I didn’t blog about President Obama bowing to Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah because I didn’t see it as such a big deal. There was certainly a time when Americans needed to make a point of not bowing to royalty, but today the United States is the most powerful nation in the world, so guarding our prerogatives doesn’t seem so essential. I’d rather he hadn’t done it, but I’ll save my outrage for more important things.
But now, the White House is denying that Obama made the bow at all:
The White House is denying that the president bowed to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia at a G-20 meeting in London, a scene that drew criticism on the right and praise from some Arab outlets.
“It wasn’t a bow. He grasped his hand with two hands, and he’s taller than King Abdullah,” said an Obama aide, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
(Via Hot Air.)
I can understand why the aide wants to be anonymous, because his explanation is ridiculous. It doesn’t work at all if you’ve seen the video:
He bows, stands up, then grasps the king’s hand.
UPDATE: Amazingly, the White House is still denying the bow, and with a named official now. (I guess Robert Gibbs doesn’t mind looking ridiculous.) They haven’t a leg to stand on, so they ought to let this one go. By continuing to deny the undeniable, they’re making something out of nothing.
Internet Scofflaw 