Bush Bans State Department Officials From Obama Rally

In a flagrant political act, the State Department has barred its employees from attending Sen. Barack Obama's speech in Berlin tonight. Under the pretense that he is maintaining political neutrality, the Washington Post reported today, State Department Undersecretary for Management Patrick F. Kennedy has interpreted the Foreign Affairs Manual in the most restrictive way, claiming that he is ensuring that foreign service officials will remain untainted by a "partisan political act." (Spouse and family members, however, have generously been excluded from this ruling.) The U.S. embassy, which is headed by ambassador Robert Timken, a businessman and crony of George W. Bush's from Ohio, who is widely reviled in Germany for his ignorance of foreign affairs, has instructed officials not to attend the rally. The American Foreign Service Association has complained about the edict but there's not enough time to dispute it. Funny that.

The truth is that there would probably be few better opportunities for embassy officials to get a feel for the views of the Germans by mixing with them during the rally. Of course, the sentiments expressed by Germans, who worship Obama as much as they loathe George W. Bush, might not be ones that the administration is eager to hear.

Indeed, the administration has a long and tawdry record of trying to browbeat government agencies into submission, whether it's the CIA or the Centers for Disease Control. The State Department is perhaps highest on the list of conservatives and neocons who see it as the center of disloyalty and treachery. But this latest action represents a new low. If it's going to these lengths, the Bush administration must be really worried about Sen. John McCain's prospects.

Comments

[richman]

also... the powers that be want to privatize as much of the government as they can.

career civil servants can vote, rally, support, etc. whoever they like and still retain their jobs.

private contractors will vote for those who are signing their pay checks (if they want to keep getting paid) or those who are giving them the fattest contracts.

the bushies know this well.

[ehemingway]

Adding insult to injury, the Pentagon forbade Obama to visit our wounded soldiers while in Germany. How petty, how small, how terrified they are that the winds of change will sweep the lot of them out with the trash.

[kingshmoopy]

Here is a link to a story about McCain's trip to Canada. The article states that he asked Amassador Wilkins, whom Bush appointed in 2005 (and, let me stress this, he is a political appointee, not a Foreign Service Officer) to skirt the Hatch Act and organize a fundraiser for him. Click on the link and scroll down to "Skirting the Hatch Act" for details.

I guess being barred from "partisian" political activities only applies when those activities involve a Dem.

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/democratic-national-committee-chalk-on-mccains-shoes,456598.shtml

[lisakaz2]

Good pick up. Hypocricy -- lowering the bar at every turn, that's the Booo$hies.

[aaronr2000]

Are we to now believe that this administration cares that there not be even a hint of political impropriety on its behalf? God help us get through this year. With no Congress or justice department to hold them to account I don't know how much more of this we can take.

[soithoni]

Hold on. It's gonna be a bumpy bumpy ride.

[TrooAmerican]

HEADLINE NEWS:

THIS JUST IN........
BUSH BANS ALL FEDERAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, AND CONTRACTORS, AND FAMILY MEMBERS FROM VOTING FOR ANYONE OTHER THAN REPUBLICANS!!!!

[WireDolly]

Sounds like what's been happening for years in various local and county governments around the country. One example would be congressional District 8 in Pennsylvania, which up until 2006 had a Republican machine in place. Two friends who worked for that county government there were REQUIRED to be registered Republicans. Otherwise, they didn't keep their jobs.

You think this stuff doesn't happen all the time? Think again......

[Meggie]

OF COURSE the State Department has been politicized under Bush. Why should they be any different than the Justice Department?

[johnie2xs]

The pain of this administration continually snubbing its nose at the American people without repudiation is almost too much to bear. What we have to consider is what are we going to do, when and if these criminals succeed in stealing yet another election. Think that's not possible? Think again.

[yhgtup]

Oh, I live in FL. I KNOW IT'S POSSIBLE!! If they did it to the white guy, what do you think they'll do to the black guy? I'm scared!

[jennbeez]

Cheer up. They can only steal it if the vote is split around 49%-51%. This one won't even be close to being that close.

[daddysboy]

Of course they are worried about mccain's prospects since he really has no major claim to competence or appropriateness for the job. Like bush, mccain's best asset to the republican party and the neo-cons is that he is loyal and will say anything they want him to like a good puppet. For most of the folks living in that ever-shrinking false reality where we are winning the war on whatever the latest war is, suppression is the easiest tool to maintain ignorance and fear and keep the money flowing away from good government and into their pockets.

[Kashathree]

How many more ways and how many more times can Herr Bush violate the Constitution and/or our Bill of Rights. HE'S the one who should be banned from public gatherings.

Five and a half-months. Five and a half -months.

[pandag]

Ah, but it's a long 5 1/2 months to have to suffer the Chief Smirker & his gang. Now re lengths of time, if we were talking about sentencing prison time starting at 50+ years, oh dear, but that would require a congress which we apparently don't have.

