Top Brit to skip Olympic start

by Frank James and updated

The screws are turning on President Bush to skip the Olympic Games opening ceremonies in Beijing to protest the Chinese crackdown in Tibet. How so? British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has let it be known that he won't be showing up for the opening festivities.

Here's the Associated Press report:

LONDON (AP) — The BBC says Prime Minister Gordon Brown will not attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Summer Olympics.

The broadcaster said Wednesday that Brown was not boycotting the Olympics and planned to attend the closing ceremony. Officials at Brown's office were not immediately available for comment. Brown has been under intense pressure from human rights activists not to attend the opening ceremony to protest Beijing's ongoing crackdown in Tibet.

And here's the BBC story which says that Brown isn't boycotting the Olympics, that he will be there for the closing ceremonies.

With Brown, the leader of the U.S.'s closest ally, making it known he won't be at the opener, that gives Bush less cover if he ultimately decides to attend the start of the games. German Chancellor Angela Merkel already has decided to skip the ceremonies.

It also should make for interesting dinner conversation at the White House next week, when Bush plays host to Brown. The presidient will meet with the prime minister in the Oval Office on Thursday, and the two will take part in a joint press conference in the Rose Garden before a social dinner in honor of Brown and his wife in the residence that night.

(Prime Minister Gordon Brown. AP Photo by Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Whether Bush will attend the opening or not was again at the center of a lively discussion at today's White House briefing with the president's press secretary, Dana Perino, once again avoiding giving the reporters the answer they were seeking, that is, will the president be watching the parade of athletes into the stadium from the stands?

Q Dana, in an interview with EWTN, the President was asked specifically, "You are now planning on going to the Olympics, to be at the Opening Ceremonies at the Olympics. How can you in good conscience go to that ceremony, Mr. President?" He answered, "Because I -- I'm going to the Olympics, for starters, and my plans aren't -- haven't changed." Dana, is he going to the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympic Games?

MS. PERINO: I would just leave it as the how the President stated it. We haven't announced the President's schedule.

Q So you can't say right now whether he's going to the Opening Ceremonies or not?

MS. PERINO: I cannot.

Q You can only say that he is going to the Olympics?

MS. PERINO: Yes, but I'm not trying to signal anything by saying that -- I don't have the President's schedule. It is way too far in advance for us to announce the President's schedule.

Q Nancy Pelosi said today that -- about the Opening Ceremonies and the party -- that she hopes the White House realizes there's not a party going on in Tibet, saying that you shouldn't go to the Opening Ceremonies.

MS. PERINO: Well, maybe she should check out what the President just said on camera about pressuring China, both publically and privately, before, during and after the Olympics. He just said it, just now in the meeting with the Senior Minister from Singapore, in which they spent a lot of time talking about China and human rights and Tibet. And particularly -- in particular, the President said that China would be in good stead if it would just reopen the dialogue that it had with the Dalai Lama or the Dalai Lama's representatives.

Q One last thing. For people who are reading between the lines here that you're not being -- able to be pinned down on this, is it possible that the President could go to the Olympics but not go to the Opening Ceremonies?

MS. PERINO: I'll refer you to my first answer. (Laughter.)

Q But this is different, Dana. If we asked you this question a couple of weeks ago or a couple of months ago, you would have said he's going to the Opening Ceremonies. Does this suggest --

MS. PERINO: That's not true. Did you ask me that? Did I say that?

Q I think it's been pretty clear that he was planning on going.

MS. PERINO: No. He said he was going to the Olympics. We have not given out the President's schedule. And even before -- I've not given out any details about the President's schedule when it comes to Olympics. So it's wrong to say that I have changed my story.

Q Since this issue has become -- sort of moved to the forefront here, is there any reexamination, recalibration, or rethinking of the dynamics that would have the President at the Opening Ceremonies?

MS. PERINO: Not that I'm aware.

Q Dana, what sports -- what Olympic sports might the President be most interested in, and might his journey center around those?

MS. PERINO: I don't know. He's a sports fan, he likes it all.

Q Is it true he's going to the shot-put? (Laughter.) You won't discuss that, will you?

MS. PERINO: I don't have any details on his schedule. It's premature for me to -- Peter.

Sen. Hillary Clinton, who has called on the president to sit out the opening ceremonies, offered a statement about Brown's decision today:

"I wanted to commend Prime Minister Gordon Brown for agreeing not to go to the opening ceremonies of the Olympics in Beijing. That was an important decision by Prime Minister Brown and I am calling on Senators McCain and Obama to join me in my request that President Bush also not attend the opening ceremonies