“What I’m confident in is that our strongest partner in that effort will once again be the United Kingdom.” -U.S. President Barack Obama (France 24)

Hello, I’m Charlotte Bellis, and you’re watching Newsy.com. That was video from France 24.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is in Washington, DC to address the U.S. Congress on a “Global New Deal”.

He’s the first European leader to visit since U.S. President Barack Obama’s inauguration.

Since Brown’s arrival… many British media outlets smell a snub. Here’s Al Jazeera English:

“They made a big thing about—yanno, we’re the first European leader, whisper, whisper. We beat the French; we beat the Germans. And that sort of raised the bar for the visit. But if you compare it with the more recent visits from Blair, he didn’t get much face time.” (Al Jazeera English)

Many reports suggest former British Prime Minister Tony Blair got bigger receptions at the White House—especially from President Bush. CNN brings us these comparisons:

“Things like those grand press conferences the two used to have—there you go, or perhaps lining the White House with British flags. There were of course trips to Camp David. As for PM Brown’s visit with President Obama… Well- it was part of a 90-minute working lunch.” (CNN)

The Obama administration is trying to quell rumors of a chilling relationship with the UK. CNN also gives us President Obama’s response:

“This notion that somehow there is any lessening of that special relationship is misguided.” -U.S. President Barack Obama (CNN)

An editorial on the UK’s Telegraph portrays Brown as a jilted lover, with the headline “Lovestruck Gordon Brown Kept at Arms Length by Barack Obama,” saying:

“The smitten Mr Brown tried too hard, venturing a tentative ‘Barack’ a couple of times while the President stuck to a proper ‘Mr Prime Minister.’” (Telegraph)

MSNBC’s Chris Matthews focuses less on Prime Minister Brown’s reception… instead highlighting President Obama’s upcoming trip to the UK.

“The fact is President Obama is extremely popular on the other side of the Atlantic, The Prime Minister’s trip here is just a prelude to the huge excitement that will come when OUR pres visits Great Britain as part of his first overseas trip at the end of the month.” (MSNBC)

The UK’s Sky News says snub or not—who cares?

“[T]he times and problems are far too serious to waste this visit on providing frills and pampering egos.” (Sky News)

Do you think the US-UK relationship is still strong? How much attention should a foreign leader’s visit get?