|
Berlin Gears Up for Obama Visit
Barack Obama seems set to speak next to Berlin's famous Victory Column when he visits next week. The speech is expected to draw thousands and has put Obama's view on trade in the spotlight.In what is viewed as a compromise, Obama, the presumptive US Democratic presidential candidate, will not speak directly at the Brandenburg Gate as originally proposed. Expect this scene  Instead, Obama will speak next to a 67-meter column topped with the golden image of the Roman goddess Victory. The Brandenburg Gate, an iconic symbol of Berlin's reunification, will be 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) at the opposite end of a tree-lined boulevard. Obama is expected to addresses a large crowd in Berlin on Thursday, July 24. Some have estimated that more than 10,000 Berliners could show up for the event. A recent poll shows that 72 percent of Germans would vote for Obama if given the opportunity. With President George W. Bush deeply unpopular in Germany, many are rooting for an Obama win. "People here see him almost as a political redeemer after seven years of Bush," political analyst Jan Techau of the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) told DPA news agency, although he warns that sustaining the euphoria will be difficult. The candidate's visit will also include a meeting with Merkel in the chancellery, her spokesman confirmed. Spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm says the meeting is expected to take place on Thursday morning. Berlin will come at the end of a trip Obama is taking that will start with visits to Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel and the Palestinian territories. Posted by: Sherry 2008-07-19 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=244640 |