"No, just this one time, I understand. I have a Deputy Prime Minister back home who things are getting pretty serious with anyway."

Prime Minister David Cameron was in full Hugh Grant mode again this weekend – however, with an American superstar as his foil this time it was more Notting Hill than Love Actually.

The confusion over clinking bottles and embarrassed glances, the poor joke and polite laughter; it more resembled the uneasiness following an immediately regretted one night stand than a meeting of two of the world’s most powerful men. The whole thing was more cringeworthy than Capello’s “We played well” line after the Germany game. You can watch it all below.

If you manage to make it past 13 seconds you are a bigger sadist than Scrapbook.

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Looking up the front cover, Scrapbook finds it somewhat ironic that the last M16 the general will appear alongside may be those attached to Lady Gaga’s brassiere (original image):

You can read the full feature here.

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Tonight, I’ve returned from a trip to the Gulf Coast to speak with you about the battle we’re waging against an oil spill that is assaulting our shores and our citizens … Tonight I’d like to lay out for you what our battle plan is going forward – Barack Obama

Jon Stewart growled: “You heard the man! We’re at war! With an inanimate object – oil!” before dead-panning: “We’ve already got the posters printed and ready to go”:

J. M. Flagg would be proud.

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In the latest exchange in the wake of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, the Whitehouse has seized on an ill-judged apology to BP [no, really!] from Republican congressman Joe Barton:

With the third Deepwater Horizon email from the Obama camp in 12 days, senior adviser David Plouffe attacks Barton and ties the Republicans to Big Oil via campaign donations:

When BP CEO Tony Hayward testified before Congress this morning, many expected to hear him apologize for the disaster his company has caused. Instead, GOP Congressman Joe Barton was the one saying he was sorry — to BP.

In his opening statement, Barton, the top Republican on the committee overseeing the oil spill and its aftermath, delivered a personal apology to the oil giant. He said the $20 billion fund that President Obama directed BP to establish to provide relief to the victims of the oil disaster was a “tragedy in the first proportion.” [...]

Rep. Barton and Republicans like him don’t understand that the real tragedy is what’s happening to the people in the Gulf Coast. They’re the ones who deserve his apology — not BP. [...]

Notably, companies like Halliburton — the folks responsible for cementing the Deepwater Horizon rig — are directing their political committees to deliver thousands of dollars to GOP candidates this cycle. Barton himself has received more than $100,000 from the oil and gas industry this election cycle.

It’s still interesting to see a British company at the centre of an American political clusterf***.

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The former Chief of Staff to Bill Clinton and co-Chair of Obama’s Transition Team doesn’t mince his words:

“It is hardly good for Britain’s prestige when its European parliamentarians sit with those who have argued the election of a black U.S. president hails the end of civilization*—the decision also illustrates Cameron’s willingness to forgo political influence to placate extreme elements of his own party.”

“Worryingly, under David Cameron’s leadership, the Conservative Party’s traditional Euro-skepticism has become more extreme … The Conservatives are now very likely to punch below their weight in European debates, leaving others to shape the future direction of the EU.”

John Podesta joins the growing chorus from beyond these shores anticipating a tarnished global standing and waning influence for Britian under a Cameron government.

Big society at home. Little Britiain abroad.

Hat-tip: Left Foot Forward

*How ironic, then, that Cameron would appropriate the visual style of Obama’s campaign?

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Supporters visible behind you? Check! Sign with ‘Change’ in the background? Check! Remind you of anyone?

When Blair stole from Clinton at least they included some policies.

Plagiarism you can believe in?

UPDATE 17:38 An earlier version of this post made reference to this article from Politics.co.uk, which some observers have cast aspersions on. As you are currently reading an evidence-based gossip blog [geddit?], Scrapbook is happy to remove this little aside.

With regard to shrieks along the lines of “This is nothing to do with Obama! Cameron used the language of ‘change’ in his leadership campaign!” Scrapbook can only point out:

• As if it wasn’t obvious enough already (check out the shirtsleeves too), CCHQ are briefing that the posters were deliberately “Obama-esque”.
• Campaign managers don’t take a massive detour from brand discipline without a good reason. The ‘CHANGE’ sign in the background is, from a design point of view, completely alien to what they’ve used before.

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Nick Griffin called Barack Obama an “Afrocentrist racist bigot” but it’s amusing to see this didn’t stop him from the wholesale thievery of  the American president’s website (see evidence below). To compound the hilarity, Blue State Digital, who developed Obama’s site, have lent their services to anti-fascist campaigners Hope Not Hate.

Honestly. Where the BNP are concerned the blog posts virtually write themselves.

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For those of you that don’t have time to blog/leaflet/agitate.

Fire it up at facebook.com (and while you’re there join this)!

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“So yes, there is a steep climb ahead. But I tell you this. The view from the summit will be worth it.” -David Cameron

“Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term, but America – I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there.” – Barack Obama

“I’m not a complicated sort of person.” – David Cameron

“I am a pretty straight sort of guy.” – Tony Blair

There isn’t enough space to cover the manifold untruths, contradictions and evasions, so Scrapbook will leave that to Left Foot Forward.

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Reminds Scrapbook of a submission to the Hart Beat gallery.

But never too late to learn, eh?

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