Report: Bush Privately Told Germany He Had Misgivings About Obama Speech

**UPDATE**

German papers find more evidence that the Bush administration voiced strong opposition to an Obama speech at the Brandenberg Gate. Ben Smith reports:

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."

Also, 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.

On Wednesday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed unease about a possible Obama speech at the Brandenberg Gate. A spokesman said Merkel felt "great skepticism as to whether it is appropriate" for a U.S. election candidate to speak at "a place with a particular exclusivity, intensity and symbolism."

Thursday, Der Spiegel reported that Bush administration officials privately told the German government that they don't like the idea:

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.

TPM's Greg Sargent comments:

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.

Comments

[PaulinaSmedes]

This is where it's fun to be trilangual. There's also another piece in Der Spiegel (in German language) that in short is a reflection on how the Brandenburger Tor could use an upgrade like an Obama speech, since it's being used as a backdrop for every meaningless purpose you can think of these last twenty odd years. The article ends with "Barack Obama, wir brauchen diesen Auftritt!" (translates into: B.O., we need this perfomance).

[mikeant50]

Does anyone actually believe that it was a coincident that McCain's trip to Columbia happened at the same time the hostages was rescue? It was all set up by the Bush Administration.

[chyko]

Are you shocked that the Bush people are interfering with 2008 presidential election? Common now, it is a well known fact that President Bush cannot speak coherently, even when delivering a written speech. It is also know that John McCain falls within the same mold, althought slightly better than Bush. So, puting two and two together, one will understand why Bush is trying to prevent Obama from embarassing both himself and McCain in a foreign land.

So far, we have two great presidential orators, Kennedy and Reagan speak at the venue where Obama intends to add his name and we know that he his speach might be better than the previous two.

The speech will happen afterall, the mayor of Berlin indicated that he has no objection to Obama using the venue as a background for his speech.

[ConcernedAmerican]

I'll bet you $3 trillion that Obama doesn't give Merkel a massage while he's there.....or mention anything about his love for german sausage.....or call any one a "piece of work"....or try and exit through locked doors......or start his opening remarks with "I love the german guy that works in our kitchen".....or anything else that is completely and utterly embarrassing to our great nation.

[LongBeachDave]

Or say "Welcome, from the World's #1 Polluter."

[Wanjiru]

...who died and made Germany King of the Hill?...

...Obama doesn't need you...so please just keep walking...

.

[zurcl]

hey, man, this isn't germany's fault. they're being pressured by the repugs. the last thing they want to do is end up in the middle of this. Herr Bush and Co. are on their way out, but they still have a little time to twist arms.

[DamageControl]

Not sure exactly what the point of this post is? Germans overwhelmingly favor Obama. If you want to be mad at someone maybe it should be Bush league

[ggmome]

The skin heads in power here, when they adopted the workings of the Regime in power during WWII over there.

[AlexVonHussein]

Its shame ! for diplomacy. The Germany Foreign Minister asks rather begs Obama to Make the speech in Berlin and offer him the Gate. .. Merkel party is like the Conservative Republicans here. She has been Bush's puddle. He is free to touch her as he wishes. Merkel's party is full of Racist backward looking people ,and they agree with Bush on many Issues...

Shows how Dictators can easily go to Germany and Carry out their Agendas.... German people dont like Bush nor did they like the Austrian Hitler. but they seem to easily go there and control the Germans.

Is bush controlling the MSM to portray Obama as the Outsider, against the Washington ruling class.?
Obama has a long fight against him. But what ever happens , he, has and still fights the good fight!.

[HermioneGranger]

Bush is not a dictator. Bush is the twice elected representative of the American people. He is the American people. You are responsible for him.

Stop pulling these cheap stunts. If you didn't want Bush, you could have done something about it, other then sitting on you cans and yapping. Stop pretending you live in a dictatorship. That's annoying.

