British Know How to Give Gifts, the Obamas...not so much

Earlier today I had a post on the gifts that the First Ladies exchanged during the visit by Prime Minister Brown to the White House. Some folks are thinking Mrs. Obama cheaped out a bit with what she gave her counterpart. Well, it apparently runs in the family.

Here's what Prime Minister Gordon Brown gave Obama:

Mr Brown's gifts included an ornamental desk pen holder made from the oak timbers of Victorian anti-slaver HMS Gannet, once named HMS President.

Mr Obama was so delighted he has already put it in pride of place in the Oval Office on the Resolute desk which was carved from timbers of Gannet's sister ship, HMS Resolute.

Another treasure given to the U.S. President was the framed commission for HMS Resolute, a vessel that came to symbolise Anglo-US peace when it was saved from ice packs by Americans and given to Queen Victoria.

Finally, Mr Brown gave a first edition set of the seven-volume classic biography of Churchill by Sir Martin Gilbert.

And here's what Obama gave Brown:

Gordon Brown has been given a collection of 25 classic American films on DVD as his official gift from Barack Obama.

I think I saw that collection at Costco for about $100. And the British reaction?

No 10 had tried to keep the present a secret, refusing to answer reporters who asked what President Obama had given to mark the reaffirmation of the special relationship.

However, the Evening Standard discovered the truth through White House insiders.

One reason for the secrecy might be that the gift seems markedly less generous and thoughtful than the presents taken to Washington by the Prime Minister.

He's probably saving the good stuff for Ahmadinejad or Putin...or maybe Castro.