Sources close to the White House say Mr Obama and his staff have
been "overwhelmed" by the economic meltdown and have voiced concerns
that the new president is not getting enough rest.
British officials, meanwhile, admit that the White House and US
State Department staff were utterly bemused by complaints that the
Prime Minister should have been granted full-blown press conference and
a formal dinner, as has been customary. They concede that Obama aides
seemed unfamiliar with the expectations that surround a major visit by
a British prime minister.
But Washington figures with access to Mr Obama's inner circle
explained the slight by saying that those high up in the administration
have had little time to deal with international matters, let alone the
diplomatic niceties of the special relationship.
Allies of Mr Obama say his weary appearance in the Oval Office with
Mr Brown illustrates the strain he is now under, and the president's
surprise at the sheer volume of business that crosses his desk.
A well-connected Washington figure, who is close to members of Mr
Obama's inner circle, expressed concern that Mr Obama had failed so far
to "even fake an interest in foreign policy".
A British official conceded that the furore surrounding the apparent
snub to Mr Brown had come as a shock to the White House. "I think it's
right to say that their focus is elsewhere, on domestic affairs. A
number of our US interlocutors said they couldn't quite understand the
British concerns and didn't get what that was all about."
The American source said: "Obama is overwhelmed. There is a zero sum
tension between his ability to attend to the economic issues and his
ability to be a proactive sculptor of the national security agenda.
"That was the gamble these guys made at the front end of this
presidency and I think they're finding it a hard thing to do
everything."
That assessment came from . . . Vice President Joe Biden.
From NRO (National Review Online). the Campaign Spot, Jim Geraghty reporting: