This is some embarrassing advance work by Team Obama in picking the Siegessäule monument instead of the originally suggested Brandenburg Gate.

According to Der Spiegel:

The exact location of Obama's speech (more...) had become a matter of intense speculation in Berlin after his campaign team originally suggested an appearance at the Brandenburg Gate. Many, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, questioned whether the site -- where Presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton both spoke when they were in the White House -- was appropriate for a candidate (more...). Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit, who is a major figure in Germany's Social Democrats, was in favor of the Brandenburg Gate site and the Obama visit quickly became yet another excuse for German politicians to fire off barbs at each other. ...

Still, even as the issue of his speech's location has now been settled, a number of politicians in Berlin are still dissatisfied with the site. The Siegessäule -- or Victory Column -- was erected in memory of Prussia's victories over Denmark (1864), Austria (1866) and France (1870/71). The column originally stood in front of the Reichstag, Germany's parliament building, but was moved by Adolf Hitler to its current location in 1939 to make way for his planned transformation of Berlin into the Nazi capital "Germania."

"The Siegessäule in Berlin was moved to where it is now by Adolf Hitler. He saw it as a symbol of German superiority and of the victorious wars against Denmark, Austria and France," the deputy leader of the Free Democrats, Rainer Brüderle, told Bild am Sonntag. He raised the question as to "whether Barack Obama was advised correctly in his choice of the Siegessäule as the site to hold a speech on his vision for a more cooperative world."

Andreas Schockenhoff of Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats said, "the Siegessäule in Berlin is dedicated to a victory over neighbors who are today our European friends and allies. It is a problematic symbol."

UPDATE:Since I've been accused of ignorance in German history by a few commenters, here is why I called Siegessaule a Hitler monument:

1. The Reichstag (German Parliament) where we learned of Hitler's rise to power, how the Russians captured it and how it again became the German seat of power again after reunification.
2. Siegessaule, the 1873 victory column commemorating the formation of a consolidated Germany. Hitler added a fourth section honoring himself and had it moved to its present location.

Like I said originally, this is just really bad advance work by Obama's people. He should have just gone with the Brandenburg Gate.

I am actually trying to avoid to post any diary since June,
but today I bent my rule just to direct your attention to somebody's else article.
In today's Boston Globe's editorial, named very funny:
"The audacity of ego", columnist Joan Vennochi pointed to
the one of the Obama's weakest property: narcissism, see
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editor ial_opinion/oped/articles/2008/07/20/the _audacity_of_ego?mode=PF

"A convention hall isn't good enough for the presumptive Democratic nominee.
He plans to deliver his acceptance speech in the 75,000 seat stadium where the Denver Broncos play.
Before a vote is cast, he's embarking on a foreign policy tour that will use cheering Europeans - and America's top news anchors - as extras in his campaign.
What do you expect from a candidate who already auditioned a quasi-presidential seal with the Latin inscription,
"Vero possumus" - "Yes, we can"?

Obama finds criticism of his wife "infuriating" and doesn't want either of them to be the target of satire.
Tell that to the Carters, the Reagans, the Clintons, and the Bushes, father and son.

There's no such thing as a humble politician.
But when Obama looks into the mirror, he doesn't just see a president; he sees JFK."

In 1960, John F. Kennedy accepted his party's nomination with an outdoor speech at the Los Angeles Coliseum.
But he waited until he was elected before going to Germany to declare "Ich bin ein Berliner."

Even Bush is sick of the Iraq fiasco...he has been mumbling about pulling out troops and about a "time horizon"...yes, "HORIZON," not a timeline, for the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq. Don't know about you, but I have never heard anyone talk about "time horizons" before. Makes me think of an event horizon around a black hole...which is an ominous comparison.

Remember, though, Bush's shifting to withdrawal is not by any choice of his. The Iraq government has told him in no uncertain terms that we have outlived our welcome and they do not want us there permanently.

Barack Obama, when campaigning to become the Democratic nominee for president, stated he would withdraw combat troops from Iraq within 16 months.  "...Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) today vowed to end the war in Iraq in 16 months if he's elected.  Obama told a crowd in New Hamphire that he would 'refocus the military on the fight with al-Qaeda and engage in diplomacy with enemies of the United States.' according to the Union Leader newspaper."

http://news.aol.com/political-machine/20 07/11/13/barack-obama-will-end-iraq-war- in-16-months/

Since the conclusion of the Democratic primaries, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president has been accused of pivoting to the 'Right' by antagonists, while protagonists explain the 'nuance' of the Obama campaign's pledge to withdraw combat troops from Iraq.  "Barack Obama struggled Thursday to explain his plan to end the war in Iraq, calling a rare do-over news conference to insist that he was not softening his campaign pledge to withdraw all combat troops within 16 months of becoming president."

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la- na-campaign4-2008jul04,0,7214812.story

more...

I apologize to the readers of my dairy about Obama and Indonesia.  I do owe you the source where I got my information about his comments.  The source is http://www.alternet.org/audits/91752.

The discussion about genocide in Indonesia and East Timor was based on the research that I did for my latest book "State of Darkness: US Complicity in Genocide since 1945".  Most of the sources are original documents involving minutes of meetings of State Department officials and/or the President.  Some of the sources are wires sent back and forth between embassies and the State Department.  I was very careful in my research, reasoning, and application of the Genocide Convention due to the serious charges in the book.  Any holes or weaknesses would destroy the credibility of the book when such seemingly outrageous charges are involved.

http://www.stateofdarkness.com

A short time ago I DIARIED about my 'up coming' relocation to Fort Bragg, NC. It was posted both here and at Dailykos.

On DK I have since wrote a couple of different updates. A few on MyDD have also asked me about the current status, so I figued I'll cross post those on here as well.  

I admit that I watch Fox News now and then.  It's like watching a trainwreck - I can't look away. But the semi-serious weekend news shows can sometimes be revealing in ways that neither O'Reilly's buffoonery or CNN's placidity can not.

Just spreading the news... That's more good news for senator Obama. In this battle state. In addition to just reading that Rasmussen has Obama up in NV 42-40% McCain. 47-45% including leaners, The trend is not good for McCain in June he was at 45%, he's down 5 points. This convention thing suggest major problems for McCain in terms of organizing in the state.

On top of that, word has it the Ron Paul may be going to sue his party to contest how they may be planning to allot delegates as a result of the stalemate at prior attempts of the state convention.

Sit back and watch the fireworks.