Berlin Speech: Obama’s European Vacation
Posted July 24, 2008
Obama’s campaign folks had planned to have him address the Berlin population in front of the Brandenburg Gate, where — back in 1987 — President Ronald Reagan had asked Gorbachev to “tear down that Wall”. Listen in…
by J. Christoph Amberger
Baltimore — (TFN): As you can see, I spent last week on an Alaska Cruise. Not only did I gain ten pounds on Royal Carribbean’s free soft ice cream. My stops at Juneau, Ketchikan and Icy Strait Point also have turned me into an instant expert on maritime affairs in the North Pacific, the timber, logging and forestry business, coastal brown bear husbandry, the life cycle of the wily sockeye salmon, and, of course, Tanzanite jewelry.
In fact, after watching Candidate Obama blossom into a foreign policy and military strategy maven virtually overnight during his week-long virgin voyage through the Middle East, I’d be considering running for public office now.
How does Governor Amberger sound to you?
Obama’s planned visit to Europe will bring him to my home town of Berlin, Germany.
Here, his campaign folks had planned to have him address the Berlin population in front of the Brandenburg Gate, where — back in 1987 — President Ronald Reagan had asked Gorbachev to “tear down that Wall”.
As a West Berliner, I felt patently affronted by so much hopeful audacity. After all, I saw Ronald Reagan speak in Berlin. And Obama strikes me as just about the exact opposite of the Gipper.
The Berlin government, an unholy alliance of crypto-communists, pseudo-reformed totalitarians, and socialists, was all for it, of course.
Cooler heads prevailed, and now he’ll be speaking in front of the Victory Column.
I have no problem with that particular location. It’s in respectful distance to the Brandenburg Gate… in walking distance, the lawns of the Tiergarten offer an assembly of nude sunbathers… and it’s right across from where the Russians put up the Red Army Memorial.

Don't step on the red carnations: A good alternate backdrop for Comrade Obama's Berlin speech
Plus, the wide boulevard leading up to the column, called Strasse des 17. Juni, used to be the the main thoroughfare of West Berlin’s practitians of the “horizontal trade”.
Prostitutes, pink hides, and a multitude chanting “Ja, wir können!“
Comrade Barack, enjoy it while it lasts!
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