Click on the title of this post to read a piece in The Daily Beast (MC hasn't made up its mind whether it loves or loathes Tina Brown) in which some counter-programming is offered to the "triumph" meme peddled by the lazy American press regarding Obama's European trip. We don't agree with everything in this article (America needs to get used to its diminished status?) but the analysis as to how Obama got very little out of the EU and the rest of the world is a valuable counterpoint to the fawning American press reportage. MC is still appalled the clueless Obama bowed before the Saudi dictator; the video is worse than the still picture. We were heartened, however marginally, by Carla Bruni, wife of the French President Sarkozy, who pulled back from a kiss by The One and instead offered a Gallic handshake. Picture here: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article2359022.ece