It is now being reported that the White House is admitting they handled Brown’s visit badly, gave the wrong gift, and should not have given back the Churchill bust. They say they learned from the mistakes: "Mr Obama has now told his staff to learn from the errors made during Mr Brown’s visit and to ensure that the protocol is observed when he meets the Queen later this month." Also note that the Dean of journalists (and resembling David Gergen), David Broder is now saying that the honeymoon is over. "Among those who follow government closely, there has been an unmistakable change in tone in the past few weeks. These are not little Rush Limbaughs hoping that Obama fails. They are politicians and journalists measuring him with the same skeptical eye they apply to everyone else." We are back to doing politics, it would seem.
Not yet. The only reason the honeymoon is beginning to conclude is the overwhelming evidence of serial incompetence, which simply cannot be overlooked.
But this doesn't mean the underlying attachment to Obama by his devotees in the media has come to an end. What it means is they're beginning to look to CYA. And this is only in the beginning phase. When all criticism is still couched in touching affirmations of their continued faith, that tells us the honeymoon period still obtains.
Look at Lawler's posting the other day. Now Lawler could have detailed the various policy positions of Obama, said he opposed them all, and thus wished Obama to "fail" in implementing those domestic and foreign policies. But he couldn't bring himself to that, {for various reasons, political correctness, desire to maintain some moderate political colouration, intellectual laziness...} but for whatever reason, he couldn't simply come out and identify the policies he concurs with, or dissents from.
It's going to take another 6 months before people are comfortable coming right out and saying they dissent from what Obama's doing, want no part of it, and are determined to bring his agenda down.
But we're all going to get there.
Look I didn't vote for Obama because I wanted competence, or prosperity, or any of that jazz. I voted for HOPE. And, just like Rush, I am hoping....