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February 23, 2005
No Unscripted Town Hall Meeting in Germany
The following is the opening paragraph in an article in Spiegel on Line,
During his trip to Germany on Wednesday, the main highlight of George W. Bush's trip was meant to be a "town hall"-style meeting with average Germans. But with the German government unwilling to permit a scripted event with questions approved in advance, the White House has quietly put the event on ice. Was Bush afraid the event might focus on prickly questions about Iraq and Iran rather than the rosy future he's been touting in Europe this week?
I have no way of knowing if the part about the "scripted event" is true or not. I suspect that it is. Regardless, that someone cancelled the planned "town hall" meeting feeds the concerns of Europeans about our President. They will ask themselves, "Why can't the US President take unscripted questions?" And it's a very good question. The governments of our estranged European allies may be coming around. But because they are democracies, the US President must win the hearts of their people and this doesn't help.
Spiegel explains the unfolding events this was,
The Germans, though, insisted that a free forum should be exactly that. Wolfgang Ischinger, Germany's Ambassador to the United States, explained to the New York Times last week: "We told them, don't get upset with us if they ask angry questions."In the end, the town hall meeting was never officially dropped from the agenda of the trip -- instead it was dealt with in polished diplomatic style -- both sides just stopped talking about it.
Well, that is diplomatic enough. But isn't there a saying about un-ringing a bell?
Instead, the President will meet with a hand picked group,
As an ersatz for the town hall meeting on Wednesday, Bush will now meet with a well-heeled group of so-called "young leaders." Close to 20 participants will participate in the exclusive round to be held in the opulent Mozart Hall of a former royal palace in Mainz, giving them the opportunity for a close encounter with the president. The chat is being held under the slogan: "A new chapter for trans-Atlantic relations." The aim of the meeting is to give these "young leaders" a totally different impression of George W. Bush. In order to guarantee an open exchange, the round has been closed to journalists -- ensuring that any embarrassments will be confined to a small group.
The whole story is worth reading. It sounds like the President wants to avoid facing opposition everywhere and not just here at home.
Posted by Duane Smith at February 23, 2005 2:24 PM | Read more on Current Events |
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