Obama, British PM Cameron Exchange Gifts: Paintings, Candles, Soccer Jersey

2 years ago

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President and First Lady Michelle Obama exchanged gifts with British Prime Minister David Cameron and his pregnant wife, Samantha, who did not accompany her husband on his first visit to the White House as a prime minister.
According to the White House, the Obamas gave the Camerons "a framed and signed color lithograph titled, "Column with Speed Lines," by Ed Ruscha. Born in 1937 in Omaha, Neb., Ruscha is one of the most influential American artists of the 20th century Pop Art movement.
The White House said the First Lady gave Mrs. Cameron a gift basket, including a baby blanket. Gifts for the Camerons' children include "a silver charm necklace featuring 8 White House charms for Nancy and a custom DC United Soccer jersey for Elwen."

The British news outlet the Guardian reported that Cameron used his gifts to draw a contrast between him and former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown: "If Barack Obama was struggling to understand the tonal shift in Britain marked by the departure of the earnest Gordon Brown and the arrival of the breezy David Cameron, he need do no more than contrast the presents given to him by the two prime ministers," the Guardian reported. "Where Brown ordered a politically correct ornamental pen holder made from the timbers of the Victorian anti-slavery ship HMS Gannet, Samantha Cameron just popped out to her old shopping grounds in Notting Hill. Her husband handed over a painting by ex-hoodie Ben Eine, some scented candles for Michelle Obama from the perfumier Miller Harris, and for the kids some pink and purple Hunter boots."
In 2008, according to NME.com, Cameron, then the Conservative leader, gave President-elect Obama "gifts of albums by The Smiths, Lily Allen, Radiohead and Gorillaz when they met in July... According to the New Statesman, Cameron also gave the Democrat a copy of fellow Tory William Hague's biography of anti-slavery campaigner William Wilberforce."

Filed Under: The Daily FLOTUS with Lynn Sweet

Tagged: Barack Obama, dailyguidance, david cameron, gifts, Michelle Obama, samantha cameron

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cjjanuslube

As all of these "fancy" gift's changed hands, the president's campaign comments about American's "consuming too much" haunts my thoughts. The ghosts of campaign's past are wispering "Hypocryt" again and again.

July 20 2010 at 9:38 PM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down Reply