"WHAT!" EXCLAIMED BARACK, "ANOTHER ENGLISHMAN?" – AT 6:12 A.M. ET:  The president of the United States is about to host the new prime minister of a country for which Mr. Obama has a certain contempt – Great Britain.  Oh yes, it's America's most reliable ally, but what's that compared to a good, solid, left-wing grudge?  Look, it's the colonialism thing.  We'll never understand.

Britain's Evening Standard believes that David Cameron, the new PM, is in for some rough handling:

David Cameron distanced himself from BP today as he prepared to face American anger over the firm's oil leak disaster and its role in the release of the Locker bomber.

I hardly think the British prime minister can be blamed for the leak, but Obama may just try.  After all, Obama is the guy who waited four days to mosey up to a microphone to give some vague endorsement of democracy as Iranian demonstrators were being shot in the streets of Tehran.  He's got to show firmness with someone, so why not a someone who won't shoot back? 

With the Prime Minister flying out to Washington for his first White House meeting with Barack Obama, pressure grew for BP to clarify its involvement in the decision to free Abdelbaset al-Megrahi.

Megrahi, who was convicted for the murder of 270 people on Pan Am 103 in December 1988, was released last year after a prisoner transfer deal with Libya was signed by former justice secretary Jack Straw.

But with BP under fire in the US, senators have also seized on claims that the prisoner deal was done in return for lucrative drilling rights handed to the oil giant by Tripoli.

Mr Straw, who could be forced to testify in front of a US investigation, has admitted that the BP deal “played a very big part” in his decision to agree the prisoner transfer plan in 2007.

That is an outrage, and it's entirely proper for Obama to bring it up.  But Cameron was not responsible, and it's critical that Obama try to repair the relationship with Britain, which he strained with his insulting treatment of former Prime Minister Brown, when he visited the White House. 

Mr Straw denies that Megrahi was discussed in the phone call, but critics believe there was no need for any explicit reference to the Libyan because he was the most important prisoner involved.

Today, Mr Cameron pointed out that the deals were done under Labour and that Megrahi was released by the SNP-led Scottish government last year.

Asked on BBC Breakfast whether the oil giant had lobbied for Megrahi's release, Mr Cameron said: “I have no idea what BP did, I am not responsible for BP. All I know is as leader of opposition I couldn't have been more clear that I thought the decision to release al-Megrahi was completely and utterly wrong.

“I'm interested in having a good, productive relationship with America. Yes, there will be lots of things we will be talking about, Afghanistan, BP, I'm sure the issue of al-Megrahi will be raised as well.”

COMMENT:  We will watch carefully to see whether Mr. Obama handles this visit with some style.  He recently played kissy-face with Prime Minister Netanyahu of another staunch ally, Israel, months after the president had insulted Netanyahu at the White House.  It's extraordinary to have to watch an American president patch up relations with our allies. I wish he'd been as tough on our enemies.

July 20, 2010