Remember back just a few short years ago. The left was lambasting the loss of US prestige in the view of the world as a whole from then president Bush's foreign diplomacy. We were ignoring our friends and allies, not treating them like true friends. Flash forward to 2009. A new administration. A new, friendlier approach, right? Some may say so. I disagree.

Great Britain, is perhaps the greatest ally of the US in the last 100 years. Their soldiers, sailors, and airman have fought and died along side their US counterparts in every war since World War I and continue to do so. Recently, the British Prime Minister came to the US. He gave exquisite gifts to the new American president in a gesture of friendship and the US/UK's special relationship. The gifts included:

-an ornamental pen holder made from the timbers of the Victorian anti-slave ship HMS Gannet, an obvious gesture of respect for President Obama's heritage.

-a framed commission for HMS Resolute and a first edition of the seven-volume biography of Churchill by Sir Martin Gilbert.

-for the Obama children, an outfit each from Topshop and six children's books by British authors which are shortly to be published in America.

So how did President Obama give his respect for our greatest ally, here it is:

- 25 movie DVDs (possibly not the correct region to play properly in the UK)

- for Prime Minister Browns two sons, two models of the presidents helicopter from the White House gift shop.

President Bush may have did some things wrong, but he never embarrassed our allies, especially our closest allies, in protocol. I'm embarrassed for President Obama, and the US in this small, but important gesture of friendship. Is it a sample of what we can expect in the future. Like leaving our Polish and Czech allies out of the loop, while making back-door negotiation overtures with Russia? Or is it just an other embarrassing gaff like presenting and "over-charge" button to the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

President Obama had no foreign diplomacy experience when he was elected and it shows. This is what can be expected when the voter supports on the job training. Lets hope nothing serious comes up in the near future.