Cameron shines!

Yesterday was a day to hold one's breath if you care about Anglo-American relations.  David Cameron went into the lion's den, not only having to face the most anti-British President in American history, but also having a whole bunch of Senators, such as the infamous Senator Schumer D-NY, baying for blood.

Cameron however, was excellent.  The main issue of the day seemed to be the release of the Lockerbie bomber, which Obama seems to have turned hardline on (despite continually sucking up to Libya himself and being informed of the situation throughout.)  Cameron had to form a balance.  He was one of the fiercest critics of the release of the bomber, and there was no reason why he should have to go and defend the indefensible.  However, he also had to make sure it didn't become an Obama-esque apology tour, where he grovelled before the President and the Senators asking for forgiveness.

Cameron hit the note perfectly.  I'm not always Cameron's biggest fan, but yesterday was a day in which he really shined.  He was clear in his condemnation of the decision, stating

"I don't need an inquiry to tell me what was a bad decision. It was a bad decision,"

On the same token, he would not be pushed into a grovelling apology by the President, or his loony bunch of anti-BP Senators, by making it quite clear that it was the Scottish Government that made the decision, and  that it was right for that decision to be made by them.  


This is important. There was definitely an attempt to make decisions for Britain by the authoritarian Dems, and Cameron pushed them back.  "I wish they had made a different decision, but it was still their decision to make, so back off" was the obvious message from Cameron - and it was the right message to send.

Cameron was at his best at the press conference.  Obama blathered on for ages and ages, looking stern-faced and tired as well as being very boring.  Cameron, on the other hand, lent casually against the podium while still looking like a statesman, continually called Obama "Barack" (I bet that didn't go down well!), and joked about how drinking some beer he had been given by the Americans was so good, he even cheered for the Germans in the World Cup!  With one of his trademark smiles, the gathered media was laughing away with him, while Obama stood there wishing he had Gordon Brown stood next to him instead of this cheeky new upstart!

This tour could be a massive PR coup for us Brits.  Obama is trying to stir-up an anti-British attitude, but Cameron is cutting through it like a knife through butter.  If he can get himself onto the mainstream news networks for an interview or two, it will repair a great deal of damage that has been done by the Obama administration.