Bush blamed for Merkel opposition to Brandenburg date for Obama

[DogPoundPup]

Source: Independent

Despite furious denials, suspicion is growing that President George Bush has put pressure on the German Chancellor Angela Merkel to block a proposed speech by Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama at the Brandenburg Gate this month.

The Obama campaign is remaining tight-lipped about the controversy, saying yesterday that the candidate "has considered several sites for a possible speech, and he will choose one that makes most sense for him and his German hosts."

Germany is already in a swoon over Mr Obama and near-constant comparisons are made between him and President John F Kennedy, who is still revered, especially in Berlin.

If Mr Obama cannot speak at the famous gate, he may address his European fans at Tempelhof airport, where the Berlin airlift was launched, or at Schöneberg town hall, where in 1963 President Kennedy delivered the speech that contained the famous line: "Ich bin ein Berliner". Another suggestion is that Mr Obama speak in front of the Reichstag, Germany's parliament. Presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton used the Brandenburg Gate to deliver speeches when they were in office.

Ms Merkel's office argues that allowing Mr Obama to speak at the historic gate would be tantamount to an endorsement by the government. "The Brandenburg Gate is too important to misuse it for internal American affairs," a spokesman said.

Read more: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/bush-blamed-for-merkel-opposition-to-brandenburg-date-for-obama-865824.html

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Edited to add this:

A half-dozen German-speaking readers helpfully provided a round-up from the German press, in which the Bush adminstration's opposition to an Obama speech at the Brandenburg Gate comes across as more heated — and more overt — than previously reported, and the local pushback is also quite fierce.

Deputy Treasury Secretary Robert Kimmitt told the tabloid Bild — the biggest paper in the country — that "it would be nice if the German government would focus on strengthening its contacts to us rather than already beginning to look for our successors."

A few readers wrote in with more precise translations of the word "angeblafft" in that Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung piece, which — beyond the point previously translated — said Merkel's foreign policy adviser Christoph Heusgen was "taken to task," "snapped at," or "berated" by a Bush aide.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0708/Brandenburg_Gate_gate.html

[Ian David]

1. Bush must give an awesome back-rub

[ut oh]

4. That pic is so creepy

I remember seeing the video of that...

yuck, I feel sorry for that woman....

not even an apology..... typical

[Kali]

2. Hey Angie, baby...

Yew don't do what I tell ya, Ahm gonna give y'nother neck massage, git mah drift? or touch yer hair...er worse!

[Matteon]

3. He shouldn't use the gate anyways

until after he is elected. For a candidate to use it is inappropriate.

[DogPoundPup]

5. Well ok if that is how you feel, BUT ,,,

what business is it of baby bush?

[Tarheel_Dem]

7. Don't you think that should be between Obama and his hosts? He was "invited"

afterall. All the brouhaha seems to be coming from freepers and people who haven't gotten over the primaries. I'm sure Sen. Obama will do what's right, but thanks for your "concern".

[aquart]

19. Oh, look. A gratuitous, evidence-free insult.

It's hard to reach across the aisle when you still can't forgive your opponent for losing.

[Fearless]

8. What difference does it make? Let him speak wherever he wants to.

[bbinacan]

10. I agree with you and

welcome to DU. :toast:

[SpookyCat]

18. I'm curious why you think that.

Why is it acceptable only after he's elected? Sorry to be dense, but I'm completely missing your point. Thanks!

Sadly, I don't know how many Americans would even know what the gate is.

[Fearless]

25. They wouldn't, and why are we arguing that Germany shouldn't look like they support Obama?

[Wizard777]

6. I vote for a town hall meeting at Schoenberg. Angela's decission could be a blessing in disguise.

Cut out Reagan and Clinton. Stick with JFK. Obama talks to us and listens to what we have to say. He doesn't always do what we say. But he listens attentively. So why not talk to our allies too? If he's going to turn around this disaster of a war on terrorism. We are going to have to work closely with our allies. Bush was right one thing. "The war on terrorism will be a lot like the war on drugs." An exercize in self destruction and a complette failure!

[downindixie]

9. Imagine the headlines

President Obama finally speaks at Brandenburg!

