The Daily Background

Dear God, what did we do to deserve such an idiotic media where things like this are even discussed, much less a big deal?

SPIN METER: Did Obama grovel?

Nov 17, 6:48 AM (ET)

By FOSTER KLUG

WASHINGTON (AP) - Some conservative commentators seized on President Barack Obama’s deep bow to Japan’s Emperor Akihito over the weekend, accusing the U.S. commander in chief of groveling before a foreign leader.

So did he?

Short answer: no. Following normal diplomatic protocol isn’t groveling.

Former President Richard Nixon, a Republican, can be seen in a Life magazine photo from 1971 bowing to Akihito’s father, Emperor Hirohito, who ruled when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor in 1941.
[…]
State Department spokesman Ian Kelly told reporters Monday that the bow was “a sign of respect to the emperor.”

In an online State Department posting from 2007 titled “Protocol for the Modern Diplomat,” envoys are advised to be aware of greeting rituals such as kisses, handshakes or bows and to follow a country’s tradition. “Failure to abide with tradition may be interpreted as rudeness or a lack of respect for colleagues,” it says. It’s not clear whether the guidelines apply to the president.

John Park, a senior researcher at the U.S. Institute of Peace think tank, said it is a respectful tradition for visitors to bow to the emperor in a formal setting.

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