First lady Michelle Obama® and Samantha Cameron (L), wife of British Prime Minister David Cameron, talk during the official arrival ceremony at the South Lawn of the White House March 14, 2012 in Washington, DC. Prime Minister Cameron is on a three-day visit to the U.S. and is expected to have talks with Obama on the situations in Afghanistan, Syria and Iran. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
President Barack Obama® and British Prime Minister David Cameron hold a joint press conference in Rose Garden of the White House on March 14, 2012 in Washington, DC. Prime Minister Cameron is on a three-day visit to the U.S. and he is expected to have talks with Obama on the situations in Afghanistan, Syria and Iran. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
First Lady Michelle Obama® and Samantha Cameron during the official arrival ceremony at the South Lawn of the White House March 14, 2012 in Washington, DC. Prime Minister Cameron was on a three-day visit in the U.S. and he was expected to have talks with President Obama on the situations in Afghanistan, Syria and Iran. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
U.S. President Barack Obama®, British Prime Minister David Cameron (2nd R), First Lady Michelle Obama (2nd L), and Samantha Cameron wave during an official arrival ceremony at the South Lawn of the White House March 14, 2012 in Washington, DC. Prime Minister Cameron was on a three-day visit in the U.S. and he was expected to have talks with President Obama on the situations in Afghanistan, Syria and Iran. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
U.S. President Barack Obama talks with British Prime Minister David Cameron (2nd L), First Lady Michelle Obama (L), and Samantha Cameron (2nd R) during an official arrival ceremony at the South Lawn of the White House March 14, 2012 in Washington, DC. Prime Minister Cameron was on a three-day visit in the U.S. and he was expected to have talks with President Obama on the situations in Afghanistan, Syria and Iran. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
President Barack Obama® talks to British Prime Minister David Cameron (L) during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House March 14, 2012 in Washington, DC. Cameron is on a three-day visit to the U.S. and he is expected to have talks with Obama on the situations in Afghanistan, Syria and Iran. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
First lady Michelle Obama (L) and Samantha Cameron, wife of British Prime Minister David Cameron, participate in an Olympics-themed event with area school children at American University March 13, 2012 in Washington, DC. Fifth graders from MacFarland Middle School in Washington, D.C., Manor View Elementary School in Maryland and Arlington Science Focus School in Virginia participated in a mini-Olympics competition in celebration of the 2012 London Summer Olympics and Mrs. Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Date created: 13 Mar 2012
First Lady Michelle Obama® embraces American Paralympic athlete and Iraq War Veteran Kortney Clemons during an Olympics-themed event with area school children at American University March 13, 2012 in Washington, DC. Fifth graders from MacFarland Middle School in Washington, D.C., Manor View Elementary School in Maryland and Arlington Science Focus School in Virginia participated in a mini-Olympics competition in celebration of the 2012 London Summer Olympics and Mrs. Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
First Lady Michelle Obama® and Samantha Cameron (2nd R), wife of British Prime Minister David Cameron, visit with American decathlete and Olympic gold-medal winner Dan O’Brien© and WNBA MVP and a four-time Olympic gold medal winner Lisa Leslie (2nd L) during an Olympics-themed event with area school children at American University March 13, 2012 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
First Lady Michelle Obama© and Samantha Cameron (L), wife of British Prime Minister David Cameron, visit with American wheelchair tennis player and Paralympic gold medal winner David Wagner during an Olympics-themed event with area school children at American University March 13, 2012 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
WNBA MVP and a four-time Olympic gold medal winner Lisa Leslie plays basketball with area school children during an Olympics-themed event at American University March 13, 2012 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
First Lady Michelle Obama® and Samantha Cameron (2nd R), wife of British Prime Minister David Cameron, watch area school children sprint during an Olympics-themed event at American University March 13, 2012 in Washington, DC. Fifth graders from MacFarland Middle School in Washington, D.C., Manor View Elementary School in Maryland and Arlington Science Focus School in Virginia participated in a mini-Olympics competition in celebration of the 2012 London Summer Olympics and Mrs. Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
First lady Michelle Obama (2nd R) and Samantha Cameron®, wife of British Prime Minister David Cameron, visit with United States Women’s National Soccer Team midfielder Lori Ann Lindsey (L) and defender Becky Sauerbrunn during a tour of an Olympics-themed event with area school children at American University March 13, 2012 in Washington, DC. Fifth graders from MacFarland Middle School in Washington, D.C., Manor View Elementary School in Maryland and Arlington Science Focus School in Virginia participated in a mini-Olympics competition in celebration of the 2012 London Summer Olympics and Mrs. Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
