1:42 p.m.: SPIEGEL ONLINE has learned that Obama has cancelled a planned short visit to the Rammstein and Landstuhl US military bases in the southwest German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The visits were planned for Friday. "Barack Obama will not be coming to us," a spokesperson for the US military hospital in Landstuhl announced. "I don't know why." Shortly before the same spokeswoman had announced a planned visit by Obama.

4:49 p.m.: Obama enters the luxury Ritz Carlton hotel wearing a T-shirt, black sweatpants and white trainers -- apparantly to work out in the hotel's gym. He kept up the campaigning on the way there, smiling and waving at tourists and other onlookers.

Pentagon spokeswoman Elizabeth Hibner said the base was ``prepared to host him, but his campaign canceled the visit.''

Obama ``was told he could visit as an official but he cannot come in an election capacity, not visit with his campaign staff,'' Hibner said in a telephone interview.

Originally posted by grover
reply to post by vor78

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Actually they reported last night on the evening news that the Pentagon asked him not to so it wouldn't be turned into a political circus and he agreed to cancel.

Originally posted by Quazga

Originally posted by grover
reply to post by vor78

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Actually they reported last night on the evening news that the Pentagon asked him not to so it wouldn't be turned into a political circus and he agreed to cancel.

Good post Grover.


It's amazing how quickly these blood thirsty Obama haters are to make every move out to be some sort of negative thing. Here it was the Pentagon asking that he not make the stop, and yet here we have the hate-mongerers accusing Obama of flip-flopping.

It's rather disgusting if you ask me.

Saying that crowds estimated at 200,000 to 250,000 were there for the band Reamonn is the height of silliness -- and intentional spin by people who weren't even there.

By the way, attendance for individual nights at Rock in Rio, the biggest rock festival in the world, which features multiple bands at the top of their games, comes in between 70,000 and 200,000 most of the time. Major U.S. festivals like Coachella get 50k, if they're lucky.

Police advised that spectators seeking to get close to the Democratic senator had to arrive at least three hours early. Yet, while waiting they can indulge in pizza, bratwurst and beverages in one of the two dozen fast-food stalls lining the two-mile long boulevard. There are also life performances of German pop band Reamonn and Reggea singer Patrice.