Obama, Cameron warm up for talks with a little basketball

WASHINGTON -- Ahead of the British prime minister's maiden trip to the NCAA college basketball tournament on Tuesday with America's basketball-crazy president, one of Britain's leading newspapers posited quizzically about the adventure their leader was embarking on.

"What is this March Madness that Prime Minister David Cameron is getting involved in?" TheTelegraph asked.

On the first day of his official White House visit, Cameron traveled with President Obama to Dayton, Ohio, for Tuesday's game between Western Kentucky and Mississippi Valley State. The two spent the short flight on Air Force One talking in Obama's office, and the president appeared to be explaining aspects of the game to the premier, who is a cricket fan.

Political analysts in Europe and the United States have lamented that the Anglo-U.S. bond is not what it used to be, but White House press secretary Jay Carney pointed to the trip to Ohio as evidence the "special relationship" between the two countries remains intact.

"It's the nature of the relationship between the two countries that I think is reflected by the itinerary that's been developed for this trip," he said.

Also on the itinerary: First lady Michelle Obama and the prime minister's wife, Samantha Cameron, hosted an Olympics-style event for Washington-area schoolchildren Tuesday, and the White House announced that Michelle Obama would lead a presidential delegation to this summer's Olympics in London.

The president plays basketball on the weekends at the Department of Interior gym and has made an annual ritual of filling out his NCAA tournament bracket with ESPN's Andy Katz. (This year, he's picking Kentucky, Ohio State, Missouri and North Carolina to make the Final Four, according to ESPN.)

Obama and Cameron, dressed casually, entered the game in Dayton to warm applause and sat in the front row beneath the Western Kentucky basket. Obama shook hands and chatted with fans sitting behind them.

When Western Kentucky scored on Mississippi Valley goal tending for the game's first points, Obama clearly was explaining what goal tending was to Cameron. And when William Pugh — a 6-foot-3 player from Mississippi Valley — dunked, Cameron seemed to enjoy it, responding with a hearty clap.

At one point, Western Kentucky guard Kahlil McDonald was called for a charging foul and went to the floor, where he sat and complained about the call — right in front of Obama, about 3 feet away.

In a television interview at halftime, Obama told Clark Kellogg of CBS Sports that the game gave him a chance to show Cameron "the great state of Ohio." The prime minister "has enjoyed meeting all the wonderful folks here," he said.

Western Kentucky won in the final seconds, 59-58.

Between the tournament game and the state dinner honoring Cameron this evening, the two leaders have plenty to discuss: Europe's financial crisis, Iran's nuclear program, the situation in Syria and the reshaping of the Middle East in the aftermath of the Arab Spring.

Obama said Tuesday that he would consult with Cameron on the Afghanistan War as they consider the pace of withdrawal of the two nations' troops. The long-term strategy in the war has gained new urgency in the aftermath of Sunday's massacre of 16 civilians in Kandahar province, allegedly by a U.S. soldier. Obama had previously set the goal of ending combat operations by the end of 2014.

"Make no mistake, we have a strategy that will allow us to responsibly wind down this war," Obama told reporters before leaving for Dayton. "We're steadily transitioning to the Afghans who are moving into the lead, and that's going to allow us to bring our troops home."

Obama and Cameron will meet on at least three more occasions in the coming months. Both will be at the Group of Eight summit at Camp David and NATO summit in Chicago in May, plus the Group of 20 summit in Mexico in June.