Morning Updates: Debate Rages On in Germany

by: psericks

Sat Jul 12, 2008 at 11:41:25 AM CDT

The week-long, still-simmering war of words between Angela Merkel's center-right CDU and foreign minister's center-left SPD continues.  The controversy has sustained itself this long for three main reasons: 

(1) Because of the time change, German and American media are often reacting to one another on the following day rather than instantaneously.  This drags out the news cycle.

(2) Even though developments have been few, interest is so intense in Germany that there's a demand for new articles every day and new statements from government officials on both sides of the debate, who tend not only to repeat but also, irritated, to intensify their argument.

(3) More political leaders from across Germany are now adding their thoughts, not always strictly by party lines. 

But here are the highlights:

Social-Democrats continue to accuse Chancellor Angela Merkel of hypocrisy, using any pretext to tie Merkel to Bush:

"Ms. Merkel should be careful with accusations of political campaign against the Democratic presidential candidate." 

In 2002 before the German parliamentary elections, she traveled as opposition leader to the US "to campaign against then-Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and wouldn't rule out the possibility of German participation in the Iraq War.  She stabbed the then-Chancellor and his administration in the back."

The chair of the governing CSU party in Bavaria (allied with the CDU), Erwin Huber, accused foreign minister Steinmeier of trying to "ingratiate himself with a possible favorite."

I don't see how Obama has render any outstanding service to [German] unity.  That's not a criticism, but there's no reason to give him that privilege.

But in so doing, Huber contradicted his own party's foreign policy adviser, Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, who on the same day dismissed criticism of Obama as just so much "summer theater."  The adviser continued:

There are no plausible objections to an Obama appearance on the Pariser Platz (before the Gate).  When there's public interest in an event, the square can be used.

More below... 

Other CDU political leaders don't want to miss the opportunity to give new life to the trans-Atlantic relationship between Germany and the United States, and note that the Brandenburg Gate is not only an German but an European and American symbol of freedom. 

That Obama, and any other future political leaders, would choose Berlin as the most significant place abroad to address the world should be welcomed.

Given the domestic political debate raging in Germany, it's clear that the Obama campaign would rather avoid becoming involved.  Citing sources close to the Chancellor, Reuters reports that an Obama address before the Brandenburg Gate is "highly unlikely." 

There's also the rumor that the campaign has already privately assured the Chancellor that an appearance before the Gate has been ruled out.