About that Churchill Bust

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VolsNSkinsFan

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Charles Krauthammer: Why he’s going where he’s going - The Washington Post

Obama started his presidency by returning to the British Embassy the bust of Winston Churchill that had graced the Oval Office. Then came the State Department official who denied the very existence of a U.S.-British special relationship, saying: “There’s nothing special about Britain. You’re just the same as the other 190 countries in the world.”
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Fact Check: The Bust of Winston Churchill | The White House

Lately, there’s been a rumor swirling around about the current location of the bust of Winston Churchill. Some have claimed that President Obama removed the bust of Winston Churchill from the Oval Office and sent it back to the British Embassy.

Now, normally we wouldn’t address a rumor that’s so patently false, but just this morning the Washington Post’s Charles Krauthammer repeated this ridiculous claim in his column. He said President Obama “started his Presidency by returning to the British Embassy the bust of Winston Churchill that had graced the Oval Office.”

This is 100% false. The bust still in the White House. In the Residence. Outside the Treaty Room.
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Barack Obama sends bust of Winston Churchill on its way back to Britain - Telegraph

By Tim Shipman in Washington
5:20PM GMT 14 Feb 2009
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."
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The Churchill Bust & Charles Krauthammer | The White House

Yesterday following his column, I sent the following email to Charles Krauthammer. Charles asked that I make the email public and I have agreed.

Charles,

I take your criticism seriously and you are correct that you are owed an apology. There was clearly an internal confusion about the two busts and there was no intention to deceive. I clearly overshot the runway in my post. The point I was trying to make – under the belief that the Bust in the residence was the one previously in the Oval Office-- was that this oft repeated talking point about the bust being a symbol of President Obama’s failure to appreciate the special relationship is false. The bust that was returned was returned as a matter of course with all the other artwork that had been loaned to President Bush for display in his Oval Office and not something that President Obama or his Administration chose to do. I still think this is an important point and one I wish I had communicated better.

A better understanding of the facts on my part and a couple of deep breaths at the outset would have prevented this situation. Having said all that, barring a miracle comeback from the Phillies I would like to see the Nats win a world series even if it comes after my apology

Thanks,

Dan Pfeiffer
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Whoops!
 
#4
#4
isn't it pretty insulting to our allies to do something like this? I mean, since the left seems so concerned with their feelings and all
 
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#7
#7
lawgator1 said:
I'm trying to understand the point of this.
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The Brits gave it to us as a sign of solidarity after 9-11, because their troops and our troops were fighting side by side, but Obama found the bust offensive and returned it, which insulted the Brits.
 
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VolsNSkinsFan said:
The Brits gave it to us as a sign of solidarity after 9-11, because their troops and our troops were fighting side by side, but Obama found the bust offensive and returned it, which insulted the Brits.
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Obama found the bust offensive and that's why he returned it? Link please.

Thanks in advance.
 
#13
#13
It probably should have. I have simply had it with the blatant lying.

None of those articles even remotely says that Obama sent the bust back because he hated it. Not even close.
 
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#15
#15
VolsNSkinsFan said:
the WH lied, who is lying in the articles?
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Don't try to confuse it. You stated above that the reason the bust was removed was that Obama found it offensive.

That is a blatant lie.

Then, you said that the articles contained that information.

That is also a blatant lie.
 
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#16
#16
its in the articles, I know you dont like to click on links of places not called CNN, but its in there
 
#18
#18
VolsNSkinsFan said:
its in the articles, I know you dont like to click on links of places not called CNN, but its in there
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I am publicly and proudly calling you out as having blatantly lied.



If I were wrong, I am sure that you would have cut and pasted the part of the articles you cited that says that the US sent the bust back because Obama was offended by it. But you have not done that.

Instead, you just lied again.

You really might consider at this point just admitting that you overclaimed what is in the articles. Doubt you will and that instead you will just lie for, what would it be? -- the fourth or fifth time in this thread? I lose count.
 
#19
#19
LG,

You are correct. It wasn't sent back because Obama was offended by it or "hated" it. I seems like he sent it back because it was originally given to Bush, and Obama wasn't interested in having it around.
 
#20
#20
bamawriter said:
LG,

You are correct. It wasn't sent back because Obama was offended by it or "hated" it. I seems like he sent it back because it was originally given to Bush, and Obama wasn't interested in having it around.
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Meh, okay. I guess that makes sense and might explain why there is not some even tepid outrage about it over there in the UK.
 
#21
#21
there are theories around Churchill being PM while Obama's grandfather was tortured by the Brits in Kenya. Of course that's never going to be said in public but it is a viable theory

lawgator1 said:
Meh, okay. I guess that makes sense and might explain why there is not some even tepid outrage about it over there in the UK.
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there was- in 2009
 
#25
#25
So why did he send it back like a cold steak when the Brits extended the offer

Btw the reason he found it offensive is in the article I originally posted
 
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