State Dept. Double Standard: Diplomats Barred From Obama’s Berlin Speech, But Not McCain’s In Ottawa

[deminks]

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/07/25/state-obama-speech/

Yesterday, the Washington Post reported that the U.S. Embassy in Berlin “instructed Foreign Service personnel stationed there not to attend Sen. Barack Obama’s public rally” in Tiergarten Park because the event is “‘partisan political activity‘ prohibited under its regulations for those serving overseas.”

The diplomats’ union objected to the ruling, calling it an “unnecessarily narrow interpretation” of the Foreign Affairs Manual. “The fact that you are working for the U.S. government overseas should not preclude political activity that you could engage in in the United States,” one retired senior Foreign Service officer said. But a State official explained the ruling:

(snip)

But the ruling — which Kennedy admitted is unprecedented — appears to indicate a double standard from the State Department. Last June, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) delivered a speech to the Economic Club of Canada in Ottawa. The event was reportedly organized in part by U.S. Ambassador to Canada David Wilkins, whom President Bush appointed in 2005. But more than that, the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa confirmed to ThinkProgress that Wilkins also attended the event.

Not only did McCain make clear references to and critiques of Obama’s policy positions in the speech, but he also referred to his own presidential campaign six times.

[hisownpetard]

1. Sickening. How do they even come up with so much malevolence?

They must do nothing else but conjure up evil projects to carry out before they're banished from the kingdom.

[indepat]

2. I'm shocked, utterly shocked that 'pukes would play politics, would use the power of their office

for purely partisan political purposes. :P

[TexasObserver]

3. Bush is going to be DIRTY right up until the very last moment.

One would think the Media would be all over this story, but they aren't. They're giving Bush a pass.

[hfojvt]

4. did you not read the memo?

“‘partisan political activity‘ prohibited under its regulations for those serving overseas.”

Is Canada also considered 'overseas'? Is Lake Ontario or the St. Lawrence River considered a 'sea'?

But actually having an ambassador organize an event sure seems like a conflict of interest.

[bumblebee1]

8. Yes, in a military sense.

Any place outside the continental U.S. is considered overseas. That includes Alaska and Hawaii.

[Supersedeas]

5. wonder which of the Professional Network Pundits will have the integrity to bring this to the

public's attention.

[Disturbed]

6. The Busholini Regime gets a pass on everything from the

most of the US Corp Media and most of the Congress. Why? The reasons are obvious.

[malaise]

7. Wasn't McSame with the US Ambassador in

England earlier this year?

[hfojvt]

11. Mr. 'straight talk' pretended to go only as a Senator

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/03/20/oakley.mccain.london/

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/03/14/mccain_invites_fundraisers_to.html

"Here's what McCain said on Wednesday when asked by a Post reporter how Europeans would respond to his vision for the presidency: "I won't be offering them my vision because I'm going as a member of the Armed Services Committee, not as the nominee of our party.""

Funny how Armed Services slipped over into Global Warming

"Instead he praised Brown's record on green issues and presented himself as the optimistic environmentalist:

"I am convinced that if we work at it, we will convince India and China that it is in their interests to be part of a global agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions," the Arizona Republican said."

Of course, the Liberal Media raked him over the coals for his duplicity.

[Supersedeas]

12. funny how Condi's hypocritical hits just keep popping up among Media silence

[w8liftinglady]

9. Thanks for finding this...c'mon,y'all...comment!

[Monk06]

10. Mc Cain and his buddies in the BushAdmin nixed the Brandenburg Gate location

and still 200,000 showed up.

It's pathetic. Next thing they'll
put him on the watch list, or let
the air out of his tires.

Obama showing up Mc Cain for the drooling
has been that he is.