Berlin Rally Is Off-Limits for Embassy Workers

[deminks]

Source: Washington Post

The U.S. Embassy in Berlin has instructed Foreign Service personnel stationed there not to attend Sen. Barack Obama's public rally today, which the State Department this week labeled a "partisan political activity" prohibited under its regulations for those serving overseas.

Government employees serving in the United States are permitted to attend such events under the Hatch Act, which bars other partisan activity, such as contributing money or working in behalf of a candidate.

But "we always maintain that no U.S. government Foreign Service person overseas should be seen to be advocating one side or the other," State Department Undersecretary for Management Patrick Kennedy said, adding that "it has nothing to do with who" the candidate is.

"When a German sees you there, they're not going to think, 'Oh, he or she is on their off time.' It's 'Oh, they are a Democrat, a Republican, an independent,' God knows what," Kennedy said in an interview.

The American Foreign Service Association, the union of the diplomatic corps, 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.



Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/23/AR2008072303388.html?nav=rss_politics

[TechBear_Seattle]

1. I have $20 that says, had this been a McCain rally....

Embassy workers would have been ordered to turn-out despite the law.

[bdamomma]

2. exactly.

this restriction is really a slap in the face, total BS, like those at this rally would even know who the workers in the US Embassy are. I hope Obama gets a very warm welcome.

[radfringe]

21. cue the whining

just watched Obama speech, broadcast through c-span 3...

crowd was clapping, shouting, hooting and hollering... huge crowds chanting Obama Obama Obama and Yes we can yes we can

tremendous....

time to cue up McCain on WHINER WATCH... waaaaaaaahhhhhh Obama got a bigger crowd... waaaaaaaaahhhhhhh...only faux news is fair and balanced to me.....

[xxqqqzme]

25. Exactly! The State Department is thinking of the

Berlin of 'old Europe'. The present Berlin population probably looks like any other urban world city.

[tanyev]

3. They probably would have arranged for big buses to take them there from work.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

8. And they'd have supplied the rally with official State Dept. PortaPotties. nt

[barbtries]

12. i'm not taking that bet

they would. they would have to, to have any bodies for the photo op.

[HowHasItComeToThis]

4. HITLER LAUGHS

[Kittycat]

5. I doubt it will stop them.

They'll put on their civies and try to blend in, but no way in hell will they all stay home.

[alcibiades_mystery]

6. This from an executive branch that has violated the Hatch Act at every turn

Up to and including malicious politically-motivated prosecution and the firing of any prosecutor who wouldn't consider engaging in prosuction for the purpose of intervening in elections!

They really are a hilarious bunch, these GOPers.

[eagertolearn]

7. Instructions from the country of supposedly freedom????

This is so obvious what they are trying to do. This should be all over MSM. What a laugh. I hope they all go anyway!

[stray cat]

9. so embassy workers can't attend any events for a congressman, senator or president?

[happygoluckytoyou]

10. if any attend.... THE OBAMA PUBLICITY WILL BE GREAT !!!

oh... if only they belonged to a free country.....

[glitch]

11. Riiight.

"When a German sees you there, they're not going to think, 'Oh, he or she is on their off time.' It's 'Oh, they are a Democrat, a Republican, an independent,' God knows what," Kennedy said in an interview.

I think we are watching them implode. Their self-parody is approaching Onionian levels.

[CottonBear]

13. “Thousands Of GIs, State Dept Workers Flock To Obama In Baghdad”

Video and transcript from Daily Kos:

(Wild Cheers)

Nightline: Monday night in Baghdad, Barack Obama is in the house. The house, the U.S. Embassy and it was an amazing scene.

Barack: I just want to introduce myself, I’m Barack Obama.

(Wild Cheers)

Nightline: The troops and state department workers mobbed him. And he responded with brief remarks praising their service.

Barack: So I don’t care whether you are a Sailor, a Soldier, an Airmen, or Marine. A National Guard, a Reservist, active duty, we just want to say thank you. Read on…

If John McCain and the GOP weren’t scared before Barack Obama’s trip to the Middle East, they are now. McCain and his surrogates have been flooding the airwaves with a barrage of attacks against the Democratic candidate and looking more and more desperate. You can see the looks on the faces in the crowd, they are desperate for real leadership and a new direction for our country. Reporter Terry Moran says it all — “Barack Obama needed a big day and he got one.”

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/07/23/thousands-of-gis-state-dept-workers-flock-to-obama-in-baghdad/

[Supersedeas]

14. Condi demands that you (all of you) stay away from the moment

[BrotherBuzz]

15. Condi, tear down these rules

[ImpeachEmAll]

16. Obama at the Sieges Turm

Over 67% of Germans in that Deutsche Welle article would vote
for Obama for US president.  Even crazier is that a majority
of Germans would vote for Obama as Chancellor of Germany!!!
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3509783,00.html
Sympathetic Canadian

[Pharaoh]

17. They hate us for our freedoms.....Lol

Freedom isn't free

[paparush]

18. Condi - Queen of Dimplomacy

Gott - what a vile disgrace that 'woman' is.

[wordpix]

24. just heard from a good source---this isn't Condi's rule, it's State Dept's

IOW, it's King Gorge and Dickhead's rule that Condi's carrying out. I know about the Hatch Act but how is it political to go listen to a candidate's speech?

I would have called in sick and worn a disguise to the rally if I were a state dept. employee in Berlin today.

[baldguy]

19. Did they issue similar warnings to embassy workers during ?McCain's visit to S America?

Just who's engaging in "partisan political activity" here?

[fudge stripe cookays]

20. What a load of crap.

When I worked at the IRS, we were not allowed to wear buttons etc or advocate for a candidate DURING WORK HOURS.

The Hatch Act does not preclude you from working for candidates, donating time or money, you are just not allowed to do it on work time.

Embassy workers do not work 24 hours a day. They also have off time. They are civil servants like everyone else, they just happen to be doing it in a foreign country.

[AnneD]

22. Amen....

what a better way to demonstrate how our democracy works. Actually, the reason I left the Army was that, while I was sworn to uphold the Constitution, the first thing I gave up was my Constitutional rights under the law (you are under the JAG-totally different)

[struggle4progress]

23. Dan Senor: Condoleezza Rice Is Pursuing the VP Spot (ABC / April 08)

April 06, 2008 11:48 AM

ABC News' Mary Bruce Reports: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is actively courting the vice presidential nomination, Republican strategist Dan Senor said. “Condi Rice has been actively, actually in recent weeks, campaigning for this,” Senor said this morning on “This Week with George Stephanopoulos.” According to Senor, Rice has been cozying up to the Republican elite ... http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/04/dan-senor-condo.html

[Demeter]

26. Let Her Have It--Nothing Will Finish Off McCain Faster!