(CNN) - Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is taking aim at President Obama's decision not to travel to Germany next week to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the latest in a string of conservatives to criticize Obama's decision to skip the ceremony on November 9.
"Some consider President Obama's refusal to attend the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall in Germany next week an outrage, I consider it a tragedy." Gingrich wrote
Friday in The Washington Examiner.
"To commemorate, after all, is to remember. And Americans need to remember, not just that the Wall fell, but why it fell," Gingrich added. "We need to remember that the Berlin Wall was the symbol of more than just the Cold War, more than just the division of Europe."
While the president had originally planned to be on hand for the event, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs confirmed earlier this week scheduling conflicts and preparation for his impending 10-day trip to Asia have instead caused Obama to stay in Washington.
Lighten up Newt. You can still be proud of Reagan for knocking down the Berlin Wall single handed if you wish. It's just that there is too much going on right now for Obama to spend his time on commemorations. He caught hell for trying and failing to bring the Olympics to Chicago, what do you want from him? He's trying to take care of business, and you are trying to take care of the 2012 election. I consider THAT a tragedy.
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Comments: 8
It's enough to give a Fox presenter a headache and appendicitus.
Oh, wait, it already did.
I kinda agree with you Chris, Obama can't win for losing concerning the Republicans, but that is the nature of the game of politics.
He was chastised for going to promote his old home town for the Olympics and criticized for not being successful in bringing them there.
He should however go celebrate the symbol of freedom that the fall of the wall embodies, Asia can wait a day!
I'm sure that has nothing to do with why he feels the need to be quoted on a daily basis.
The Fall of the Wall was one of the most important things to happen to the world in the last 50 years. Obama going there to give a speech honoring those who struggled all those years to make the event happened world have a great opportunity for him to point out something we lead the fight in.