Jay began writing politically themed commentary and founded his blog, Swimming Freestyle, in October 2007. Here he'll write about politics from a progressive perspective.

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Bush Squashes Obama's Brandenberg Speech?

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July 10, 4:47 PM

by Jay McDonough, Progressive Politics Examiner

This is equivalent to deliberately tripping a rival in a basketball game; unsportsmanlike, juvenile, and just kinda low.

Barack Obama, during his trip to Europe later this month was rumored he wanted to give a major speech at the famous Brandenberg Gate in Berlin. That, obviously, would have been a big deal. One can anticipate a huge crowd cheering Obama and the publicity that would ensue.

Then German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed some doubt about whether that might be appropriate:

Merkel doesn't think the US election battle should be played out in front of the gate, and said she viewed the possibility of Obama culminating his July 24 visit to Berlin at the famous landmark with "certain displeasure," government spokesperson Thomas Steg said on Wednesday.

Oh well. It would have been an amazing sight to watch Obama deliver that speech in that setting. But the Germans have every right to decide how they want their country portrayed around the world.

Never failing to surprise us, the White House was apparently involved. Der Speigel is reporting today:

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.

This really is no holds barred.

Topics: Obama , Bush , Brandenberg , Merkel

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