Wow! No bow this trip; Obama greets India's president straight up

Two days into his visit to India, President Obama received an almost royal official welcome Monday in New Delhi.

As horses led his limo down a clay path at the presidential palace, Obama received a 21-gun salute, then reviewed troops and greeted India's diminutive president, Pratibha Patil, (above) with a double handshake.

None of the low bows that the American leader proffered to other foreign dignitaries during previous Asian trips and meetings. See the photo below and this story: How low will he go? Obama gives Japan's Emperor a wow bow Those bows prompted criticism back home that as the United States' new leader eager to make friends, Obama was too obsessed with obsequiousness.

Not this time.

The president is scheduled to travel next to Indonesia on Tuesday, although.,...

...Jake Tapper is reporting worries are mounting that the major volcano eruption and resulting ash there may force a cancellation of that leg. Obama is also scheduled to visit South Korea and Japan before returning home.

Here are the president's brief New Delhi welcome remarks with one of the longest sentences of his administration:

First of all, I want to thank all the people of India for the extraordinary hospitality and welcome that Michelle and I and my delegation have already received. 

And we took this trip with the intention of strengthening what is already an incredible friendship between the United States and India.  As I’ve said earlier during my visit, I believe that the partnership between the United States and India will be one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century.  We are the two largest democracies in the world.  We share extraordinary people-to-people contacts.  Most importantly, we share a core set of values. 

And my hope is that during the course of these discussions between myself and the Prime Minister, myself and the President, and other members of the Indian delegation, that we will be able to continue to build on the commercial ties that we already have to strengthen our cooperation in our bilateral relations in the international economy; that we'll be able to focus on issues like counterterrorism in order to assure that both the United States and India are secure well into the future; that we can build on the people-to-people ties that are in part grounded in the millions of Indian-Americans who contribute so much to our country and help give us an appreciation of Indian life; and that, given that India is not simply an emerging power but now is a world power, that the United States and India will be able to work together to promote the international principles, the rules of interaction between nations that can promote peace and stability and prosperity not only for our two nations but for the world as a whole.

So, to all the people of India, Michelle and I express our extraordinary thanks for the wonderful hospitality that we've received, and also we want to send our warmest regards from the people of the United States to all the people of India. Thank you so much.    ####

In other foreign news, MSNBC said late Sunday that suspended commentator Keith Olbermann's suspension would be suspended starting with his program Tuesday night. That just happens to be one night after Conan O'Brien resumes his TV career on TBS.

-- Andrew Malcolm

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Photos: Raveendrana / AFP / Getty Images (Obama meets India President Pratibha Patil); Mandel Ngan / AFP / Getty (Obama greets Japan's Emperor Akihito 11-09).

Comments

[r.]

bowing of that sort is only really customary in japan. what would make you assume it's a continent-wide practice? in any case, wherever else it's practiced, it's certainly not customary in india.

you should check your facts before linking content like this to the latimes.com homepage. i thought that was the whole difference between "serious" news sources like newspapers, and bloggers - that y'all had fact-checkers - no?

[Iain Sanders]

Let's hope the Indians don't take that as a personal insult..

[writer]

Leave the president alone, he is working hard to better this country, stop making your decision to down play him, your negativity seem to be racial motivated. The hand this country been in was based on sustained racism, unfair towards the minorities, deception directed at greed. Minorities have never been in control so how can you now blame the president for all the years the mojority had control. No, you need to get a grip, minorities are tired of cleaning up your house. It is true, this country was taken throughout early history by internal wars in early history. We are aware who this land first belong to yet the native americans are still today suffering because they fought for their land just like you would. This statement is not racially involved, it is the truth.

[Dave]

not so fast.. here is a Rueters story where a picture is shown with Obama Bowing in India.. Here is the caption:

President Barack Obama

President Barack Obama bows and makes a greeting to the audience beside India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after delivering a speech at Parliament House in New Delhi, November 8, 2010.… Read more »
REUTERS/Jim Young

[writer]

It is a very sad day because the way the president is being treated, if he is treated poorly I can imagine how individuals feel who are not incharge. After the many minorities served in the military fighting for this country, and still today having to fight to be equal this very day then talk about Obama who is the President. The reason seem to be racially motivated. Mr. Obama is a great president, the majority can't seem to accept it because the mojority can't take directive from a minority. The president is not only intelligent, there are many who are as well.
Do you really think if the president was white he would still receive poor treatment? Throughout the entire elections, the signs and words spoken directed at the president are also directed at all minorities.
The politicians who are directing negative things at the president, they spend so much time putting him under a spot light, whay have they not stood up and say Mr. President what can I do to help; instead the lie to the people, don't support the minority president? This country is truely devided, the recent elections, if you know what mass media mean, it is designed to control your mind by spending a lot of money to put out far to many videos. For the most part lies.
The campaign should be about what you intend to do and what you stand for. The politicians did put out destruction messages that seem racially motivated; they used each other to distort and ruin others. In the 2 years. how many republicans voted for new laws and bills? They have no solutions, only to change things to go after greed. No republican ever stood up to help the middle class, no one came to the president to say, lets work together to get jobs going, we are sorry for supporting the rich and sending jobs to other countries. You really think people do not know what is the real deal. They keep saying jobs but, they have no writting agenda to present; their words mean nothing, get it in writing.
You people who voted for republicans, you should have really investigated the medical bill, social security, education, info=structure, trading, who sent jobs overseas, the oil spills, flooding in Louisiana, etc before you voted.
Before voting, people should learn to research before casting a vote, a lot of people do not understand what they vote for. So far, mant of the republicans do not really know what they do, they are too busy putting down their own president and that been racially motivated. If you check out in history, how many average years the average empire lasted? Mankind is ruining the earth.

