Obama At The Brandenburg Gate? Maybe Not.
The details of Barack Obama's upcoming foreign journey are still being worked out, but early indications are that the presumptive Democratic nominee will likely visit Israel, Germany, France, and Great Britain, beginning with his arrival in Israel July 22nd. The Obama campaign has also signaled that the candidate could visit Jordan, Afghanistan and Iraq during the trip.
One of the likely stops on the journey is Berlin, a city that holds a particularly appealing landmark for a politician looking for a dramatic backdrop: The Brandenburg Gate. It's where Ronald Reagan in 1987 asked Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to "tear down this wall" and Bill Clinton in 1994 declared that "Berlin is free." (For those keeping track, John F. Kennedy's famous “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech in 1963 took place not at the Gate but in Schöneberg, the then-seat of the West Berlin government.)
German newspaper Der Spiegel reported over the weekend that "the Berlin Senate has reportedly been asked whether Obama can speak in front of the Brandenburg Gate," prompting speculation about a potential high-profile Obama address from the historic location.
Now, however, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has expressed interest in meeting with Obama while he is in her country, is expressing concern over the prospect of such an address.
The Associated Press is reporting that Merkel's spokesman said the chancellor is expressing "great skepticism as to whether it is appropriate to bring an election campaign being fought not in Germany but in the United States to the Brandenburg Gate."
The spokesman added that "no German (chancellor) candidate would think of using (Washington's) National Mall or Red Square in Moscow for rallies, because it would be considered inappropriate."
One of the likely stops on the journey is Berlin, a city that holds a particularly appealing landmark for a politician looking for a dramatic backdrop: The Brandenburg Gate. It's where Ronald Reagan in 1987 asked Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to "tear down this wall" and Bill Clinton in 1994 declared that "Berlin is free." (For those keeping track, John F. Kennedy's famous “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech in 1963 took place not at the Gate but in Schöneberg, the then-seat of the West Berlin government.)
German newspaper Der Spiegel reported over the weekend that "the Berlin Senate has reportedly been asked whether Obama can speak in front of the Brandenburg Gate," prompting speculation about a potential high-profile Obama address from the historic location.
Now, however, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has expressed interest in meeting with Obama while he is in her country, is expressing concern over the prospect of such an address.
The Associated Press is reporting that Merkel's spokesman said the chancellor is expressing "great skepticism as to whether it is appropriate to bring an election campaign being fought not in Germany but in the United States to the Brandenburg Gate."
The spokesman added that "no German (chancellor) candidate would think of using (Washington's) National Mall or Red Square in Moscow for rallies, because it would be considered inappropriate."
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