[sissy2004]

HermioneGranger, Most Americans did something about it. They voted against Bush, Gore won but Jeb and the sleezeses came and stole the election. Did you forget? I can't believe you had the nerve to say the twice elected of the AMERICAN PEOPLE - the american people if you go by popular vote did not elected Bush and if you go by Electoral votes did not elect him. In Florida Gore won but his brother and that Katherine loser stole it for him, in Ohio he didn't win either but the sick governor and the flunkies stole that for him. So he may be your president elect but he's not mine. You are responsible for him and his sick war that should have been fought against the one's who attacked American. Remember 911?

[Herekitty]

Hey wait just minute. I never voted for Bush I or Bush 2. I never voted for him when two times these stupid Republicans crowned him Gov of Texas.
I've lived in Texas most of my life...I know what a failure filled life Bush Jr has led.

Who did you vote for?

[miles120]

Actually, he wasn't re-elected. The first time he was appointed.

[muffler]

Come on. What did you expect. Bush has never played by the rules or missed an opportunity to do whatever to advance his agenda. Surprised? NO!, but I can't wait until he is out of office.

[coloradosiren]

I don't think we have to worry about Obama being "presumptuous and arrogant and not humble" when visiting other countries and meeting with heads of states. If that is all we have to worry about we can alredy chalk this this tour up as a success.

[DrittesReich]

Communist DDR, STASI methods being employed against Sen.Obama German visit! Angela, soon your STASI membership record will be made open!

[bluesman49]

This is a brilliant move by Obama - he is on offense. McCain is on his heels. Bush is trying to work the refs to stop it but this is going to happen. How about that big soccer stadium in Berlin? It should hold enough people. This is the same thing we saw with Hillary when she tried to tamp down the huge events that Obama was instigating. He is a transformational figure. He can restore the honor and dignity to the U.S. that Bush has nearly destroyed.

[xargaw]

I would think that the German people would like to hear what Obama has to say. He is an historical representative from America; the first black Presidential Candidate with a chance of becoming President. He has the chance to make an historical speech at a historical place of great significance. It appears the Bush Admnistration is once agains threatened by a superior person. I hope Germany and Ms Merkel rise above the Bush pettiness and are open to an insightful event.

[AlexVonHussein]

You are right. The Germans have a chance to rise above all these.

[HermioneGranger]

The Germans have already risen. The ball is in your court.

Right now, you are the sucking-up-to-Bush country.

[LongBeachDave]

George Bush is threatened by a superior being every time Barney walks into the room.

[WasteNJ]

The only geographic region that hates George Bush more than the Middle East is Europe. Merkel won't win any points by caving in to a Bush demand, and her other EU partners will remind her of that.

[Cyclone]

Bush doesn't want Obama giving a speech in Germany or any where else out of the country. Can you just see thousands of people cheering. They'd probably cheer for anyone other than Bush/McCain. And that goofy Merkel. You think she'd have learned her lesson after the baffoon gave her that "neck rub". Maybe she thinks she won't have to deal with an Obama administration in the future. Maybe she knows something we don't. This is all about politics. It's the photo-op the Republicans definitely don't want.

[batmanindy]

Who cares what boosh says, feels or thinks? F. him.

[moseyon]

I think you people arn't getting it. This man Sen.Obama is the first black man to have the opportunity

to be President of the USA and this is History,a first for America, and a first for the world.

I personally have never really been interested in your elections,until this time. I know we in

Australia would love to see him and welcome him with open arms.I am sure the rest of the world

feel the same way. Will America embrace him? Only time will tell. I truely HOPE so.

[eden4barack08]

YES WE WILL!

[thinklib]

That's exactly the problem. Everybody is so wrapped up in the color of Obama's skin. The issues aren't the issues.

[Herekitty]

The fact tha Bush is trying to torpedo Obama's visit to Germany is the ISSUE.
Bush needs to shut the F--K up and try being a real human being rather than the snake in the grass that he is.

BTW: try this:
For those of you using Windows, do the following:

1. Open an empty notepad file
2. Type "Bush hid the facts" (without the quotes)
3. Save it as whatever you want.
4. Close it, and re-open it.

[DoomtoNeoCons]

Only you are.

[newgeneration]

me too !!

[yvetteb]

Well said!!!