Obama Advisers Squirm About Berlin Speech (His is Giving a Presiential Address?)

[Wretched Excess]

first, he is the change we have been waiting for.  then, he is going to fix my ocean and heal
my planet.  now, he's president three months before the election.

the money quote is at the bottom.

Obama Advisers Squirm About Berlin Speech

The exchange over the Berlin speech lasted nearly 10 minutes in a briefing that last nearly an hour. The briefing was, by Obama campaign decree, on background - meaning we could not directly quote a single Obama adviser by name.

During this back-and-forth over Thursday’s speech in Berlin at the Victory Column there was a good deal of cross-talk and sheepish Obama advisers dancing around the obvious - that from Jordan through the rest of the trip everything is a campaign event and, with the exception of some security arrangements in Israel and the Palestinian Territories, is under Obama’s control.
The Obama advisers dodged and weaved about why Obama’s delivering the speech before what could be an audience of tens of thousands - possibly more.
“The senator wants to speak to the people of Europe and it would be inconsistent to exclude the public.”
In the midst of this tense exchange, an adviser said when the president delivers a policy speech it’s not necessarily the same as delivering a red-meat political speech. That’s not an illogical statement, except for the fact that Obama, of course, isn’t the president.
The use of this example, though, perfectly encapsulates the Obama campaign’s dual approach to this trip. Everything is designed to make Obama look presidential and the Berlin speech is by far the one with the most intense head-of-state choreography behind it.
So when the adviser said it was like a presidential speech, it didn’t sound as if the adviser was saying Obama was the president. Before this exchange, advisers said over and over that Obama will set no policy on this trip and seeks only to build relationships, not confuse world leaders about who leads America. This, it seems, is an important bit of context.
What was being said, however, goes to the heart of the internal campaign instinct to make Obama look like a president as often as possible on this trip — and especially at the massive event/speech in Berlin.
It was in this context this exchange occurred;

“It is not going to be a political speech,” said a senior foreign policy adviser, who spoke to reporters on background. “When the president of the United States goes and gives a speech, it is not a political speech or a political rally.

“But he is not president of the United States,” a reporter reminded the adviser…

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[Jim]

He better hope the teleprompter doesn't break down.

[DixieBelle]

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain folks.

I think even Europe can see through this.

[Wretched Excess]

I think he did it again . . . I think he just referred to himself as the commander in chief in his press conference . . . .

[Jim]

I think he did it again . . . I think he just referred to himself as the commander in chief in his press conference . . . .

is he going to raise some dead people at his presidential address in Berlin ?   walk across the Mediteranian ?  Turn some water into 40oz malt liquor ?

[Wretched Excess]

britt hume picked up on this on his broadcast just now.

[Chris_]

I love how that rat bastard was saying "These are the people I will be dealing with for the next 8-10 years."  WTF?

Who the **** told you this is a done deal, husssein?  And you state "I will move 10,000 troops from Iraq to Afghanistan" -- again, who the **** made you CIC?  You are a junior Senator with less than 160 DAYS' experience.  You DO NOT get to express U.S. policy, you ****ing CHILD.

I hope this asshole goes down and goes down hard.

[Wretched Excess]

I love how that rat bastard was saying "These are the people I will be dealing with for the next 8-10 years."  WTF?

Who the **** told you this is a done deal, husssein?  And you state "I will move 10,000 troops from Iraq to Afghanistan" -- again, who the **** made you CIC?  You are a junior Senator with less than 160 DAYS' experience.  You DO NOT get to express U.S. policy, you ****ing CHILD.

I hope this asshole goes down and goes down hard.

he will be president for 8 years at the absolute most.  maybe he gets another two years for the extra 7 states.

[Chris_]

[DixieBelle]

LOL at WE. Too funny!

[NHSparky]

See how stupid you look when you start to believe your own bullshit, kids?

Let this be a lesson to you all.