leaving hotel in germany, on his way to paris
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During the BIG NOISE of Obama, suttle partisanship have shown its ugly head. One called, "Condi" the other "Pentagon".
Condoleeza Rice attempted to step on this in Iraq, but he was in a military delegation.
Rice put out "after seeing this video below", that no state department personnel should attend the Berlin speech.
Then the Pentagon got in the picture:
Senior strategist Robert Gibbs said the visit to the military hospital in Germany had been in the works for about three weeks, with Gration serving as the campaign's contact with the Pentagon.
The Pentagon cleared the Obama plan to land at the base on either July 15 or 16, Gibbs said. The plane needed the clearance because of restrictions on landing nonmilitary aircraft there, he said.
But then on Wednesday, Gration told Obama aides that the Pentagon had informed him that the visit could be viewed as a campaign stop.
"They cited a regulation," Gibbs said of their point of contact, described as legislative affairs in the office of the secretary.
"We believed that based on the information we received that any presence, even his own and only his own, would get into a back and forth on whether his own presence was a campaign event," Gibbs said.
Obama planned to visit troops in Germany, in hospital units with no campaign coverage, no media and the Pentagon said "yes" before saying "no". Andrea Mitchell explains it below.
More information here and from WAPO, all this including how the Pentagon "appeased" John McCain, meaning "no problem John, visit the troops" even though you are a "presidential candidate".
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VEEPSTAKES....this time I expect some announcements next week before the Olympics
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Obama in Berlin: We’re a People of Improbable Hope
Updated Senator Barack Obama began his speech first by declaring that this was not a political speech.
“I come to Berlin as so many of my countrymen have come before,” Mr. Obama said, “not as a candidate for president but as a citizen — a proud citizen of the United States and a fellow citizen of the world.”
And then, he felt he had to introduce himself. continue
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morning joe, chris matthews on obama speech and democratic party in disarray
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and...
Obama vs. McCain: A Dream Nightmare Contrast....
Obamanomics, video here.......
the "o" plane leaves berlin to paris
Missed Evening Wrap Up, read it here...............
Will post photos from Paris and London, as it becomes available...
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