Merkel warns Obama not to use landmark for 'electioneering'

[Satyagrahi]

Source: AFP

BERLIN (AFP) — German Chancellor Angela Merkel slammed a request by Barack Obama to give a speech this month before the Brandenburg Gate as "inappropriate", her deputy spokesman said Wednesday.

The conservative leader said that while she would be pleased to meet the US Democratic presidential hopeful, it would be wrong for him to hold a "campaign rally" at the historic symbol of German unity.
(...)

In an unusual move, a spokesman for Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier sharply contradicted Merkel's views at a regular government press conference, saying they could be interpreted in the United States as an affront to Obama.
(...)

"The foreign minister does not find it odd," he said, adding that an Obama speech at or near the site would be "an expression of the vital German-American friendship" just days after Washington opened a new embassy next to the gate.

Read more: http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iOHqUA-lomoRNmcE07pGF4RJ0x_Q

---

It is important to understand that, according to a report by a German newspaper (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung), this is the result of the direct intervention by the Bush administration with the Merkel government in order to prevent any Obama speech at the Brandenburg Gate:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x6473651

[TwilightGardener]

1. Maybe Merkel was actually thrilling to Chimpy's ape-like touch all this time?

Maybe she gets a little interspecies thrill at his caresses?

[FMArouet]

6. Main Call is Berlin Mayor's, a Social Democrat

And Mayor Klaus Wowereit seems to hold Merkel in rather low regard.

Maybe Obama can play a little hardball here and make it clear that it would not serve Merkel's, or Germany's, long-term interests to continue to diss him so openly, in seeming craven compliance to Republican pressure.

[JDPriestly]

11. I'm sure there will be a compromise.

May I suggest an area around the Gate, something near by not at. That will please everyone. Obama should definitely go to Berlin, let the public there know that Merkel discouraged him from going to the Brandenburg Gate and allow the German people to express their feelings about Merkel's decision. Merkel should stay out of our politics. Obama is likely to be our next president -- far more likely than not -- and she is not getting off to a good start with him. She is out of place in expressing any opinion on this. It is she who is interfering in our politics.

[FMArouet]

12. The Gate area is spectacular...

but there are many other fine settings in Berlin, as well. Or how about Sanssouci, Frederick the Great's Palace and grounds at nearby Potsdam? A speech on the steps above the fountain, with the Palace in the background at sunset, would be a magnificent setting. And how about a dinner with Merkel in the dining room overlooking the grounds, to the accompaniment of a baroque string ensemble--playing some music composed by Frederick the Great himself (as well as, of course by his accompanist, C.P.E. Bach, and by C.P.E.'s father, Johann Sebastian)?

Isn't it time for a restoration of the Enlightenment?

OK, I'll stop daydreaming. Back to reality.

[Karenina]

28. WHY is Obama giving a speech in Deutschland anyway?

That was the first question my ESL students asked. :shrug:

[Nihil]

16. Compromise? Of course ...

I agree there is no reason why Obama can't go to a slightly quieter area
for his speech but just *where* do you think you are going with this bit:

> Merkel should stay out of our politics.

Ha! Anyone can express any opinion they want about your politics.
It's not as if American politicians have ever butted into the politics
of other countries is it?

:eyes:

> She is out of place in expressing any opinion on this.
> It is she who is interfering in our politics.

SHE is not the one who is "out of place".
She is IN place - Germany.
Obama is out of place.
Bush is out of place.
You are (probably) out of place (haven't checked your profile
so if you are in Germany then ignore this one with my apologies).

Merkel is exactly right to protest cheap political grandstanding
on an important historic German site for the sole benefit of Obama's
American audience.

So he wants his "I am a sausage" moment to reinforce his desire to be
seen as "the next JFK" ... why be surprised if there is resentment that
what should be a meeting between potential heads of state starts to
look like it is yet another US domestic photoshoot for the upcoming
elections?

[Satyagrahi]

17. So Bush gets Merkel to criticize Obama's speech and you are defending...

her???

[Nihil]

19. Merkel isn't criticising Obama's speech: she is criticising his grandstanding.

As someone pointed out in your other thread on this subject, what she has
said is basically "I really don't want the senator to use this as a campaign
platform, but hey, it's Berlin's call".

To quote from the article:
>> (Merkel's spokesman) stressed that giving permission to use the venue is
>> a matter not for Merkel's government, but for Berlin city authorities.

>> As a result, he said Merkel has voiced "great skepticism as to whether it
>> is appropriate to bring an election campaign being fought not in Germany
>> but in the United States to the Brandenburg Gate."

Merkel most definitely has the right to criticise Obama's posturing
(in Germany remember) for his own domestic electioneering, regardless of
whether Bush wants her to or not. It's down to the Mayor & Senate of Berlin
to actually say yes or no to Obama (and at the moment they're saying yes).

I have no problem with that.
:shrug:

[Satyagrahi]

22. But why is she criticizing Obama? It's because Bush asked her to do it!

The respected Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper reported this week that a member of the Bush delegation approached Merkel's foreign policy advisor, Christoph Heusgen, at the G-8 summit in Japan to discuss misgivings about Obama's planned speech.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,565080,00.html

[Nihil]

24. Knock yourself out - it's just another storm in a teacup.

From the same article:

> But the tumult in Berlin also underscores a bit of foreign policy naivité
> on the part of Obama's travel planners. Merkel's clear choice of words may
> be surprising, but it wouldn't have been difficult to imagine that the
> German government would give a tepid response to his plan to hold a speech
> at such a highly symbolic historical location.

