From the NYT. No, Really.

Looks like Obama decided not to attend the upcoming emergency economic summit with world leaders.

Several Obama advisers, in separate interviews, all used the word “awkward” to describe the situation.

The situation has already fostered misunderstandings. Russian officials told reporters in Moscow that President Dmitri A. Medvedev of Russia would probably meet with Mr. Obama during his trip to the United States this weekend, even though the Obama camp has ruled that out.

The potential for even more significant misunderstanding was underscored last weekend when a quick, seemingly perfunctory telephone call by Mr. Obama returning the congratulatory call of Poland’s president led to a dispute about what was said about missile defense. If confusion over such a delicate issue could arise from a roughly five-minute phone call, Obama advisers reasoned, then the prospect of longer encounters in person with foreign leaders at this point would be fraught with peril. He has not even designated a secretary of state, Treasury secretary or national security adviser.

Mr. Obama called for “a globally coordinated effort with our partners in the G-20” in a campaign stop in Miami in September. But some of his advisers said the timing of the gathering this week was not their choice and wished there were a graceful way to call it off or at least postpone it.

Now, some people might say that Bush should be the one to represent our country until Obama is sworn in in January. It's just funny that Obama called for exactly this type of meeting, and now he is going to stay home and play basketball, presumably.

All Obama's talk about the economy, and an opportunity like this comes up and he disses it. I think it's a bad call on his part. He could always say beforehand through his spokespeople and/or teleprompter that he doesn't agree with Bush, and he is simply there to start preparing his administration for handling the worldwide economic situation when he takes office in January.

Interesting article coming from the Messiah's mouthpiece.

*emphasis mine