[vaberella]

11. Wasn't that sexual harassment? Unless eye contact = Yes, massage my soldiers.

[vaberella]

12. *double post*

[Gman]

13. The Reichstag would be absolutely perfect

Obama doesn't have to say a word about the significance. But he can talk about war on false pretenses.

[AndyTiedye]

17. YES! Speak at the Reichstag!

[BobTheSubgenius]

14. Thought I'd refresh my memory on the history of the Gate.

This caught my eye: "On December 21, 2000, the Brandenburg Gate was privately refurbished at a 6 million dollar cost."

I was wondering what a similar project would cost in...say, DC. The architects and engineers wouldn't have even submitted plans and specs before $6 million was gone.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

15. right wing twins!

[Botany]

16. If bush said he didn't do it then you know he did.

The man is a pathological liar.

[LaurenG]

20. I hope Merkel is overridden. Someone needs to step up to the plate

just to show bush that he isn't the decider. What a little brat he is.

[Karenina]

22. It wasn't her decision.

This was decided in Berlin by the Mayor and others. If it was a PR ploy, the result is spectacular! :rofl:

[Satyagrahi]

21. Bush won - Obama won't speak at Brandenburg Gate

At least according to Der Spiegel: An Obama adviser assured the German government that Obama will not speak at the Brandenburg Gate.

Dabei ist der Streit um den Auftritt des Kandidaten möglicherweise schon geklärt. Die "Bild" berichtet, dass Obama-Berater der Bundesregierung zugesichert hätten, der Kandidat werde definitiv nicht am Brandenburger Tor sprechen.

http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/0,1518,565462,00.html

:(

[Karenina]

23. GOOD!!! I also find it inappropriate!!!

I also find it HYSTERICALLY FUNNY that the mere suggestion has resulted in Angela outing herself AND the *team demonstrating YET AGAIN what classless, arrogant bullies they are!!! OH, THE FEEDING FRENZY!! :rofl:

Thank you for the link! Great article!!! LOVED the *countdown clock" on the right. :rofl:

[glitch]

24. Good Lord what whiney little pissants. nt

[jmowreader]

26. If he's GOT to speak in Berlin...

and I really wish he wouldn't (he should spend his money campaigning in the United States; last I checked, the Berliners don't vote for American presidents), the best location of all would be in front of Rathaus Schöneberg--the "temporary city hall" of West Berlin where John F. Kennedy made his "ich bin ein Berliner" speech.

After he's elected he can speak in front of the Brandenburg Gate all he wants.

[LanternWaste]

27. I checked FR to gauge the reaction to this...

I checked FR to gauge the reaction to this and there isn't really ano other than the typical ad-hominens-- he's arrogant, pandering, it will backfire on him, etc. Half of the thread was taken up by analyzing the Kennedy speech. I saw only one post that was... bizarre to say the least: "More evidence that Obama is the ‘world’ candidate. Sounds a little too anti-christ like to me."

I guess the A.M radio talk show hists haven't told them what to think about this yet... :shrug:

[Igel]

28. I think my point comes at it a bit from the side.

* was nailed for politicking in the elections from abroad when he spoke in Israel and referenced appeasement.

Obama supporters went ballistic at the idea of their candidate being assailed, however obliquely. Domestic politics should be kept domestic, was the nearly universal outcry.

There was veiled outrage at the idea that McCain's mere presence in Colombia when Betancourt et al were freed was a campaign stunt. How dare McCain stoop so low as to make political hay on the international stage. It's unconscionable.

Until, of course, it involves Obama in Germany. Then making domestic politics international is de rigueur, morally perfect, politically astute, ground-breaking in its audacity and justness. It serves the right end, after all, so the means are justified.

I don't like domestic politics being played internationally. I don't like it done muted, as McCain was doing. In this case, it's not muted, but vocal. Even the OP makes the contrast glaringly obvious: President X did this, President Y did that, Candidate O might do one of them. When it's "President O", fine.

[depakid]

29. Impressive, isn't it?

I think folks (especially young people) have learned a lot from the Bush era... though not what many of us would consider good lessons in objectivity, diplomacy or critical thinking.