Cheat Sheet

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President Obama's invitation to Gordon Brown to be the first European leader to his White House was considered a prime opportunity for Brown to hitch his falling wagon to Obama's rising star, but has the American president snubbed the British P.M. already? The Times of London reports that the White House has cancelled a joint-press conference with the two leaders and will, instead, take a few questions during a photo-op. Rachel Sylvester suggests, meanwhile, that maybe Obama is doing Brown a favor: "Privately, though, even Mr Brown's own aides admit there is a danger that the trip will simply reinforce his weaknesses - that he will look wooden next to the more charismatic man."