>"Dresden: Next Stop on Obama's Apology Tour," ran one headline on the conservative Powerline blog."

Hmmm... and all these years I always thought it was the British that firebombed Dresden?

Silly me, silly history books... or merely ignorant right wingers in action again?

They've been blatantly lying about Obama's speech since yesterday, so this is hardly a surprise.

Of course, one of the hallmarks of the small minded, devoid of insight, is the tendency to obsess over decreasing topics of significance until they disappear up their own fundaments...

Actually the USAF and RAF both f'bombed Dresden.

OT but maybe a tenuously appropriate question: does Inhofe have a brain?

I'm sure wingnut fanatics right now are digging out flight pattern maps and mileage counters and weather reports.

Personally, I think the President was secretly trying to indicate that he's a fan of Amanda Palmer.

"Stop it, all of you," he told the press, in a light tone. "We have enough problems out there without having to manufacture problems."

It would be nice if the corporate-owned so-called "mainstream" media would stop working hand-in-hand with the corporate-owned so-called "conservative" media to invent new lies with which to undermine public support for and confidence in the Obama administration.

But they won't stop, because that's what they are paid the big bucks to do.

According to the German press Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, actually was somehwat peeved when Obama didn't want to visit Berlin. She has national elections coming up in September and would have liked to bask a little more directly in Obama's glow.

Intentional or not, considering that Merkel balked when Obama wanted to give his big speech in Berlin last year at the symbol-ladden Brandenburg Gate, this probably qualifies as poetic justice.

Everything I read or heard about this yesterday failed to mention that Obama was touring these camps with Merkel, who grew up in East Germany.

By that measure, Obama is snubbing his family by not staying in Paris. What a cad!

The f*ckin' Press is unbelievable. After Dresden, too bad The Prez didn't work in a side trip to Hamburg; I'm sure that would have rev'd up the Right a bit more..

Actually the USAF and RAF both f'bombed Dresden.

No, the USAAF and RAF both bombed Dresden, and 65% of the incendiaries were dropped by the British, despite the fact that they only flew one raid. In fact, three of the seven US raids (8th Air Force) carried no incendiaries at all.

The firestorm was largely a British project, which was why so many Britons were horrified.

Anyone know where Merkel stands approval-wise in Germany? Just curious. I thought she was considered more conservative, by European standards, but then so was Sarkozy. By U.S. wingnut conservative standards, they're communists.

"...Personally, I think the President was secretly trying to indicate that he's a fan of Amanda Palmer."

Thanks for the reference, but I'd bet he was more of a Kurt Vonnegut fan, but that would be too obvious.

And So It Goes

What? No one explains the stopover as a shopping spree on Dresden china for the White House????

...Obama's decision to stay in Dresden has sparked protests from some of Obama's conservative political critics, who have argued that the visit demonstrates his willingness to highlight America's lesser historical moments. "Dresden: Next Stop on Obama's Apology Tour," ran one headline on the conservative Powerline blog.

IOW: They got nothin'.

Wait LRMC is right next to Rhamstein AB why didn't he land there if his intent was to visit LRMC?

It would be difficult to find a major German city that wasn't bombed repeatedly during WWII. Where, exactly, was Obama supposed to stay?

Allen,

chances are that Merkel will be re-elected. Approval-wise she is doing quite well, even though she is considered to be a bit of a distant and slightly cold person.

Whether Merkel can continue as Chancellor depends on the number of seats the different parties get, and no party will come close to being able to form a goverment by itself.

However, there are regular polls wher Merkel's approval-rating and that of other major politicians is measured. She usually beats the leading candidate of the social democrates at least two-to-one in terms of how many people would vote for her if the Chacellor were to be elected directly.

Merkel is a member of the conservative party (Christian Democrats), but she generally takes fairly centrist positions (to the extent that she does take a position, because that is something she likes to avoid whenever possible).

Placed in the US political spectrum, Merkel probably would come out as a moderate New-England Republican, if there still were such a thing.

The USAF and RAF both fbombed Dresden.
What? "F-bombed?" We cussed them out? And Dick Cheney was just a kid then!

I'm sure that, in print, Obama's gentle admonition to "stop it, all of you" will soon be changed to "Obama Fed Up W' Press: STOP IT!!! ALL OF YOU!!!"

Next up will be a shot of Obama standing next to a small statue of Christ, and the Republicans will claim it's his way of bragging ala John Lennon that he's "Bigger than Jesus." He will then stand next to a log of Velveeta to prove that he's "bigger than cheeses."

even though she is considered to be a bit of a distant and slightly cold person.

No wonder: look how she reacts to a friendly shoulder-rub!

BuzzMon,

It is really to prove his fandom for Jim Butcher

I am sick to death of the right wing's fixation of Obama 'apologizing' for America.

You you numb-nutted right wing fucktards, Obama's not apologizing for America, he's apologizing for Bu$h/Cheney, the WORST administration in modern history.

There now. Let's start propagating that rebuttal. Again, he's not apologizing for America, he's apologizing for the Bu$h/Cheney regime's actions that has stained our reputation around the world with all of our allies, not just Muslim countries.

It is really to prove his fandom for Jim Butcher

If you get a photo op of Obama flipping through some files, you've got a poster.

In my experience, when a guy walks around all huffy about "having nothing to apologize for" it means he knows darn well he's screwed up big time.

That's what I see every time the right gets on their "apology" rant.

Wait, they're suggesting that the U.S. did something that is shameful ever in its entire history?!

Off with their heads!!

This reminds me of the "reporting" (speculation) that Michelle Obama's chief of staff was stepping down in favor of another woman, a friend and one time boss of Michelle at UChi. The MSNBC'ers mentioned that the woman leaving has young children, her husband is chief of staff for Secy Vilsack, the job she's leaving is very demanding, and that the Obama admin. created a new, less demanding position for her in another dept. The woman replacing her appears to be in her 50's. Yet this didn't stop them from speculating why the CoS was leaving when it was really quite obvious (to me anyway). They pretty much connected the dots and decided to go tabloid anyway. Sheesh.

And do I need to point out that if he DIDN'T go because of the bombing every last neo-con asshat would be shrieking OMG OBAMA IS HITLER!11

Didn't think so.

It's like this. We're not apologizing for our entire family. We're apologizing for the drunken uncle at the wedding reception who insulted half a dozen guests and knocked over a table of food before passing out on the couch.

"Stop it, all of you," he told the press, in a light tone. "We have enough problems out there without having to manufacture problems."

Look, manufacturing problems (along with manufacturing false outrage) is all the manufacturing we have left in this country. Why take it away?

I heard his next stop would be Tralfamadore where he has a secret family with Montana Wildhack. Tralfamadore is also where his Kenyan birth certificate is hidden. Originally Obama was known as Kilgore Trout.

Is it just me or do others think the GOP's criticisms of Obama sound like Tom Hanks' last bullets pinging off the tank armor in Saving Private Ryan as Hanks lay mortally wounded in the street making a last, desperate attempt to stop the advancing Germans from taking the bridge?

The only thing Obama should be apologizing for is how pathetic our conservative media has become. No matter what he does they will find fault with it which is ironic considering their outlandish support for America's worst and most embarrassing president ever...Bush.

Watch the minority demonstrate why they are the minority and how little they represent the opinions of Americans.

If there *was* anything to Obama going to Dresden instead of Berlin, it was in order to slight Merkel, who was royally pissed off at the Obama admin over the US's handling of the GM/Opel bankruptcy. The German media has been abuzz about this too.