Was Obama groveling before Japan emperor?
Some conservative commentators seized on President Barack Obama's deep bow to Japan's Emperor Akihito over the weekend, accusing the U.S. commander in chief of groveling before a foreign leader.
So did he?
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While it may have been an awkward moment, it wasn't without precedent. And it appeared to be well within protocol guidelines that the State Department issues for foreign service officers working in other countries.
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Image: In this November 14, 2009, photo U.S. President Barack Obama bows as he is greeted by Japanese Emperor Akihito upon arrival at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. Obama's awkward encounter with Akihito - bows are not meant to accompany physical contact - is not even the first time the president, a Democrat in office less than a year, has been criticized for his greeting of a foreign leader.
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