British Prime Minister David Cameron was effusive in his praise of President Barack Obama in his toast at tonight's star-studded state dinner.
Cameron, in town to promote the renewed "special relationship" between Britain and and the United States, expounded on Obama's "strength," "moral authority" and "wisdom," and compared him to President Theodore Roosevelt.
"He's found a new voice for America with the Arab people," Cameron said.
The Prime Minister also spotlighted Obama's leadership in the killing of Osama Bin Laden, a key component of the president's reelection message.
"Strength because Barack has been strong when required to defend his national interests, he said. "Under President Obama's leadership American got Bin Laden."
More from the White House pool report, which called the toast "essentially an endorsement of another four years of Obama":
"The president says what he will do and he sticks to it. I'll never forget that phone call on Libya when he told me exactly what role America would play in Libya and he delivered his side of the bargain to the letter... Let us all agree that the world is better off without bin Laden but the world is better off without Gadhafi too."
In discussing Obama's "moral authority" and "wisdom:"
"Moral authority — because Barack understands that the means matter every bit as much as the ends. Yes, America must do the right thing but to provide moral leadership America must do it in the right way too. The first president I studied in school was Theodore Roosevelt. He talked of speaking softly and carrying a big stick. That is Barack's approach, and in following it he has pressed the reset button on the moral authority of the entire free world."
"Wisdom — because Barack has not rushed into picking fights but has stewarded America's resources of hard and soft power. He has takentime to make (inaudible) decisions drawing down troops from Iraq and surging in Afghanistan. He's found a new voice for America with the Arab people.