The Bush administration vehemently hates the idea. John McCain has not come out publically, but should hate the idea. Barack Obama has put out requests to speak before Germany's Brandenburg gate.
What is so important about this gate? Let me give you some history....
When the Nazis ascended to power they used the Gate as their symbol. The Gate survived World War II and was one of the few structures standing in the Pariser Platz ruins in 1945. Following Germany's surrender and the end of the second world war, the governments of East Berlin and West Berlin restored it in a joint effort. Vehicles and pedestrians could again travel freely through the gate, until August 1961 when the Berlin Wall was erected. The wall and its fortified death strip ran just west of the gate, cutting off access from West Berlin and essentially rendering it off limits to East Berliners.
In 1963, U.S. President John F. Kennedy visited the Brandenburg Gate. The Soviets hung large banners across it to prevent him looking into the East (and thus, made this visit very important to Obama, who has a HUGE Kennedy hero worship complex).
In 1963, U.S. President John F. Kennedy visited the Brandenburg Gate. The Soviets hung large banners across it to prevent him looking into the East (and thus, made this visit very important to Obama, who has a HUGE Kennedy hero worship complex).
On June 12 1987, U.S. President Ronald Reagan spoke to the West Berlin populace at the Brandenburg Gate, demanding the razing of the Berlin Wall. Addressing General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev, Reagan said, “ General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!
When the Revolutions of 1989 occurred and the Berlin Wall collapsed, the Gate symbolized freedom and the desire to unify (get the symbolism?) the City of Berlin. On the 22nd of December 1989, the Brandenburg Gate re-opened when Helmut Kohl, the West German Chancellor, walked through to be greeted by Hans Modrow, the East German Prime Minister.
On July 12, 1994, U.S. President Bill Clinton spoke at the Gate about peace in post-Cold War Europe.
In July of 2008, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is rumored to make a keynote address on transatlantic relations at the Brandenburg Gate, during his visit to Germany on July 24th. There has been some controversy and disagreements surrounding the details of this visit between Berlin's Mayor, Klaus Wowereit, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
When the Revolutions of 1989 occurred and the Berlin Wall collapsed, the Gate symbolized freedom and the desire to unify (get the symbolism?) the City of Berlin. On the 22nd of December 1989, the Brandenburg Gate re-opened when Helmut Kohl, the West German Chancellor, walked through to be greeted by Hans Modrow, the East German Prime Minister.
On July 12, 1994, U.S. President Bill Clinton spoke at the Gate about peace in post-Cold War Europe.
In July of 2008, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is rumored to make a keynote address on transatlantic relations at the Brandenburg Gate, during his visit to Germany on July 24th. There has been some controversy and disagreements surrounding the details of this visit between Berlin's Mayor, Klaus Wowereit, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Merkel has stated that, due to the Brandenburg Gate's historical and political significance, the site should only be reserved for very special occasion addresses by politicians, and only by elected American presidents.
The German government, however, is more concerned with other possible side-effects of the speech. An overly warm welcome for Obama could anger the Republican candidate, John McCain, as it would not exactly be a good starting point should McCain be elected this autumn. Furthermore, any indication that Berlin is over-eager to see the end of the Bush administration is not likely to play well in Washington.
Indeed, Deputy Treasury Secretary Robert Kimmitt told the mass circulation tabloid Bild that "it would be nice if the German government would focus on strengthening its contacts to us rather than already beginning to look for our successors." Although officially denying it, rumors circling around Washington are that the Bush administration have used back channels to protest, and circumvent Obama from looking like the President heir apparent while visiting Germany.
Indeed, Deputy Treasury Secretary Robert Kimmitt told the mass circulation tabloid Bild that "it would be nice if the German government would focus on strengthening its contacts to us rather than already beginning to look for our successors." Although officially denying it, rumors circling around Washington are that the Bush administration have used back channels to protest, and circumvent Obama from looking like the President heir apparent while visiting Germany.
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