FFS, one newspaper reports that "a member of the Bush delegation" stirred
up an already half-arsed situation (anyone surprised?) and suddenly the
German Chancellor is being pilloried for daring to remark upon the mixture
of insensitivity, inexperience and incompetence of Obama's PR team because
*Obama* has apparently behaved in the same dumb "the rest of the world only
exists for US photo-ops" attitude that everyone had hoped was being left
behind with Bush.

(Must be a slow news week again for this to be getting traction.)

[MillieJo]

25. Yes because American politicians telling Germany what to do

is going to go down so well. That will so improve relations between Europe and the United States pressure from Obama before he is even elected.
All Merkel has done is express her opinion about somebody using a famous landmark in her country for posturing and a speech and however to the right she maybe she is still to the left of many Democrats in office. Germany doesn't have the death penalty and has fully legalised gay marriage too. I am not writing this to defend her but to defend the right of Europe to say no to Americans.

What is the point of Obama going to Germany for a photo op? Is he after the German vote or because he seriously thinks he is so like Kennedy his campaign will be wanting without a photo of him infront of the Brandenburg Gate?

I don't dislike Obama, I hoped the Edwards would get the nomination and I now hope the Obama wins but stuff like this makes him annoying rather than interesting.

[no_hypocrisy]

2. Does that mean that Obama is limited to extoling the virtues of German Bier?

[tridim]

3. Bushitler is in no position to dictate where Obama visits.

Fuck him.

[bemildred]

4. Yep, sure would not want to allow any electioneering in Europe.

http://www.chinapost.com.tw.nyud.net:8090/news_images/20080612/p2a.jpg

That would be completely inappropriate.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

5. Fucker

Caving like this to Fuckface, she's no better than he is. Who the fuck does she think she is?

Maybe she needs another neck massage?

[David__77]

7. Why don't those spineless "Social Demcrats" bring this witch down?

That they collaborate with her instead of forming a progressive SPD-PDS-Green government, which is in their power, is beyond every measure of morality.

[high density]

8. Who says it's going to be an election rally?

I have a feeling that very few people in attendance at a speech in Germany will be able to vote for him in November. With that in mind I have a hard time believing this will be framed as an "election rally." I'm sure this will be the next anti-Obama issue the media runs with once all of the discussion about Access Hollywood dies down.

[AndyTiedye]

9. And It's Not As Though the American Media Would Give Such a Speech Any Coverage

[SoxFan]

10. OK, Angie, gotcha

Some places are just inappropriate for a speech, right?

[MichiganVote]

13. Well she won't be in office long.

[Canuckistanian]

14. Merkel: "Ich bin ein Busher"

Looks like all those backrubs are taking effect.

[Octafish]

20. One's never the same once touched by the crazy monkey.

"Love" is writ large, all over.

[CBHagman]

15. Perhaps Senator Obama will serenade the chancellor...

..with something extremely rude by Mozart. I'm sure all the German speakers on this forum can think of a few sentiments...

[HCE SuiGeneris]

18. A clear intervention of Bushitler... two "conservative" elites colluding to derail Obama.

[The Stranger]

21. The Merkel piece of shit is a Neocon to the bone.

Weird thing is, the monkey can't keep its hands off of her.

[Javaman]

23. sounds like ms. merkel is itching for another massage. nt

[Satyagrahi]

26. Berlin mayor slams Merkel over Obama stance

BERLIN (Reuters) - Berlin's mayor said on Thursday he would be pleased if U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama spoke at the Brandenburg Gate and sharply criticized Chancellor Angela Merkel for opposing such an appearance.
(...)

"I cannot understand the stance of Mrs. Merkel," said Wowereit, who has ultimate responsibility for approving events staged in Berlin.

"We should be happy if the potential American president wants to come to Berlin to hold a big speech," he told reporters in Berlin. "That is a compliment and a good sign for German-American friendship. We shouldn't lay obstacles in his path but welcome him."
(...)

Obama is hugely popular in Germany and could draw tens of thousands if he did speak at the Brandenburg Gate. An opinion poll published on Sunday in the Bild newspaper found 72 percent of Germans would vote for him if they could.

http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSL103451620080710?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=10112

Merkel is the only German politician opposing an Obama speech at the Brandenburg Gate. And she did so only after meeting with Bush in Japan:

The respected Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper reported this week that a member of the Bush delegation approached Merkel's foreign policy advisor, Christoph Heusgen, at the G-8 summit in Japan to discuss misgivings about Obama's planned speech.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,565080,00.html

[Satyagrahi]

27. TPM - Report: Bush Officials Not Happy About Possible Obama Speech At Brandenburg Gate

Report: Bush Officials Not Happy About Possible Obama Speech At Brandenburg Gate
By Greg Sargent - July 10, 2008, 3:48PM

There's been an interesting twist in the ongoing behind-the-scenes discussions over whether Barack Obama will deliver a speech on July 24th at Berlin's historically-charged Brandenburg Gate.

A new report in the German press says that Bush administration officials are unhappy with the idea and privately said as much to representatives of Chancellor Angela Merkel.
(...)

Now Der Spiegel has added a new twist to the tale.

From the mag...

The respected Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper reported this week that a member of the Bush delegation approached Merkel's foreign policy advisor, Christoph Heusgen, at the G-8 summit in Japan to discuss misgivings about Obama's planned speech. The government is also acting out of respect for Republican presidential candidate John McCain, who has long enjoyed strong ties to Germany and good personal relationships with a number of high-level government officials in Berlin.

The report is unconfirmed, and the paper cited here doesn't have an English translation, but Der Spiegel describes it as "respected." If Bush officials are privately trying to nix a speech that would give Obama a major boost it's an interesting development and raises more questions, such as whether the administration is possibly letting efforts to help McCain intrude on back-channel diplomacy in other areas.

More:
http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/07/report_bush_officials_not_happ.php

In fact, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung is the most respected newspaper in Germany.