Mr. Brown Comes to Washington

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is looking for a boost to his political fortunes by meeting President Barack Obama to discuss the global economic crisis.

In hard political times at home, Brown scrambled to be the first European leader to visit Obama and hopes to benefit from Britons' high regard for the American president and to demonstrate British leadership at a time of economic uncertainty.

Brown, who was to meet Obama on Tuesday, was laying the groundwork for a G-20 economic summit of advanced and developing nations meeting in London next month. The summit, which Brown is chairing, is critical for improving global economic confidence as well as Brown's political prospects.

Brown planned to deliver a tough economic message for the White House and lawmakers, whom he will address Wednesday. He is urging the United States to avoid protectionism at a time that it has populist appeal. That theme is likely to loom large at the London summit.

Ahead of the U.S. trip, Brown was stressing the traditionally strong bonds between British and American leaders and urging the two countries to lead the world out of crisis.

The White House also was pointing to the need for coordinated economic action.

"The president said in September that we have to act together in helping to stimulate the economies of the G-20 as well as ensuring that there are some financial rules of the road so that we don't find ourselves in the same position a few years down the line," White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Monday.

Brown has been falling significantly behind the conservative opposition in British opinion polls. Supporters hope an appearance with Obama and a leading role in next month's economic summit will change his fortunes. After showing a sometimes frosty front with President George W. Bush, Brown hopes to prove ties to London are as crucial to the United States as developing relations with China and Japan.

But in tackling the protectionism issue, the British leader seeks to present himself as a plain-speaking friend, not reluctant to question his trans-Atlantic ally like predecessor Tony Blair, whom critics dubbed Bush's poodle.

Writing in London's Sunday Times during the weekend, Brown said he wanted to reach agreement with Obama on a global pact for the summit. He said all nations should agree to inject cash into their economies, sign up to universal banking reforms and back an overhaul of international institutions.

"President Obama and I will discuss this week a global new deal, whose impact can stretch from the villages of Africa to reforming the financial institutions of London and New York — and giving security to the hardworking families in every country," Brown wrote.

Britain has invested billions to bail out banks and boost the country's economy, while Obama has had a $787 billion economic stimulus bill passed in the United States.

The two leaders are also likely to touch on the war in Afghanistan, Iran's nuclear program, global warming and other topics.