The Bush Administration is unhappy because Gordon Brown does not ask, “How High”, when told to jump. The comments among people who don’t get it are amusing:

The concerns were revealed as Mr Sarkozy made his high-profile trip to Washington, sparking anxiety that France is usurping influence once enjoyed by Britain. This weekend President George W Bush is host to Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, at his ranch in Texas, during which Iran will be a key talking point.

Nile Gardner, a former adviser to Margaret Thatcher and an expert on transatlantic relations at the Heritage Foundation think tank, said: “Britain is clearly losing influence in Washington after Tony Blair. Brown is the invisible man in terms of his profile here.

“It should be of concern in London that France is muscling in on traditional British territory.”

Britain has not had any influence on the US since Bush has started squatting at 1600. They have simply gotten photo-ops for its leaders saying what they were told.