"Special relationship"? Even Barack Obama knows a lying loser when he sees one

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear; has Gordon Brown destroyed the UK's influence in world affairs so much that the UK now ranks below Japan, China and Russia in Barack Obama's view? The BBC report that:

"White House officials rejected repeated requests from Britain for a formal meeting between President Barack Obama and Gordon Brown, it has emerged.

The prime minister's team were "frantic" after being unable to secure the talks at the UN summit in New York, a diplomatic source has told the BBC.

However, the president held private meetings with the leaders of Japan, China and Russia. "

That this was true would be humiliating enough, albeit understandable bearing in mind Gordon Brown's performance over the release of al-Megrahi and increasingly ridiculous position over Labour cuts in the run-up to his volte face. However what makes the whole story even sadder for the UK, because this knave represents the UK whilst he is Prime Minister, is that the Number 10 spin machine got into gear (a very low and slow one) and a Downing Street spokesman said that reports of a snub were

"completely without foundation" and that the men had had a "wide-ranging discussion following last night's climate change dinner".

Even the BBC could not resist reporting that

"It has emerged this was a few minutes of conversation in a kitchen at the United Nations. "

The UK under Gordon Brown is reduced to grabbing a few words in a kitchen rather than a proper meeting. I bet the leaders of Japan, China and Russia were met in a more dignified setting. For some odd reason I have a mental image of a sweaty, desperate Gordon Brown following Barack Obama out of the dining room and cornering him in the kitchen to rant away asking why "you never call, how can I make things up with you and please don't forsake me for David Cameron."