Obama: A 'partisan political event'?
Posted: Thursday, July 24, 2008 9:16 AM by Mark Murray
Der Spiegel has blow-out Obama coverage:
-- "Debate over Germany Trip Leaves Team Obama Frustrated"
-- Obama's Star Status Frustrating McCain
-- Berlin Reopens World Cup 'Fan Mile' for Obama
-- An American Idol in Germany
VIDEO: Barack Obama arrives in Berlin to begin the European leg of his foreign tour. He's set to speak about his vision on the ties between the U.S. and Europe. NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports.
The State Department
has labeled today's Berlin speech by Obama as a "partisan political event" -- meaning US embassy personnel are being told not to attend. "Government employees serving in the United States are permitted to attend such events under the Hatch Act, which bars other partisan activity, such as contributing money or working in behalf of a candidate.” But: “‘We always maintain that no U.S. government Foreign Service person overseas should be seen to be advocating one side or the other,’ State Department Undersecretary for Management Patrick Kennedy said, adding that ‘it has nothing to do with who’ the candidate is. ‘When a German sees you there, they're not going to think, “Oh, he or she is on their off time.” It's “Oh, they are a Democrat, a Republican, an independent,” God knows what,’ Kennedy said in an interview."
The RNC is up with radio ads hitting Obama for his lack of support for troop funding last year. The ads are running in all three US cities named Berlin in PA, WI, and NH, as well as all three US cities named Paris in ME, MI, and MO.
But we wonder why the RNC left out Paris, VA? Perhaps with a town size of just 49 people, they don't have a radio market to buy?
"GOP gripes: So we're running against President Obama?" "Alex Conant, an RNC spokesman, quipped, 'At this rate, it's only a matter of days before he opens his presidential library.'"
The Washington Post takes a look at how meticulously Obama's trip to Israel was planned and how sensitive the campaign was to making a good impression on Jewish voters here in the US. "Plans for yesterday's swing through Israel and the West Bank were hashed and rehashed, down to who would accompany the candidate, what venues he would appear at, whom he would meet, and even the order of those meetings. ‘There was some very serious thought that went into this,’ said Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), a national co-chairman of the Obama campaign who consulted with the campaign about the trip.”
“Obama aides considered taking some Jewish lawmakers on the visit, but then thought the idea was potentially demeaning. Instead, Obama's travel mates included Dennis Ross, a prominent former Middle East peace envoy, and Eric Lynn, a former House aide, Chicago community activist and Obama's liaison to the Jewish community. There was some talk of scuttling a planned news conference, for fear that any slip would be magnified by the attention the Jewish community is paying to the visit. Obama, in the end, did talk to the media."
"While in Israel, Obama seemed to put as hawkish a face possible on his agenda," the Boston Globe writes. "He said he would refuse to negotiate with Hamas, the militant Palestinian faction that controls the Gaza Strip, and framed a willingness to engage Iran -- including a personal encounter with its president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad -- as part of an aggressive stance toward the country, not an accommodating one. Obama said it was important 'to exhaust every possible avenue' with the Iranian government, while suggesting obliquely that a failed diplomatic effort could help efforts to marshal international support for other forms of action."
The London Times' second most popular story today: "The US presidential nominee was heckled as he visited the Western Wall in the early hours of Thursday morning, bowing his head in prayer and observing traditional custom by placing a folded piece of paper into the crevice of the wall. Orthodox men interrupted their morning prayers to catch a glimpse of the Illinois senator, reaching out to shake his hand as he passed them by. But not all were taken by the Democrat. One yelled out: “Obama, Jerusalem is not for sale!” before Mr Obama was whisked away to his waiting plane."
Michelle Obama stumped in FL yesterday and raised a big chunk of change.
Speaking of Florida, Obama's up with a new Spanish language bio radio spot.
