The Obamas gave the Queen a rare, signed Rodgers (of Rodgers and Hammerstein) music book...

[Barack_America]

An ENGRAVED iPod loaded with songs from said music book -AND- video from her 2007 trip to the U.S.

The Queen is reportedly crazy about show tunes and familiar with iPod technology.

If you don't think that is a thoughtful gift, then I pity your loved ones.

She, BTW, gave them a framed picture of herself, the "standard issue" Buckingham Palace gift.

Sheesh, the things that people will complain about around here.

:eyes:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2009/04/01/2009-04-01_president_obama_gives_queen_ipod_loaded_-1.html


Edited: grammar

[AnnieBW]

1. I will NOT make a joke about queens loving show tunes

Because all of teh gays will be mad at me. :D

(Seriously, gay friends, I love you all. No offense intended.)

[HillWilliam]

33. Oh, I dee-double-dare ya

:rofl:

I honestly live in fear someone's gonna take my Homosexual Exclusive Club Membership card away because I can't stand show tunes. I can't decorate, sew, do hair, or arrange flowers, either.

You're sworn to secrecy!! I mean it!!! Pinky-swear right now!

[asphalt.jungle]

2. people are going to nitpick everything they do

it's just the way it's going to be i guess. an autographed framed picture of her and the husband and people are complaining about a video ipod that she asked for? sheeeesh.

i guess haters have to hate.

[Barack_America]

4. "i guess haters have to hate"

In this instance, it certainly appears so.

I forgot to mention that she had even asked for the iPod.

Christmas morning must suck at these people's houses:

"Look, it's just what you asked for!"

"It's still not good enough...wah"

[Vanje]

6. Is anyone complaining?

??

[WorseBeforeBetter]

8. That's what I heard via CBS... that she requested a video iPod.

Downloading some of her favorite music was thoughtful. I wasn't aware of the rare R&H book -- even better.

[roguevalley]

34. Consider this: Fucknut gave her a stack of Dvds and trashed her

garden. This is delightful. Her gift was traditional and appropriate.

[Vanje]

3. Who's complaining?

Is anyone complaining?

Thats a cool gift.

[Barack_America]

5. Lots of people on other threads.

People seem to think that the Queen couldn't possibly enjoy an iPod, making the gift tacky. That's more of an insult to her, IMO.

[Vanje]

7. I didnt hear about any complaining until I read this thread

Do you like get off on it or something?

[WorseBeforeBetter]

9. One penned an SNL skit about White House gifts.

So yeah, they're out there, but not very interesting.

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Vanje]

17. Almost everything in your cites was positive!

Hardly any negative comments and those were more quizzical than negative.

I'm sorry you have to hunt through dozens of DU posts for stuff to get indignant about.
You must have a lot of spare time.

The gift was cool.
Everyone seems to think it was cool.
Someone joked about the Sex Pistols being included. That might not have been very thoughtful....but, It was just a poster making a funny!

[Barack_America]

19. I don't recall saying that all the responses were negative.

The MSM is desperately trying to portray this as a tacky gift and enough DUers were taking the bait that I decided to write the OP.

That's all.

[Rabrrrrrr]

10. Was she angry that Obama didb't have the courtesy to land helicopter on her lawn and chew it up?

I mean, our last, and far more tactful, president did so.

I bet Obama doesn't understand how important it is to the Queen to destroy her lawn as part of diplomatic relations. Probably doesn't know that the chancellor of Germany always gets a backrub, either.

[elleng]

12. Very thoughtful!

.

[Occam Bandage]

13. I look forward to seeing the British press complain about their sovereign's egotistic classlessness.

[Vanje]

18. Why?

Why do you need to read complaints from the British Press?
Is this some kind of fetish with you?

[Occam Bandage]

20. The point is that they are unlikely to weigh

the same degree of criticism on the gifts provided to America by their head of state as they did the gifts provided to Britain by our head of state, despite the situations being somewhat similar: a classy, personal gift was met with a cheap cookie-cutter one. I am especially reminded of a British journalist who thought it was "solipsistic" that the Obamas provided the Brown children with models of Marine One; I somehow doubt the same will be said of the Queen providing the Obamas with a photograph of herself.

