It's not Blair  Gordon Brown's first trip to the US since
becoming prime minister highlights how different he is from Tony
Blair.     • Jump to comments ()  One of the consequences of the
federal system is that American politicians have difficulties
getting name recognition on a national scale. That is one of the
reasons why they have to spend so many millions to get their
names imprinted in voters' minds, and why dynastic names do so
well in the electoral market place, with Kennedy, Bush and
Clinton being good examples.  If so many Americans have
difficulty recognising, for example, Democratic presidential
hopeful Bill Richardson - despite his distinguished career as
congressman, UN ambassador, energy secretary, negotiator with
North Korea, and currently governor of New Mexico - it is
understandable that Gordon Brown, currently on his first visit
to the US since becoming prime minister, has not been on
everyone's mind.  But he will be, whether through acts of
omission or commission. Despite former House Spea