[egoing]

He saved the bowing for the Indian Parliament.

[Darek]

Obama has no class. To the idiot writer who posted couple of racist comments here: we are only criticizing Obama's white half (borrowed it from Dennis Miller).

[The Coach]

I'm really hoping that whoever is calling themselves "writer" in the comments is not the writer of this article. I know that it's a comment on a news story, but have some pride in what you're typing and do a little spell/grammar check once in a while.

There are photos of him bowing to Indian Parliament so the basis for this entire headline is now false. Should have waited until he got home before trying to write something to prove that he doesn't bow to EVERY country except the one that he has vowed to protect and defend.

As to the comments about how republicans didn't vote for anything and that the republican voters don't research their candidates, what about voting in a dead politician. CA voters just recently voted to elect an individual that had passed away 10 days prior to the election (By the way, they did have a D next to their name). Talk about knowing your elected officials.

I do agree with "writer" that the population does need to educate themselves and know what they are voting for, but that's where the agreement ends. The ramblings about the oil spill, social security, and health care are all the normal talking points that through conversation can be disproved or shown to be incorrect. And if you pay attention to where the information is coming from, Republicans and Conservatives are not the ones bringing up the these issues or the racial issue. The racial issue is being manifested and developed by those that claim to defend it. The democrats have developed talking points surrounding the vilification of the "upper class" and protecting the "lower class". Class warfare is no better than racial hatred.

Thou shall not steal. Thou shall not covet.

Oh and the golden rule, do unto others as you would have done to you.

Politicians could learn a little from following these a little better. Obama might not have to deal so much with people attacking him, if he didn't attack everyone else (Supreme court justices, republicans, rich, big business, etc.)

[CommonSense]

"The reason seem to be racially motivated." "...your negativity seem to be racial motivated."
Honestly, 'writer' your support for the commander-in-chump seems to be racially motivated. He's about as qualified for this job as the average houseplant but when people dislike his socialist agenda, the lemmings like you just can't get racism out of your limited thought process.

It has nothing to do with his race, Republicans and Tea Party conservatives sure elected a lot of intelligent black representatives to state and federal seats and we're proud to have them. We don't give a rat's butt about skin color, we care about the best possible candidate for the job and who will defend our freedoms. That's all. No learning curve allowed here, either you support individual freedom or you don't ...and he doesn't.

Obama was supposed to be a 'post-racial' president and a lot of people voted simply based on that. Our reward? He calls us enemies for demanding laws be enforced, stokes racial tensions with his arrogant resistance to accept that we do not like what he's doing, and non-thinkers like you immediately claim racism anytime someone of color is not held up on a podium.

It's not working, we don't feel bad anymore. The claim of racism has actually lost much of it's impact now that you've been abusing it for two years to support this guy. Quit wallowing in self pity and baseless elitism and accept that he's a failure because of his policies, not his skin color. If you prefer the eastern eurpoean socialist model, move there.

This is America, the land of the free and the home of the brave. Obama just doesn't fit in on either account.

[CommonSense]

"how many republicans voted for new laws and bills?"
The laws and bills that take away freedoms or further socialism? Hopefull ZERO republicans voted for those.

"They have no solutions, only to change things to go after greed." Solutions to what? Most of the 'problems' that Obama is trying to solve are not the federal government's responsibility to solve (and shouldn't be.)

"No republican ever stood up to help the middle class, no one came to the president to say, lets work together to get jobs going, we are sorry for supporting the rich and sending jobs to other countries." Unions and unrealistic demands on employers pushed jobs overseas. Sorry, it's just fact.

"You really think people do not know what is the real deal. They keep saying jobs but, they have no writting agenda to present; their words mean nothing, get it in writing."
He isn't interested. His ideas for 'fixing' the economy involve taking from Paul and giving to Steve. The conservatives say to leave Paul alone so he can hire Steve for a fair wage. Sorry if it's not enough to let your uneducated self buy the newest iPhone and SUV.

"You people who voted for republicans, you should have really investigated the medical bill, social security, education, infostructure, trading, who sent jobs overseas, the oil spills, flooding in Louisiana, etc before you voted."
I did. The Medical bill is the biggest socialist power grab in history. Bad idea. Social security was created by democrats, the original agreement was tossed aside by democrats and the money dumped in the general fund (then spent on crap) and is now broke. The healthcare plan should be even LESS attractive if you understand Social Security and how the government runs stuff. Education? Are you kidding me? We spend more than most of the world per student but kids are still stupid. Another example of the inefficiencies and ineffectiveness of government control. Trading? Like the subprime mortgage fiasco? That was Barney Frank and liberal democrats. They bullied lenders into loaning money to deadbeats who we all KNEW wouldn't be able to pay for it. Of course the defaults would come, and in a HUGE way, but why bother with understanding the causes when you can just baselessly blame someone else? Jobs overseas, you blame that on republicans too? Of course it has nothing to do with unions demanding a job that's worth $9/hr pay $35/hr with full retirement benefits and unimaginable protections. It's stupid to hire people in this country right now, it's like putting your own head in a noose and just waiting for the floor to drop.

I'm a conservative and I'm interested in solutions that promote personal liberty. If the republicans just elected don't deliver, they're going to get replaced just as quickly as they were put into office.