g-20 roundup | President Obama

April 2, 2009 at 12:00a.m.

President Barack Obama said Wednesday he’s taken enough flak for his college basketball selections and is not about to wade into European soccer — or, as he correctly called it in London, “football.” A reporter asked Obama about his picks for the upcoming World Cup qualifier between England and Ukraine. Obama, laughing at himself as he stood beside British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, balked. He noted his college basketball predictions had “stirred up all kind of controversy.” “The last thing I’m going to do is wade into European football,” Obama said, using the European name for what’s known as soccer in the U.S.

The geek-in-chief didn’t miss a chance to give technology to new friends. Obama gave Queen Elizabeth II an engraved iPod during his visit to Buckingham Palace. The portable music device came with headphones and already loaded with 40 songs, all classic show tunes — including several from “Camelot,” based on the King Arthur legend, and “My Fair Lady,” set in London. The president and first lady also gave the queen a rare book of songs signed by “The King and I” composer Richard Rodgers. The iPod also included photos and video from the queen’s visit to Washington and Virginia in 2007. In return, the queen and her husband, Prince Philip, gave the Obamas a signed portrait.

Obama and Brown discussed the global financial crisis. Obama and the prime minister’s sons talked dinosaurs. The U.S. president joked with reporters that between conversations about foreign policy, he had time to chat with Brown’s two sons about what was on their minds. “I have to say it’s not just Gordon and Sarah that have been very hospitable. I had a chance to see their two sons, and we talked about dinosaurs a little bit — in between discussions of Afghanistan and Iran,” Obama said with laughter. “So we’ve had a wonderful time.”

Source: Associated Press