News Service from House Harris

EUR: Obama gets jersey, and maybe a dig, from Brazil

L'AQUILA, Italy, July 9 AP - President Barack Obama seemed pleased with the gift he received on Thursday from Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, but it was bittersweet nonetheless.

Silva gave Obama, a big sports fan, an autographed yellow Brazilian soccer jersey at the start of their morning meeting at the G-8 summit in Italy.

In their banter, which reporters partly heard through a translator, Silva spoke animatedly of the June 28 soccer match between the US and Brazilian national teams in the Confederations Cup series. The game was a crushing loss for the underdog Americans, who led at the midway point, 2-0, only to lose 3-2.

Silva repeatedly said, "Yes we can", which was Obama's campaign catchphrase and apparently what the Brazilian president had in mind while his team trailed. Obama smiled gamely; if he felt Silva was rubbing it in a bit, he didn't let on.

"Hey, look at this," Obama said of the jersey, signed by the Brazilian team's players. "Beautiful. All right, wonderful. I like that."

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs later said Obama ended his 30-minute session with Silva by patting the Brazilian's back and vowing, "We will not lose a two-point lead again."