Opinion polls are showing Obama’s approval ratings tanking in the USA, so, ever keen to fly in the face of public opinion the BBC demonstrate once again that every his orifice is but an opportunity to climb up.

This week saw the arrival of the new American Ambassador to the Court of St James’s. The BBC of course refer to this job as “Ambassador to the UK” which either shows ignorance of a title dating back to 1785 or basic dumbing down – whichever one it is should be sneered at.

Loius Susman is a 71 year old retured Citigroup Vice-President (which sounds good until you know that there are thousands of them) and a long-term Democrat donor. A close ally of President Obama, he was nicknamed “the vacuum cleaner” which either means he has a great ability to raise campaign funding or possibly a huge cocaine habit. The BBC says the former.

To celebrate this, BBC Radio Radio 4’s Broadcasting House invited regular contributor Robert McCrum to write a “letter” to Susman. It doesn’t disappoint and there’s one line which definitely raises a grimace.

“Besides, they ride in on a cloud of goodwill: after the President’s visit in April, we are all Obama-ites now.” Errrr, not me, sunshine.

On the upside, cynics can have some fun with the “letter”:

“It did him no harm that he also comes from Chicago, Barack Obama’s home base. Loyalty gets its own reward – and Mr Susman got London.”

So you’re as corrupt as every other Chicago politician then, both of you? A city known for a governing class mired in financial scandals and drug crime…which takes a mischevious mind back to “the vacuum cleaner” line comment.

Welcome to London, Mr Ambassador.