Churchill bust

(meme) Original story:

A bust of the former prime minister once voted the greatest Briton in history, which was loaned to George W Bush from the Government's art collection after the September 11 attacks, has now been formally handed back.

The bronze by Sir Jacob Epstein, worth hundreds of thousands of pounds if it were ever sold on the open market, enjoyed pride of place in the Oval Office during President Bush's tenure.

But when British officials offered to let Mr Obama to hang onto the bust for a further four years, the White House said: "Thanks, but no thanks."

Diplomats were at first reluctant to discuss the whereabouts of the Churchill bronze, after its ejection from the seat of American power. But the British Embassy in Washington has now confirmed that it sits in the palatial residence of ambassador Sir Nigel Sheinwald, just down the road from Vice President Joe Biden's official residence. It is not clear whether the ambassador plans to keep it in Washington or send it back to London.

Wingnut version:

It appears that President Obama is dissing the Brit's most famous and stalwart leader by quickly returning the most famous bust of the man loaned to this country by the United Kingdom in the aftermath of 9//11. The return of the bust of Churchill flustered the British government because they didn't ask for it to be returned. Our best ally was nonplussed and even quickly told Obama he could keep it in the Oval Office where Bush had displayed the piece of art. Obama told them no thanks which made the Brits even more amazed.

[...]

I mean, this abrupt return of the Churchill statue is sort of odd. Would it have hurt anything to keep the thing? After all, it made the Brits feel good and American's have a connection to Churchill, too (besides WWII). His mother was from our shores after all.

Whatever the case may be, the bust now sits in the home of the British ambassador in Washington D.C.

Now I wonder if anyone in the U.S. media will bother to report on an incident that that has caused diplomatic consternation, an incident perpetrated by the Obammessiah himself.

TBogg concludes:

There is really nothing too small or petty that it won't make these people go batshit crazy(ier).

Norman Podhoretz and Elliott Cohen claimed that 9/11™* was the beginning of World War IV. I guess this slight by President Hates Whitey heralds the beginning of American Revolution II: The Dissing.

* 9/11 is a registered trademark of Giuliani & Associates.