*'s Visit to Germany: The President's Lonely Arrival (Inside Story)

[kskiska]

The airport of the Baltic Sea port town Rostock has probably never received as prominent a visitor as US President George W. Bush, who arrived in Germany Wednesday night. But amid heavy security hardly anyone was there to see Bush and his wife Laura land.

Air Force One landed on the runway of Rostock-Laage airport at 9:30 p.m., a quarter of an hour ahead of schedule. The airplane hatch opened at 9:35 p.m. and it took another two minutes for the head of the US president to appear. Next to George W. Bush stood his wife Laura. Both waved. But there was no one there to wave back. The airport had been closed off. The president's audience consisted only of Secret Service agents and the journalists on the specially set up press podium.

Standing on the gangway, the president and his wife viewed the military guard. Harald Ringstorff, the premier of the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, stood waiting in front of the airplane with a bouquet of flowers. He welcomed his important guest with the words: "Welcome to Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Mr. President." Ringstorff was introduced to Bush as the state's "governor." Bush, who was governor of Texas before becoming president, put his arm on the shoulder of Ringstorff, a member of Germany's Social Democrat SPD party, and said: "It's great to be governor."

Ringstorff had already rejected his invitation to the barbecue in the town of Trinwillershagen, however. The invitation letter from German Chancellor Angela Merkel only arrived at 2 p.m. on the day of Bush's arrival, piqued officials at the offices of the local government in Schwerin pointed out. The premier can't make changes to his schedule at such short notice, they said. The unspoken suggestion is that Merkel didn't want Ringstorff to join her party, and the people in state capital Schwerin are upset about this. Ringstorff had already criticized the barbecue night as a campaign stunt for Merkel's Christian Democratic party, as regional elections will be held in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in two months.

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http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/0,1518,426530,00.html

[CottonBear]

1. We have a Potempkin (sp?) President.

He managed to insult Herr Ringstorff while making a fool of himself and embarassing the USA once again.

[chill_wind]

2. "It's great to be governor". Suddenly The Decider gig has lost its luster

Waaaay ta' much *hard wurrk*. Plus they won't let me ride my bike anymore.

[TheDebbieDee]

3. It must be lonely to have one of the most hated faces

on the planet!

[Lisa]

4. Bravo to Premier Ringstorff ...

... for not bowing and scraping to the Chancellor, for an invitation to that party. I think events show that his suspicion was correct -- by not making sure the top official from the hosting state was given a proper invitation, the Chancellor sure seems to be playing favorites!

[Kellanved]

5. Especially as Ringstorff has to foot the bill

The hosting state usually has to pay the majority of the costs associated with official visits.

I am slightly wondering about the article using "Social Democrat Party", but "Christian Democratic". Might just be a quirk in the translation, but both parties are called "Democratic" in German.