Obama phones Jonkey for a chat

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

Obama to Key: ‘Call me Barack’

By TRACY WATKINS - The Dominion Post with NZPA | 5:51PM - Thursday, 14 May 2009



Prime Minister John Key and United States President Barack Obama chatted for 15 minutes in their first leader-to-leader chat.

Mr Obama phoned Mr Key today, the prime minister's office confirmed.

It is the first time the pair have spoken since Mr Obama won the presidency in November, just days before Mr Key won the November 08 election.

Mr Key said they had a very cordial conversation which ended with the President saying "call me Barack".

"We had a very good conversation, he expressed that New Zealand and the United States had a very strong relationship and he wanted that relationship to be even better," Mr Key said.

"We had a broad-ranging conversation about the economy, we talked about Afghanistan. He thanked us for our contribution in Bamiyan."

The President had not asked for New Zealand to send the Special Air Service to Afghanistan.

"I raised with him the issue of free trade and pointed out to him that it was very important to New Zealand," Mr Key said.

"He seemed sympathetic I thought...and made it clear that was something that was on the agenda for us to talk about."

Mr Key said he had made it clear that the US's trade deal with Australia, put New Zealand at a competitive disadvantage.

The call had been planned for the last few weeks and it had been a matter of fitting in with President Obama's schedule.

Mr Key was told this morning the call would come.

The 15-minute conversation was an introductory call, with the ability to talk about a wide range of issues without any specific issue at stake.

At first President Obama had started formally.

"He said Mr Prime Minister, but at the end he said call me Barack. He already called me John and I felt very comfortable with that."

President Obama said he had friends who lived in New Zealand and would love to come and play golf.

Asked whether there was a chance of either men visiting each other's countries, Mr Key said President Obama was due to travel to Asia this year.

"Whether there will be a visit from either side is a little bit of a challenge at this point."

Mr Key said he had not done any planning to go to Washington, but there would be an opportunity for the pair to meet when they both attended Apec in Singapore later this year.

Mr Key would like an opportunity for a formal meeting at some point, but this would be taken one step at a time.

President Obama comes from Hawaii, where Mr Key has a holiday home.

"If he wants to come and stay, he would be more than welcome."

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/politics/2412089/Obama-to-Key-Call-me-Barack


Phone chat ends in ‘Call me Barack’

By TRACY WATKINS - The Dominion Post | 8:31AM - Friday, 15 May 2009



It was a phone conversation that started with the words "Mr Prime Minister", and ended with "Call me Barack".

Prime Minister John Key chatted with the world's most powerful leader, United States President Barack Obama, for 15 minutes yesterday — though it was a belated catchup.

Mr Obama's first phone call Down Under was four months ago to Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who also received a speedy White House invitation.

But yesterday's phone call lays the groundwork for what may be Mr Key and Mr Obama's first face-to-face meeting — which could be as early as New York in September, when the United Nations General Assembly meets.

Mr Key hedged around the prospects of a White House invitation yesterday, saying nothing was planned but "at some point I'd like to think there will be an opportunity to get together for a one-on-one meeting".

On the prospects of a New Zealand visit by Mr Obama, he was equally non-committal, though "he told me he had friends who own a house in New Zealand and he would love to come down and play golf one day".

US officials said yesterday's call was a "broad-brush chat", homing in on trade, nuclear non-proliferation, the global economic crisis and Afghanistan, where the US is seeking a step-up in help from countries involved in the long-running war.

New Zealand is contemplating a request to send more Special Air Service soldiers to Afghanistan but Mr Key said the subject of the SAS was not raised during the phone call.

Meanwhile, speculation has begun to surface about Mr Obama's choice for the next US ambassador to New Zealand, after US senator Tom Harkin confirmed he had nominated Cedar Rapids businesswoman Marcia Rogers for the job.

The Cedar Rapids Gazette said Ms Rogers, a Democratic supporter and campaign contributor, had lived in New Zealand for four years with her husband, Daniel, who was a partner in Clear Communications.

Their son Michael is at Auckland University law school and is in New Zealand with his wife and son.

It could be months, however, before the next ambassador is confirmed as there are likely to be other names in the hat and all candidates face a lengthy vetting process.

The post has been vacant since former Republican appointee Bill McCormick left late last year.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/politics/2413425/Phone-chat-ends-in-Call-me-Barack