[Barack_America]

24. And you would be correct...

The story about the gift exchange on the Telegraph newspaper site prompted hundreds of responses—with tons of Americans apologizing for the gift and expressing embarrassment and Brits seeming to take it in stride, with one writing:

“Dear 'Real Americans,'

Thanks for the apologies, but you can keep them. No reasonable person here is insulted by the gifts given to the queen - I imagine it was refreshing for her not to receive another ornamental trinket to sit in the royal garage.”

As for the Queen, she gave the Obamas a signed photo of herself and her husband in a silver frame. But she had it easier than Obama — that’s the same thing she always gives visiting dignitaries.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0409/20788.html

[Barack_America]

21. Why do you accuse posters of having "fetishes" and "getting off"?

That seems inappropriate.

[Vanje]

26. Its mysterious to me

the apparent strong need to find something to get indignant about over this gift story.
Its wierd! I dont understand the strong drive to find the bad news. Its like some kind of need.


Sounds to me like It was a cool, if unusual gift, and all parties were tickled pink.

[Barack_America]

27. So I'm going to take a guess that you haven't been listening to the "news" tonight.

Which is good.

They're leaving out all the thoughtful details of this story and making it sound like the Obamas just plunked a regular ol' iPod in the Queen's lap.

It's so enraging that even Earl G was prompted to write an OP calling the media out on it.

Unfortunately, some of the perpetual Obama nay-sayers around here were starting to smell fresh blood, which is why several OPs (including this one) sprung up defending the Obamas.

[Occam Bandage]

28. Well, yeah. The Obama gifts were great.

You'll note I said "their sovereign."

[Vanje]

32. -soverign- I missed that. Sorry

and now that I see it, the post makes more sense.
Apologies.

[vaberella]

23. Huh? Were you here to hear the complaints the O's got by our press and British press

when they gave a gift to PM Brown, his wife and kids. It was relentless. Even clowns on this site were like it was a thoughtless gift and lambasting Pres. O and the first lady. It was on the news, and article after article was bashing the First Family in England. Why can't we hope that they get the same service? A picture of the Queen from the Queen is real crappy shite.

In any event, they won't bash their Royals but everyone and our own were bashing Pres. O.

[NYC_SKP]

14. And they gave the Obama's a framed portrait. Of themselves.

It's a stupid ass tradition.

[vaberella]

25. I'd forget it in my hotel room. n/t

[lob1]

15. The MSM made it sound like a tacky gift.

MSM didn't mention the rare book (at least that I heard), nor did they mention that she asked for it. Those bastards smear all the time, sometimes in very subtle ways.

[Fleshdancer]

16. Have we ever discussed what gifts the POTUS gives before?

I don't recall ever knowing what the President gives world leaders. Is there a list somewhere of gifts given from previous Presidents?

While I think today's gift was nice, I just don't see why the MSM wants to talk about it.

:shrug:

[Vanje]

22. Yes. It was reported a few years ago, that GW Bush

...gave some head of state from one of the prominently Muslin nations, a Bible.

[roguevalley]

35. he also gave the queen a stack of DVDs.

[Harry Monroe]

29. My rightwing douchebag brother posted this on his Facebook wall

"Our illustrious president gave the Queen of England an Ipod today as a gift from the US people! You have to be freaking kidding me 'ol smarter than "W"! The damn thing is made in CHINA you IDIOT! What's up with that??????"

To which I replied: "We can be thankful, at least, that he didn't start massaging the Queen's shoulders!!"

He usually bites right back, but so far nothing! He's such an idiot, I don't even think he knows what I'm referring to!

[K8-EEE]

30. ha!!! GOOD ONE! NT

[Lilyeye]

31. The media is having a ball with this.

I've seen so many comments (at other sites) calling the President an imbecile and trash for giving her an ipod. Of course ignoring that SHE WANTED IT. Even from some who claim they voted for him.

[masuki bance]

36. The ipod also had speeches that Obama has given.

[butterfly77]

37. They would say nothing if he were any other Pres...

we all know that they have to do everything perfectly..

[tbyg52]

38. Ain't that the truth.

When have we ever heard about gifts before?

My first thought when I heard about the signed music book was "Wow!"