Bush administration apparently trying to prevent Obama speech at Brandenburg Gate

[Satyagrahi]

According to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, an unnamed Bush aide met Christoph Heusgen (Merkel's "chief foreign policy adviser, according to the BBC) at the at the G-8 summit in Japan and told him in no uncertain terms ("angeblafft worden") that the Bush administration wasn't very pleased about Obama's plans to speak at the Brandenburg Gate.

Nun wurde die skeptische Haltung des Bundeskanzleramts zu Obamas Plänen öffentlich. Es heißt, der außenpolitische Berater der Bundeskanzlerin, Christoph Heusgen, sei auf dem G-8-Gipfel in Japan von einem Berater Bushs angeblafft worden wegen Obamas Plänen.

Obama vor dem Brandenburger Tor
Von Wulf Schmiese
http://www.faz.net/s/Rub0A1169E18C724B0980CCD7215BCFAE4F/Doc~EAB6B74C273154FD99FA59D8AD147065D~ATpl~Ecommon~Scontent.html

According to the Berliner Zeitung, a member of the administration (possibly Deputy Treasury Secretary Robert Kimmitt?) conveyed the same message to the Germans on occasion of the opening of the new US embassy in Berlin.

Möglich ist, dass es eine gewisse Missstimmung in Teilen der Bundesregierung gibt. Vielleicht aber will das Kanzleramt mit solchen Bemerkungen die US-Regierung von George W. Bush beruhigen. (...) Offenbar gab es aus der US-Regierung bei den Feiern zur Eröffnung der neuen US-Botschaft vergangene Woche auch entsprechende Hinweise an die Deutschen.

Tormann Obama
Von Damir Fras, Tobias Miller Andreas Kopietz und Ulrich Paul
http://www.berlinonline.de/berliner-zeitung/berlin/104605/index.php

Kimmitt also expressed his displeasure in an interview with the German daily Bild:

"Meanwhile, all the recent attention Obama has been getting in Germany has ruffled some feathers with the Bush administration. "It would be nice if the German government would intensify the contacts with us again and not already look over our shoulders at our successors," Deputy U.S. Treasury Secretary Robert Kimmitt told the German daily Bild."

Obama's Berlin Visit Sparks Debate Among German Politicians And Irks Bush Administration
http://blogs.dw-world.de/acrossthepond/michael/1.6788.html

As a result, the German chancellery is now trying to prevent a speech at the Brandenburg Gate (but apparently the decision lies with the Berlin Senate and the Mayor):

Chancellor, Berlin Mayor Bicker over Obama Visit

Barack Obama wants to hold a speech at the Brandenburg Gate when he comes to Berlin later this month. The city's mayor wants to grant him his wish, but the German chancellor has misgivings.

More:
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,564635,00.html

[OwnedByFerrets]

1. All I have to say is

neeneeeneeneeerrrrrr:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

www.wearableartnow.com

[BridgeTheGap]

2. What a bunch of assholes!!! Thank God they'll soon be out of the White House! n.t

[bunnies]

3. Poor Dumbya. The whole world hates him.

Wonder how *that* happened. :eyes:

[Waya]

4. What's it to them?

I hope the Germans 'pull a Putin' and tell Bush and Co to mind their own damn business.

[JI7]

5. the entire world hates him

and have already moved on. they are just waiting for us to make it official in November and January.

[eShirl]

6. Bush admin is gone in 6 months; why should the Germans care what Bush thinks? n/t

[panader0]

7. What if Barack promises not to give a backrub?

[predfan]

8. Obama will go through Europe like a rock star, IMO.

[TexasObserver]

9. "I'm really looking forward to eating that pig." --- Bush in Germany

He's probably wondering how Merkel can do this to him, after those great shoulder rubs he gave her.

[Alter Ego]

10. Germany to Bush: "Fuck off."

[Satyagrahi]

11. Update: Merkel voices opposition to Obama speech; Berlin Mayor: She is doing Bush's bidding.

It seems that Merkel is really buddy-buddy with Bush. Today she went one step further and declared that she was opposed to any Obama speech at the Brandenburg Gate:

US-Wahlkampf: Merkel gegen Obamas Rede in Berlin
ZEIT online, Tagesspiegel | 09.07.2008 13:42

Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel hat sich offen gegen eine Rede des demokratischen US-Präsidentschaftsbewerbers Barack Obama am Brandenburger Tor ausgesprochen. Außenminister Steinmeier sieht das Vorhaben ganz anders.
http://www.zeit.de/news/artikel/2008/07/09/2568743.xml

Berlin Mayor Wowereit accused Merkel of playing politics and said that she was obviously doing Bush's and the Rebublicans' bidding. He also stressed that the decision about the speech lies with the Berlin Senate, not with the Chancellery:

Wowereits Sprecher Richard Meng warf Merkel parteipolitisches Verhalten vor. „Sie tut das offensichtlich den Republikanern und Herrn Bush zuliebe.“ Meng stellte klar, Berlin entscheide, wo Obama sprechen darf, nicht der Bund.

Merkel und Wowereit streiten über Obama-Rede am Brandenburger Tor
http://www.fuldaerzeitung.de/newsroom/politik/zentral/politik/deutschland/art667,634754

Merkel uneasy over Obama Brandenburg Gate address

By GEIR MOULSON

BERLIN (AP) — German Chancellor Angela Merkel has signaled unease over the prospect of a possible speech by Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama at Berlin's historic Brandenburg Gate, a spokesman said Wednesday.

Merkel has "only limited understanding for using the Brandenburg Gate as an election campaign backdrop, as it were, and has expressed skepticism about pursuing such plans," Thomas Steg, a spokesman for the chancellor, told reporters.
(...)

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."
(...)

He stressed that giving permission to use the venue is a matter not for Merkel's government, but for Berlin city authorities. Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit said Tuesday that he would be "delighted" for Obama to appear at the Brandenburg Gate or elsewhere.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iaz3rr95XrLM6XONohYDrGhN5wiQD91QCA9O0

[RaleighNCDUer]

13. IOW:

Merkel - "I really don't want the senator to use this as a campaign platform, but hey, it's Berlin's call - what can I do?" "(sorry, George, you little pissant - next time keep your hands to yourself)"

[grantcart]

12. very interesting

[Hersheygirl]

14. Jealousy, jealousy, jealousy