When will Barack Obama get some competent assistance from his Office of Protocol? Obama has already embarrassed himself by executing deep-waisted bows to Saudi King Abdullah and Japan’s Emperor Akihito. Now he’s extending the show of submissiveness to … American mayors? The AP caught the moment:

U.S. President Barack Obama bows to Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio at MacDill Air Force Base on Thursday, Jan. 28, 2010 in Tampa, Fla.

He didn’t bow like this to Queen Elizabeth (and rightly so). Ms. Iorio isn’t royalty, and even if she were, an American President should greet her with a handshake, not a bow. Does Obama greet the mailman with a bow, or the sanitation worker? Does he bow to Andy Stern when the SEIU chief comes to the White House on a weekly basis? OK, OK, I know the answer to that one …

Got an Obamateurism of the Day? If you see a foul-up by Barack Obama, e-mail it to me at [email protected] with the quote and the link to the Obamateurism. I’ll post the best Obamateurisms on a daily basis, depending on how many I receive. Include a link to your blog, and I’ll give some link love as well. And unlike Slate, I promise to end the feature when Barack Obama leaves office.

Illustrations by Chris Muir of Day by Day. Be sure to read the adventures of Sam, Zed, Damon, and Jan every day!