Cardboard Obamas Make Appearance in Australia

The next best thing to actually being there, I guess.

US President Barack Obama would have felt sorry for Kevin Rudd when he was deposed last week, the US ambassador says.

Jeffrey Bleich said Mr Obama had a "real affinity" for Mr Rudd, the former prime minister.

"They got along well," Mr Bleich told reporters at a Canberra celebration ahead of the Fourth of July holiday.

"I'm sure that (Mr Obama) felt sympathy for prime minister Rudd and the change that he's going through."

Don't bet for a minute that a megalomaniac like Obama feels anything for anyone else.

However, Mr Bleich said Mr Obama had "hit it off very well" with Prime Minister Julia Gillard when they spoke on the phone after she took on the top job last week.

"They have a lot in common," he said.

Mr Obama and his wife Michelle put in an appearance at the celebration at Mr Bleich's residence - life-sized cardboard cut-outs supervised the party from a balcony.

It's as close as Australia has got to the famous couple after Mr Obama twice cancelled trips Down Under this year.

The images can be seen here. For some reason they're not copying.

This isn't the first time Cardboard Obama has made an appearance.