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Brown looks beyond Bush in meetings with US candidates

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has not had an especially close relationship with US President George W. Bush, but he may be looking for a tighter bond with his successor, whoever that might be.

Brown was to meet all three major US candidates yesterday before heading to the White House to discuss the shaky global economy, Iraq and closer trans-Atlantic ties.

The relations between the two leaders have been arms length in contrast with the bond between Bush and Brown’s predecessor, Tony Blair.

Blair’s chumminess with Bush, who was highly unpopular in Britain, contributed to his drop in popularity. Brown has been more wary. Ties also have been complicated by Brown’s decision to draw down British troops in Iraq.

The meetings with the candidates offer an opportunity for a less fraught relationship with whoever moves into the White House.

His three 45-minute meetings within three hours at the British ambassador’s residence could also provide the US candidates with a chance to appear presidential standing beside an important foreign leader.

“That’s remarkable,” said Julianne Smith, director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Europe program. “Few foreign leaders could secure these kinds of meetings in the middle of a campaign. That speaks to how the candidates view relations with Britain.”

In a CBS TV interview on Tuesday, Brown offered praise for all three prospective presidential candidates, Republican John McCain and Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. He specifically praised Clinton’s plans on the economy.

The British leader arrived in the US on Tuesday with his wife, Sarah, for his second visit since replacing Blair last June.

On Wednesday, Brown attended a session of the UN before a meeting with New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and a round of talks with investment executives on Wall Street.

The US trip, however has been overshadowed by the visit of Pope Benedict XVI, who met with Bush on Wednesday and was scheduled to celebrate Mass at a new baseball stadium in Washington yesterday.

Ahead of the visit, Brown said that coordinated efforts to shore up the world economy could reinforce ties between Europe and Washington that were frayed by the Iraq War.

Despite a gloomy financial outlook at home and domestic complaints over his response to the global credit crunch, Brown said he believed that Britain and the US could enjoy a new decade of growth.

After a frosty first meeting with Bush in July, Brown said he hoped he could now help strengthen ties, aiming to lead work that would tackle spiraling food and fuel prices, reform global institutions and combat climate change.
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