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

[Kalima]

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

Article from "Spiegel Online.

[Kalima]

Sorry, the link doesn't seem to work. Maybe you can C&P it in.

[aquarharris688]

You shouldd copy and paste this link: http://www.spiegel.de/international/world

It works!

[UnknownSoldier]

bad link

[SlinkyTWF]

Bad SEO design... Interesting article. Just paste the whole URL into your browser, should work.

[Kalima]

This is really none of GB'S business as O has been invited there. What are they going to
do, take away his passport?
Frau. Merkel needs to take this meddling with a grain of salt, I hope she does. GB's days
are numbered and she is quite tough in some respects. My family over there would be
delighted if he came over, they have been watching him since the primaries.
GB and his gang, stoop to the lowest rung of the social and moral ladder again.

[watcher269]

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[mergina]

He had misgivings? If you asked him what misgivings means he could not tell you. GO AWAY, GO VERY VERY FAR AWAY.

[eNewsReference]

This is yet another episode of the President trying to 'appease' a candidate after his own heart... http://www.enewsreference.com

[debrouillard]

Keep the Whatever gate they call it away. It is not the gate that matters,it is the enthusiasm and the number of people he will draw,irrespective of the site. If Merkel wants to be a Bush "Appeaser" so be it.

But it doesnt take anything away from the Charisma that Barack brings. On the contrary Germany might regret one day that,they didnt allow CHANGE to be associated with a Historical place. The reason why the Empire memorable building in Illinois is so famous today is because thats the place Abraham Lincoln stood when he gave his famous speech of a house divided can not stand.

Just like places can make events,events can make places too.

[barriosbabe]

Exactly!

[tony2008]

isn't it a little fishy for the administaration to interfere in the campaigns in this manner?

[4wehttam]

Hasn't stopped them before.

[aquarharris688]

Can't you see, they are afraid and upset that they didn't think of it themselves! Down with the Bush regime!

[CoulterIsASuccubus]

Obviously the backrubs on Angela were quite effective.

[HermioneGranger]

You guys really need to let go of that backrub-thing. No wonder everyone thinks American men are wankers if you can get yourself worked up over hat.

[jacqmac]

Lessee here. Obama is making a European tour BEFORE he's elected. He wants to make a speech in a place with historical significance to the "New" Germany. Some of us are worried that Obama is overreaching BUT we are holding his feet to the flames and threatening to jump ship because he didn't go to Washington and filibuster the FISA bill by accusing him of selling out and pandering and shifting and flip-flopping and wobbling and well-just NOT being presidential enough while he's still campaigning? Sooo-the MINUTE he wants to make a speech in Germany-he's overreaching. HEY-did ya ever stop to THINK that he's visiting at LEAST ONE country in Europe that has UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE? That maybe this tour has SOMETHING to do with how BEST to present THIS issue (healthcare) to the AMERICAN PEOPLE? And the man can make his dang speech ANYWHERE he wants--REMEMBER-one of the 'waffling' attitudes that Democrats have toward him is his lack of experience in areas of foreign policy and well-gee whiz! MAYBE he's gettin' some IDEA about what our European 'kin' think . Last I heard-foreign policy is a hand in glove 'buddy' of national policy. The fact that the Bush Administration sees 'fit' to meddle in a decision that was made by Obama and his campaign should really be the issue here, NOT whether or not Obama wants to be a dictator.

[Fritzchen]

All the European countries that he plans to visit have (somewhat) universal healthcare: Germany, France, UK. Though in Germany there's only a mandate for employees, not for freelancers.

[Steeevyo]

Dude. Our universal healthcare in Germany is a scam.
If that is what youre going for in the USA i can only offer my heartfelt condolences.

[barriosbabe]

Had both. would take German healthcare, sick leave, and maternity benefits ANY day!!! Signed, 51 y.o., 2 college degrees, 3 jobs, no savings, diabetic not on meds (because I eat right and swim 2 hours perday), no money buffer, no health coverage in US (employer offers plan at $720 per month - ha! ha! ha!). I live where the government spends billions on war but won't provide free test strips =preventative)!!

[SlinkyTWF]

Frontline, a PBS documentary show over here, did a comparison of Germany to four other systems, Japan, Britain, Switzerland, and one other. Was interesting and covered pros and cons of all the systems. If you haven't seen it, look it up at the PBS Frontline site.

[CoulterIsASuccubus]

I think Bush is concerned because Obama uses multi-syllabic words.

[MaybeMilo]

multi-what? : )

[scouserinlondon]

It's the joined up writing that throws him.

[PumaAnn]

Hopefully, Obama will take heed and not impose our election on Europe.

[4wehttam]

Oh Like BOOsh didn't go to Israel and "impose our election" on them?

[scouserinlondon]

We want him to.We cannot wait to see him elected and to come over here.
The perceived political pundits opinion is that if Europe had the vote it would be an absolute landslide for Mr.O.
The other chap does not even register on the news channels,
Bush ,last month was ignored apart from a small handful of protesters.There were more police on the streets than "fans".His visit was a non-event.­.........t­he only way I was aware of his presence was when I went to work at 5 o'clock in the morning and drove past the American Embassy....and I have never seen so many coppers(some armed) anywhere in my life.Pain in the ar$e coming home when traffic got snarled up.........that's it .Bush=traffic snarl up....End Of.

[thinklib]

The other chap hardly registers on the US news channels too.

Obama is the media darling and the world is swallowing the bait whole.

[AryanMjolnir]

Hopefully you'll shut the f*ck up.

[whsmith]

"goodbye, from the world's biggest polluter"

[poppyseed]

Bush is the epitome of self-serving, petty sleeze. He's also abusing the power of the Presidency to influence an American election by pressuring a foreign government to collude with this abuse of power to tamper with an American democratic process.

[macintoshsauce]

I privately told America I have misgivings about every time Bush speaks.

[Jamesdean]

hahahahaha...good one!!

[beaupritchard]

Bush is pretty much the worst kind of backstabber isn't he.