The Prime Minister's address to a joint meeting of Congress, with the President's Cabinet in attendance, is regarded as a rare honour. The Prime Minister stressed that it is:
"absolutely necessary, indeed fundamental to sustain and reinvigorate the Atlantic Alliance, the alliance that for more than half a century has guaranteed peace in liberty."
Warning against a "fortress Europe" mentality, and protectionist policies he added: "disagreement, or worse, opposition between the United States and Europe would be entirely unjustified and would jeopardize the security and prosperity of the entire world."
Some members of Congress, however, are reported to have 'chafed at the event' and 'were slow to arrive or sent aides in their place.' (Reuters) This was attributed by a House of Representatives aide partly to irritation at being called to an event they viewed as a campaign booster for the Prime Minister.
Closing his address by underlining the special relationship existing with the United States, Mr Berlusconi received an ovation from U.S. lawmakers, particularly for his 'closing reminiscence of a boyhood trip with his father to a cemetery of American soldiers killed in World War Two.'
It's Buggin's turn tomorrow.
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2 comments:
I'm not surprised at some members of Congress 'chaffing' at the event the cheapening of which will come to be regretted.
Apart from being the current ( unelected, unproven, morally dubious ) PM of a longstanding ally, just what has Gordon Brown done to stand alongside Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher in this way ?
Or Silvio Berlusconi, Banned?
Though there's something in there to be said about one of his Ministers certainly not standing by those who have stood alongside Mr Berlusconi.
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