USA's 747-200
Unfortunately the earlier hopes that Obama would visit Weimar after honoring the victims of Buchenwald were dashed. This means that I didn’t get to meet or see the president, although I did get to see the president’s 747 out my bedroom window.
(Boy am I being myopic!)
Anyhow, after the president toured Buchenwald he gave a brief speech which was broadcast live on the German channels as well as CNN. Clearly this speech was, to some extent, an after thought in comparison to the speech given in Cairo. To me it lacked the signature rhythm and rhetoric that I expect from the current president.
Below the CNN report about Obama’s visit, I’ve posted the Edward R. Murrow report for CBS Radio that broke the story of Nazi atrocities to Americans. It’s heart breaking to listen to, and in the format there are pictures showing camp conditions.
Saw a soundbite from the camp memorial’s director on CNN tonight I think — did we meet his wife with you at the Weimar Office?
I wish Obama would have broken from his prepared speech for a change and mentioned Ahmadinejad when he was speaking from the podium just before his departure from Buchenwald. He did say that Buchenwald was a “clear rebuke” of those who would deny the Holocaust, but earlier in the day he told NBC that the Iranian leader should come to Buchenwald and see it for himself. He could have repeated that, but chose not to.
@Cliff1976: Indeed we did meet his wife!
@ian: I wonder how much he speaks extemporaneously-i always thought that his speaking style was always on, but maybe he needs a really good speech writer