Remember when Obama was going to make the rest of the world love and respect us?

Either does the rest of the world.  Obama, who saw fit to give King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia a full-tongue butt-smooch and bruised his forehead scraping before Emperor Akihito, blew off King Harald of Norway – a nation that’s always been a friend of the US, is the anscestral home of millions of Americans (myself included) and has walked the same rhetorical tightrope the President himself is attempting; giving the Nobel Peace Prize to the President, while contributing troops to the war effort in Afghanistan since the very beginning.

Norwegians are incensed over what they view as his shabby response to the prize by cutting short his visit.

The White House has cancelled many of the events peace prize laureates traditionally submit to, including a dinner with the Norwegian Nobel committee, a press conference, a television interview, appearances at a children’s event promoting peace and a music concert, as well as a visit to an exhibition in his honour at the Nobel peace centre.

He has also turned down a lunch invitation from the King of Norway.

Bad move, Mr. President:

According to a poll published by the daily tabloid VG, 44% of Norwegians believe it was rude of Obama to cancel his scheduled lunch with King Harald, with only 34% saying they believe it was acceptable.

“Of all the things he is cancelling, I think the worst is cancelling the lunch with the king,” said Siv Jensen, the leader of the largest party in opposition, the populist Progress party. “This is a central part of our government system. He should respect the monarchy,” she told VG.

It’s going to be an interesting trip:

The visit will test Obama’s rhetorical skills as he seeks to reconcile acceptance of the Nobel peace prize with sending an extra 30,000 US troops to Afghanistan.

White House officials said that Obama, who was planning to work on the final draft of his speech on his flight from Washington to Oslo, would directly address the issue of the irony of being awarded the peace prize while escalating the war.

The Nobel peace committee has been criticised for awarding Obama the prize before he has any major accomplishments in international relations.

I think it’s gonna go a little something like…

“Dear…um…Nobel Committee.  I…um…am not George Dubbya Bush!”