The British often view their nearest neighbours the Irish as a people who are a bit.... how shall we say? Dimwitted and stupid. The amount of Irish jokes is testament to that.
Whether or not there is actually any substance in that belief or if it is just a stereotype has been open to question - until maybe now.
Yesterday, the Republic of Ireland's Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Brian Cowen was in the United States to meet President O'Bama.
O'Bama had just given his speech when it was time for the Taoiseach to make his.
He began is speech by saying "We begin by welcoming today a strong friend of the United States". He continued before he realised he was actually reading O'Bama's speech, on a teleprompter, which he spoke just minutes before.
Bush will be proud.
Cowen was in the United States as part of 17th March celebrations when the Irish, both at home and abroad, celebrate the life of a great Englishman known as St Patrick.
Irish PM Brian Cowen left red-faced after delivering Obama speech at White House
David Byers
18th March 2009
The Times
Republic of Ireland's Taoiseach, Brian Cowen, was last night a victim of President Obama's love of the teleprompter
Brian Cowen's critics might say that they've heard all of his speeches before. Last night, they would have been right.
As the Irish Taoiseach delivered his St Patrick's Day speech at a White House dinner party, it emerged that he was accidentally reading off the teleprompter one made by President Obama only minutes earlier.
"We begin by welcoming today a strong friend of the United States," he began and continued in that vein for about 20 seconds before - realising he was experiencing more than the usual case of déjà vu - he looked back at the US President and said: "That's your speech!"
Gesturing at the teleprompter, he said: "Why don't these things work for me? Who said these things were idiot-proof?"
Mr Obama is becoming known as the 'teleprompter president' for his excessive use of the prompting screens, which retract when speeches are finished.
Although used for more than half a century, the device was previously employed mainly for set-piece speeches. The current President, however, often uses them for making small introductory statements at the beginning of press conferences.
On this occasion, as a laughing Mr Obama returned to the podium, the script was belatedly switched over to the Taoiseach's text – leaving Mr Obama inadvertently thanking himself for inviting everyone, to further laughter. "First, I'd like to say thank you to President Obama!" the President said.
The event was one of a series held both in the Republic of Ireland and in the United States, which has a big Irish community, to mark St Patrick's Day yesterday. In a move designed to mark the occasion, and the visit of the Irish delegation, the waters of the White House fountain were dyed green.
The President also met Northern Ireland’s First Minister, Peter Robinson, a Protestant, and his Catholic deputy, Martin McGuinness, in his National Security Adviser’s office.
Tensions are high in Northern Ireland after IRA splinter groups killed two soldiers and a police officer this month in the first attacks of their kind since 1998, when the landmark Good Friday Agreement was reached. In a speech designed to reassure those in favour of peace that the US stood behind them, Mr Obama said: "Not all Americans are Irish, but all Americans support those who stand on the side of peace and peace will prevail.
O'Bama and Cowen: the new comedy duo
Pot of shamrock smuggled through customs? Check. Matching tasteful green ties? Check. O'Bama and Brian Cowen united in their Irish roots? Check.
But the otherwise smooth St Patrick's Day ceremony at the White House hit a slight bump when it came to the speeches.
Shortly after Obama got up and extolled the relationship between Ireland and the States, Cowen got up and extolled the relationship between Ireland and the States. Word for word.
No, it wasn't a bit too much celebratory Guinness. Turns out Cowen was reading Obama's speech from an unchanged teleprompter.
Still the luck of the Irish held strong. Obama rescued the Prime Minister by offering Cowen's own speech for him, thanking himself in the process and thoroughly confusing everyone else.
Brown may have won the Oval Office race. But when it comes to profitable comedy routines, Cowen is Hardy to Obama's Laurel.
timesonline.co.uk
Whether or not there is actually any substance in that belief or if it is just a stereotype has been open to question - until maybe now.
Yesterday, the Republic of Ireland's Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Brian Cowen was in the United States to meet President O'Bama.
O'Bama had just given his speech when it was time for the Taoiseach to make his.
He began is speech by saying "We begin by welcoming today a strong friend of the United States". He continued before he realised he was actually reading O'Bama's speech, on a teleprompter, which he spoke just minutes before.
Bush will be proud.
Cowen was in the United States as part of 17th March celebrations when the Irish, both at home and abroad, celebrate the life of a great Englishman known as St Patrick.
Irish PM Brian Cowen left red-faced after delivering Obama speech at White House
David Byers
18th March 2009
The Times
Republic of Ireland's Taoiseach, Brian Cowen, was last night a victim of President Obama's love of the teleprompter
Brian Cowen's critics might say that they've heard all of his speeches before. Last night, they would have been right.
As the Irish Taoiseach delivered his St Patrick's Day speech at a White House dinner party, it emerged that he was accidentally reading off the teleprompter one made by President Obama only minutes earlier.
"We begin by welcoming today a strong friend of the United States," he began and continued in that vein for about 20 seconds before - realising he was experiencing more than the usual case of déjà vu - he looked back at the US President and said: "That's your speech!"
Gesturing at the teleprompter, he said: "Why don't these things work for me? Who said these things were idiot-proof?"
Mr Obama is becoming known as the 'teleprompter president' for his excessive use of the prompting screens, which retract when speeches are finished.
Although used for more than half a century, the device was previously employed mainly for set-piece speeches. The current President, however, often uses them for making small introductory statements at the beginning of press conferences.
On this occasion, as a laughing Mr Obama returned to the podium, the script was belatedly switched over to the Taoiseach's text – leaving Mr Obama inadvertently thanking himself for inviting everyone, to further laughter. "First, I'd like to say thank you to President Obama!" the President said.
The event was one of a series held both in the Republic of Ireland and in the United States, which has a big Irish community, to mark St Patrick's Day yesterday. In a move designed to mark the occasion, and the visit of the Irish delegation, the waters of the White House fountain were dyed green.
The President also met Northern Ireland’s First Minister, Peter Robinson, a Protestant, and his Catholic deputy, Martin McGuinness, in his National Security Adviser’s office.
Tensions are high in Northern Ireland after IRA splinter groups killed two soldiers and a police officer this month in the first attacks of their kind since 1998, when the landmark Good Friday Agreement was reached. In a speech designed to reassure those in favour of peace that the US stood behind them, Mr Obama said: "Not all Americans are Irish, but all Americans support those who stand on the side of peace and peace will prevail.
O'Bama and Cowen: the new comedy duo
Pot of shamrock smuggled through customs? Check. Matching tasteful green ties? Check. O'Bama and Brian Cowen united in their Irish roots? Check.
But the otherwise smooth St Patrick's Day ceremony at the White House hit a slight bump when it came to the speeches.
Shortly after Obama got up and extolled the relationship between Ireland and the States, Cowen got up and extolled the relationship between Ireland and the States. Word for word.
No, it wasn't a bit too much celebratory Guinness. Turns out Cowen was reading Obama's speech from an unchanged teleprompter.
Still the luck of the Irish held strong. Obama rescued the Prime Minister by offering Cowen's own speech for him, thanking himself in the process and thoroughly confusing everyone else.
Brown may have won the Oval Office race. But when it comes to profitable comedy routines, Cowen is Hardy to Obama's Laurel.
timesonline.co.uk
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