[Keypinitreel]

C'mon this is King Bush we are talking about...anything that is not lock step with what he believes in or causes people to kiss his butt is Jihadist propaganda.

Im going to celebrate when he is out of office... there should be a nationwide party like new yrs eve 1999 counting down the moments until he is no longer President.

[tomhuggan]

All of this because we lost our 2nd amendment right to forcibly remove despotic tyrants.

[kwijibo]

Why not celebrate because your guy won?

[gaither83]

When I was stationed in Germany in 2005, a German girl told me she believed George Bush was worse than Adolf Hitler. Can you believe that?

The sad part is, I'm sure a large majority of the Huff's reading audience would agree whole-heartedly. It amazes me that you could have such contempt for a man that it gives you paranoid delusions.

[Joeblue]

There's nothing paranoid about how many people bush has killed.

[tjntn]

Wow, gaither83 just asserted that the majority of Huffington Post readers think W is worse than Adolf Hitler. That really sheds a lot of light on the issue of the State Department banning participation by its employees in a public rally gaither83. That makes me understand that everything W does must be ok because there was one maniac in the last century that was worse.

By the way, even though your comment seems to have nothing to do with the article, I would like to point out that the Hatch Act as amended in 1993 guarantees State Department employees have the right to attend such rallies.

While I am sure I can argue successfully against other absurd claims in your comment such as your statement about paranoid delusions, let me just be content with pointing out that W has earned every bit of contempt that this country can muster (in contrast to you assertion about the beliefs of HuffPo readers, my assertion has ample data to back it up).

Again we see typical right wing tactics. Make wild unsupported claims - preferably off-topic. Say them often and loudly. But how can you argue with a tactic that has been successful in two presidential elections (with the help of certain "voting irregularities"). Fortunately for the country, I don't think it will work a third time.

[gaither83]

I do admit that my comment seems off-topic but understand it is becuase I had just been reading a piece on Obama's speech in Berlin, then jumped to this article. Although the article is directed at GWB's prohibition of DOS employees' right to attend a political rally, I feel the comment is still somewhat releveant given that the article relates to George Bush and Germany - which were the direct subjects of my comment.
As I have spent time working worldwide on programs with the State Department, I can tell you that this very well could have been something as simple as a security measure handed down from the Embassy's RSO. Once you've worked for the military and/or the government you find out quickly that they don't lilke their employees getting involved in large, political rallies... stricltly for security measures. Of course to you, it's another evil George Bush conspiracy theory, right?
This is in no way a "right wing tactic" nor am I a right winger (or even a registered Reublican, for that matter). I was just making an observation. In my opinion, the liberal, computer desk commando-tree huggers that fire off on the message boards here at the Huffington Post are the typical, full blown, blinders on, foaming at the mouth, let's-blame-everything-on-Bush Democrats that make me sick. The majority of Germans are not much better. Which was my point. I don't give a rat-crap what 250,000 Germans think about Barack Obama.

[thegreatgiginthesky]

Let's see,

invaded a nation for no reason - check
caused the murder of hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians - check
lied to people about reason for invansion - check
has used fear as a political tool - check
has used torture as a tool - check

Exactly how is that German girl wrong? All Shrub is missing are the concentration camps and he should be well on his way to being just like Ad olf.

[jennbeez]

What about the Department of Propaganda and its mouthpieces at FoxNews?

[tjntn]

Isn't this a rather blatant violation of the Hatch Act http://www.osc.gov/ha_fed.htmm). Even the narrow group of federal employees that are prohibited from certain political activities are specifically allowed to attend political meetings and rallies. Since Kennedy is clearly in violation of the Hatch Act, be must be removed from his position as required by the Act.

[booker52]

I say if it was McCain, they would of been allowed. I cry bullsh*t. But look who we are dealing with!!!

[GhostOfSchlesinger]

The Bush State Department Memo Continued . . .

2) So-called "ideas" - devious ploys from the Left - are henceforward banned. So, too, "discussion" with foreigners (hereafter referred to as "furinurz") is to excluded from all overseas State Department operations - this to avoid a violation of the "prime directive" - at least in Federation-controlled quadrants of the universe.

3) Moo moos are not to be worn unless with knee socks - and then only if the legs of the wearer remain unshaven at all times.

4) Any beer labeled "bier" is strictly banned. Same goes for wine that's mistakenly sold as "vino."

5) All employees must repeat the following aloud upon arrival at our embassies, before lunch, and before leaving in the evening: America rocks! World sucks! We win! Yeah, Us!!!

6) Reminder: All State Department employees are to rub raw onions beneath their eyes repeatedly on the last day of the Bush Administration.

7) And don't forget: The "next president" is NOT THE PRESIDENT. Hence, all the current rules apply forever, and you can consider these words to have been "infinite double said." Which means that any order from any president other than a Texan will bounce off you forever and stick to them, because they're glue!

Live long and prosper!

Jorge

[u2cancounterpoint]

won't stop them