The Hot File

From what I gathered during my interview this morning on BBC Radio 5, global heads of state are a bit leery of Obama’s visit, anticipating a leader who will push for deficit spending against the will of major European leaders, namely Chancellor Merkel of Germany.  But, those who think Obama wants a world wide spending spree should consider his most recent tough love response to the auto industry. 

If Obama is willing to let 2 major U.S. institutions go under if each fails to refinance and show real viability within 1-2 months, that is good indication he’s not the spender-in-chief many at G20 are anticipating to meet.  Plus, White House Spokesman Robert Gibbs emphasized today that “the president and America are going to listen in London, as well as lead.” It seems the international community has been so badly bludgeoned by Bush hubris over the past 8 years, they find it hard to believe an American president is capable of sitting back and listening.