Obama wants history, Merkel sees red.

Obama wanted to pull a Kennedy. The German Chancellor saw red.

Obama wanted the address in Berlin to happen at the Brandenburg Gate, which lay behind the Berlin Wall for three decades and where Kennedy, Reagan and Clinton have made memorable speeched.



What our Senator forgot that they were all Presidents, and not Presidential candidates.

And what has ensued in Germany is the division of the ruling coalition, with conservative Chancellor Merkel disapproving the use of the historic monument as backdrop for the campaign trail, while Social Democratic Frank- Walter Steinmeier, who is the Vice- Chancellor and the Foreign minister all for the Obama visit.

Adding to this heady cocktail is Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit, who senses Barack Obama is prime- time material. The address would bring thousands from across the country and neighboring countries to Berlin, and well, a possible photo- op for himself.

Well, Who does not want a piece of Obama?

Read the New York Times take on it.

Addition on Thursday, July 17- Why Merkel sees red, and what Germany really thinks of it all, read the Op- Ed in The New York Times this week by Christopher Peters here.

Of Sarkozy and the Germans..

What’s up with Nicholas Sarkozy? If people haven’t yet had second thoughts about him, they should look at The Economist this week, which has this take on French foreign policy as it talks about President Sarkozy’s plan for the Mediterranean Union being in trouble.
Mediterranean Union?

His idea is called the “Appeal of Rome”. And is a little arrogant in its magnanimity as it talks about a union that would “overcome all hatred” and bring peace and civilization to the reason that is the cradle of European Culture.

It would not be very surprising if this idea would not go past the drawing board! The Blue marks the proposed Union.

But apparently, Berlin is not very happy with it.

Could I blame them? France having a proactive Foreign Policy is one thing, but it almost seems that Sarkozy is big on pissing people, more so the Germans. If Angela Merkel feels that it is almost as if the whole idea in conceptualized to undermine the Germans and the present EU, could she be blamed for it?

“The Germans are very sensitive to the principle of prior consultation,” wrote Jean- Pierre Jouyet, the French Europe Minister.

I would be sensitive if I had been so integral to something as Germany has been to the European Union, and not be on the guest list for the proposed Paris meeting on July 13th. And more so, if I might end up footing the bill for this would- be Parisian extravaganza.

Even I am running out of reasons to like him.