First Lady Michelle Obama plays tennis with students during an Olympics-themed event with area school children at American University March 13, 2012 in Washington, DC. Fifth graders from MacFarland Middle School in Washington, D.C., Manor View Elementary School in Maryland and Arlington Science Focus School in Virginia participated in a mini-Olympics competition in celebration of the 2012 London Summer Olympics and the first lady’s Let’s Move! initiative. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
First Lady Michelle Obama plays tennis with students during an Olympics-themed event with area school children at American University March 13, 2012 in Washington, DC. Fifth graders from MacFarland Middle School in Washington, D.C., Manor View Elementary School in Maryland and Arlington Science Focus School in Virginia participated in a mini-Olympics competition in celebration of the 2012 London Summer Olympics and the first lady’s Let’s Move! initiative. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
First Lady Michelle Obama plays tennis with students during an Olympics-themed event with area school children at American University March 13, 2012 in Washington, DC. Fifth graders from MacFarland Middle School in Washington, D.C., Manor View Elementary School in Maryland and Arlington Science Focus School in Virginia participated in a mini-Olympics competition in celebration of the 2012 London Summer Olympics and Mrs. Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
First Lady Michelle Obama gives high-fives to students during an Olympics-themed event with area school children at American University March 13, 2012 in Washington, DC. Fifth graders from MacFarland Middle School in Washington, D.C., Manor View Elementary School in Maryland and Arlington Science Focus School in Virginia participated in a mini-Olympics competition in celebration of the 2012 London Summer Olympics and Mrs. Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
US President Barack Obama© listens as British Prime Minister David Cameron® gestures whiel speaking at University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio, March 13, 2012, for the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship First Four. AFP PHOTO/Jim Watson (Photo credit should read JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images)
President Barack Obama holds a baby after Western Kentucky Hilltoppers defeat the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils 59-58 at UD Arena in the first round of the 2011 NCAA men’s basketball tournament on March 13, 2012 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
President Barack Obama smiles as he sits with British Prime Minister David Cameron (unseen) at UD Arena to watch the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers take on the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils in the first round of the 2011 NCAA men’s basketball tournament on March 13, 2012 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
President Barack Obama® smiles as he is interviewed by broadcaster Clark Kellogg© along with British Prime Minister David Cameron at half time of the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils game with at UD Arena in the first round of the 2011 NCAA men’s basketball tournament on March 13, 2012 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
President Barack Obama (L) and British Prime Minister David Cameron® watch the action at UD Arena in the first half as the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers take on the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils in the first round of the 2011 NCAA men’s basketball tournament on March 13, 2012 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
President Obama and the first lady are playing host and hostess this week to United Kingdom Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife, Samantha. The second day of the Brits’ two-day stay in America was marked today with a welcoming ceremony for the visiting leaders in the White House Rose Garden.
Yesterday, first lady Michelle Obama joined Samantha at an event featuring D.C.-area school children participating in mock Olympic games staged at American University. Last night, the president and prime minister attended an NCAA basketball game in Ohio and mingled with the crowd.
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President Obama and Prime Minister Cameron are expected to spend today discussing international issues, including the ongoing unrest in the middle east and the international economy. The positive connection between these heads of state is expected to help their meetings flow smoothly.
In an interview that will air tonight on Rock Center with Brian Williams, Cameron describes his relationship with the president as “easy,” and elaborates: “We call each other by our first names. We talk probably, once a fortnight, once every three weeks, but it depends on how many issues there are that we really need to get to grips with.”
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President Obama also shared kind words for the British during his Rose Garden speech, saying of Prime Minister Cameron’s compatriots: “We stand together, and we work together, and we bleed together, and we build together, in good times and in bad, because when we do, our nations are more secure, our people are more prosperous, and the world is a safer and better and more just place.”
Using the visit to promote her Lets Move! initiative to fight childhood obesity, Mrs. Obama looked flawlessly crisp in creme pants paired with an elaborately embroidered yellow sweater, as she played sports with the kids on Tuesday. According to the Mrs. O style blog, the first lady’s “chartreuse and cream beaded silk cashmere cardigan and a yellow flower print georgette shirt” were “both from the L’Wren Scott Spring 2012 Collection.”
The play version of the games were also held to celebrate the coming Summer 2012 Olympics, to be held in London.
Follow Alexis Garrett Stodghill on Twitter at @lexisb
