The Smart Asset

Despite U.S. blunders, Brown pledges Europe's love -- in desperation

By Harkavy in Congress, Featured, Gordon Brown

Wednesday, Mar. 4 2009 @ 1:00PM

I was wrong Monday when I said Gordon Brown was coming to the U.S. with hat in hand.

Like that other Brown (James), the British prime minister's getting down on his knees and begging, "Please! Please! Puhleeeze!" Ignoring the economic fracturing of Europe that's setting east against west and even endangering the euro, the P.M. told a joint session of Congress today:

"You now have the most pro-American European leadership in living memory. A leadership that wants to cooperate more closely together, in order to cooperate more closely with you. There is no old Europe, no new Europe, there is only your friend Europe."

Love that last line.

The Wall Street Journal's quick-breaking story explains a little of the urgency — the Democrats are beginning to sound a little too protectionist:

Mr. Brown's message to a Democratic-controlled Congress that in some quarters has been making increasingly protectionist sounding noises was clear: the downturn may have begun with the collapse of the U.S. housing market, but it was now affecting the global economy.

"No matter where it starts, an economic crisis does not stop at the water's edge. It ripples across the world," he said.

Like that sea of red ink.

See the Times story of Brown's speech; read the WSJ's transcript of the speech itself.