"Imagine if Obama's gaffe about 'clinging to guns and religion' had been uttered by John McCain, about his own base."

It would look like this...

But, actually, to be fair, that is worse than the hypothetical McCain scenario. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was caught on tape insulting a particular individual — Gillian Duffy — calling her a "bigot" right after talking to her, and her reaction to hearing about it (and then listening to it) is caught on video.

More of Gillian Duffy's amazing real-time response here. (I like when she gets a cell phone call and the reporters can't believe she'd take a phone call while she's on live TV.) Brown has now given Duffy an in-personal apology, but as you can see in that video she says she doesn't want that. She wants to know why her comments were counted as bigotry.

IN THE COMMENTS: Class factotum said:

Josephine the Plumber has been born.

Hey! Wait a minute! Josephine the Plumber? Jane Withers!



When my mother saw those Comet ads, she's always exclaim about how mean Jane Withers was to Shirley Temple. She was the child actress who was most emphatically not Shirley Temple:



And the actor in the wheelchair is Charles Sellon — or as I insist on calling him, Mr. Muckle. Now, open the door for Mr. Muckle:

Imagine the reaction if Bush had given some world leader a set of DVDs that would only play on American DVD players.

"It would have been conclusive proof of Bush's provincialism, lack of sensitivity to our allies' sensibilities, ignorance of the wider world, techno incompetence, failure to appreciate the superiority of European civilization, blah blah blah."

It would have been portrayed as stupid.

***

And speaking of stupid... on Leno, Obama made a joke at the expense of the mentally challenged.

“[Your bowling score was] very good, Mr. President,” Leno said sarcastically.

It’s “like the Special Olympics or something,” the president said.

When asked about the remark, the White House said the president did not intend to offend.

“The president made an off-hand remark making fun of his own bowling that was in no way intended to disparage the Special Olympics,” White House deputy press secretary Bill Burton said.

What a fabulously lame excuse! On that theory, when you do or say something stupid, "I'm retarded" is an acceptable witticism. That theory is so... retarded.

ADDED:

ADDED: Angolans give the Pope a turtle.

Is Obama "overwhelmed" and "too tired"?

The British are going after Obama. He hurt their feelings.

British officials ... 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.

Ha ha. Yes, I have this picture of President Obama sitting in the White House, thinking I hate my job. He was all about running for President. What did he really know about being President?

"I feel your pain. And have you ever seen The Wizard of Oz?"

"It’s about this sweet little nobody who gets to pay a brief visit to the glittering Emerald City before being swept back to the reassuring familiarity of the poor thing’s broken-down windswept economically devastated monochrome dustbowl. You’ll love it!"

"Why couldn't President Obama have put on more of a show for his British guests?"

"He looked like he simply couldn't be bothered."

ADDED: Telegraph blogger James Delingpole writes:

My favourite theory so far ... was that it was a move calculated to please his Lady Macbeth. At the moment in Britain, we're still in the "Doesn't she look fabulous in a designer frock" stage of understanding of Michelle Obama. Gradually, though, we'll begin to realise that she is every bit the terrifying executive's wife that Hillary Clinton was. Or, shudder, Cherie Blair.

We may just LURVE Michelle's fashion sense. But Michelle doesn't reciprocate our affection, one bit. Her broad-brush view of history associates Brits with the wicked white global hegemony responsible for the slave trade....

Now, there's some loose talk. There's no reason to blame Michelle. This is pure racial fantasizing. Quite bizarre. But Obama should be setting off positive fantasies around the world. That's what he said he'd do. That's what those of us who voted for him believed he would do. Come on! Where's the magic?

Gordon Brown will not have his "standing podium-to-podium with the Messiah image."

Why not? The proffered reason: Obama is a snow pussy. What is he really afraid of?