depths of his inexperience and his ineptitude. Add to that, repeated fumbles by VP “Stumblin’ Joe” Biden, and it’s a wonder we have not already been treated to a sky full of incoming nukes.

Obama and team have taken the DJIA down 3,000 points (31%) since election day. Can you begin to understand why financial markets, around the world, have no confidence in his leadership? Does he have to totally destroy America before libs admit they screwed up bigtime on November 4?

I grew up fearing some dummy would press that button and blow up the world.

The libs won't blame obama for anything. They blame Bush. They don't know that the stock market is based on future performamnce of a company not past performance. People aren't buying stock because the company did good the last 8 years. They are buying stock based on the future performance of the company. Did you notice it only took 2 years after the libs were elected for the economy to go to crap. Did you notice the stock market sank after it was certain that Obama would be elected? Now hillary and BO are showing their low class by giving crappy gifts.

well, at least we are laughing with the Russians...

but I bet someone at the State Dept. has gone home this weekend, without their job...lol


and, to all you chicken littles...Obama isn't destroying the country, sheeesh...

that happened YEARS ago...you are just seeing it now...

snap outta it brownwessel...its not Obama that is bringing the dow down...can you really be that narrow sighted??

I thought we were supposed to be getting the ultimate brain trust with this administration.

Not looking too sharp with this maneuver.

dude, I tell ya what, when we think Obama has made a mistake, we'll let cha know, k?

stupid bitch hillary what a dumb ugly hog

Peach Crisp7:52PMMar 6th 2009

I grew up fearing some dummy would press that button and blow up the world.
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My brother and I did too. I was stunned when I saw Hillary handing over a *RED BUTTON* to Russia. What in the world is wrong with these people.

Michelle8:42PMMar 6th 2009

dude, I tell ya what, when we think Obama has made a mistake, we'll let cha know, k?

*****************

For the same reason that I don't go to my plumber for an inflamed root canal, I'll take a pass on your generous offer.

I sure bet Bill is getting a lot of poontang with Hillary over seas so often!

Bigidy!

Da chto li??? (A rough translation into Russian of "wha....????") This is exactly the kind of thing you don't do, not so much because it's offensive to the other country, but because it is a cultural idiom that won't make sense to that country. And if it doesn't make sense, it just provokes some head-scratching and gets ignored by the recipient.

I DO have to ask HOW in blazes the CIA doesn't have a competent Russian translator among its employees, or if it does, why wasn't he or she consulted, and how could they not have realized that all they had to do was look in a polytechnical dictionary (that's what they are called) for the correct term. As in key-riiist! I have a Russian-English/English-Russian polytechnican dictionary on the bookshelf (along with a "Katzner") right over my computer, and I haven't used my Russian professionally since 1991.

As many resources as Ms.Clinton surely has at her disposal, a person (I) have to ask how this translation got inappropiatlymistransiulated?
And right after President Obama offered his "gift" to PM Brown???
Come on guy's,....

As many resources as Ms.Clinton surely has at her disposal, a person (I) have to ask how this translation got inappropiatlymistransiulated?
And right after President Obama offered his "gift" to PM Brown???
Come on guy's,....

bloody amateurs... just wait, it will get worse. this is the same brain trust that had gaffe after gaffe in the clinton admin.. same cast of characters, same results.. we are in for some very rough times..

Wonder why Obama didn't find a decent Russian translator for Hillary when he was busy hiring all the rest of her aides at the State department.

Peggy10:53PMMar 6th 2009

Wonder why Obama didn't find a decent Russian translator for Hillary when he was busy hiring all the rest of her aides at the State department.
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Maybe he couldn't find anybody that has paid their taxes.

"Maybe Mr. College Politico is too young to get the real point of this gaffe, which isn't actually the translation. Anyone who remembers a time from the Reagan era on back would know that the last thing you want to give Russia is "the button," no matter what's written on it."

Uh...no. I'm pretty sure the gaffe was exactly what the Russian representative and Clinton were laughing at, the Associated Press reported, and seemingly what the rest of the web seems to understand it was: the incorrect translation

the gift was supposed to be from The President and vice president.

I have to wonder if it were a mistake, or a set up to make Hillary look bad.

I hope she watches her back more carefully from now on.

have you liberals even considered the thought that Hillary is a second rate politician, built up by a fawning media, who in reality is very much so incompetant?

Michelle

“dude, I tell ya what, when we think Obama has made a mistake, we'll let cha know, k?”
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No, not ‘k”! I don’t want to wait until we’re all a bunch of smoking corpses for the “crack” Obama team to realize they couldn’t translate “We just accidently pushed the red button” Your snippy, elitist attitude is a reflection of the problem.

This Administration has already made several significant screw ups and your answer is “We’ll get back to you.” He may be your answer to CHANGE, but the President's job requires more than a rookie who gives a great speech.