It Is Good to Know the President is so Respected Abroad

My liberal friends always say how important it is that our President is respected. Is he? Not enough about him? Barack Obama skips Berlin Wall ceremonies – Telegraph Blogs

There was one world leader absent for today’s commemorations marking the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Surprisingly enough, it’s President Barack Obama, who found time last year to give a campaign speech there last year, which Der Spiegel summed up as “People of the World, Look at Me”.

The White House has cited a packed schedule, though looking at it he had nothing much on yesterday (brief chat to reporters about healthcare – by far his biggest priority) and just blah briefings and a bill signing today until a metting this evening with Benjamin Netanyahu. This time, Der Spiegel has reported it as “Barack Too Busy”.

Funny how he had time to jet over to the IOC meeting, and I'm sure he won't be too busy to pick up his "I'm not Bush" Nobel Prize in December.

But a commemoration of the downfall of the Soviet Empire? A remembrance of the most critical political event of the last 50 years? (Well, if you discount his election, I'm sure!) I guess that health care thing is taking up more of his time than I realized.

Several people have made the statement that the Obamas are going to be remembered for vanity. (Counting the number of times they said "I" or whatever during their IOC speeches seemed excessive to me.) While I won't go that far, I have to concede that those people have a point.