Arrogant Obama gets slapped down by Germany

Obama's foreign relations gaffes continue to pile up. This time he is rejected by Angela Merkel for wanting to pimp out the Brandenburger Tor for his own personal benefit. This is best explained as the naive, selfish move of a candidate who is simply in over his head. Kudos to Merkel for putting him in his place. Obama must think he is some kind of hot schit to be worthy of speaking at this great landmark, where so many truly world-changing speeches have taken place. His arrogance knows no boundaries.

Merkel warns Obama not to use landmark for 'electioneering'

Jul 9 10:13 AM US/Eastern

German Chancellor Angela Merkel slammed a request by Barack Obama to give a speech this month before the Brandenburg Gate as "inappropriate", her deputy spokesman said Wednesday.
The conservative leader said that while she would be pleased to meet the US Democratic presidential hopeful, it would be wrong for him to hold a "campaign rally" at the historic symbol of German unity.

"It is unusual to do electioneering abroad," spokesman Thomas Steg told reporters.

"It is unusual to hold election rallies abroad. No German candidate for high office would even think of using the National Mall (in Washington) or Red Square in Moscow for a rally because it would not be seen as appropriate."

Authorities in the capital have confirmed that Obama plans to visit Berlin on July 24 and is interested in speaking at the foot of the Brandenburg Gate.

The left-leaning government of the city-state, which has the sole right to approve such a request, has not yet made a formal decision but Mayor Klaus Wowereit gave his backing Tuesday.

Steg said Merkel had "limited understanding" for such a request and found the Obama team's initiative "a bit odd". But he said it was up to candidates such as Obama to decide what was "in good taste".


The gate, built in the late 18th century under Kaiser Friedrich Wilhelm II as a symbol of peace, became the country's most prominent symbol of German unification in 1990 after the fall of the Berlin Wall the year before.

In an unusual move, a spokesman for Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier sharply contradicted Merkel's views at a regular government press conference, saying they could be interpreted in the United States as an affront to Obama.

Foreign ministry spokesman Jens Ploetner said Steinmeier, a Social Democrat, was eager to meet Obama after speaking with him on the phone in April.

Republican presidential contender John McCain should also be welcome to speak at the Brandenburg Gate if he chose to, he added.

"The foreign minister does not find it odd," he said, adding that an Obama speech at or near the site would be "an expression of the vital German-American friendship" just days after Washington opened a new embassy next to the gate.

Ploetner rejected media reports that German diplomats in the United States had actively courted Obama to speak at the Brandenburg Gate.


But he said that German envoys had talked with his campaign about possible sites in Berlin he could visit such as the former Cold War border crossing at Checkpoint Charlie or the Holocaust Memorial.

German officials have noted in recent days that only elected foreign leaders have been invited to hold speeches at the gate and not political candidates.

These include the famous address at the landmark in 1987 by then US president Ronald Reagan, who called out to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, "Tear down this wall!"

Obama's staff said Saturday that he would visit France, Germany, Israel, Jordan and Britain to discuss "common challenges" with countries "critical to American national security". But it did not provide details of his programme.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=080709141314.t3ju24gp&show_article=1

 

Playing the race card is many Obama supporters' first line of defense. Props to you for calling him out on that most unnecessary post.

 

Like how he outspent Hillary in PA, OH, and IN by a margin of 3:1 and still got slaughtered? Very nice cash management skills on display...lol