Think Progress nails Condi's crew to the wall:
Yesterday, the Washington Post reported that the U.S. Embassy in Berlin "instructed Foreign Service personnel stationed there not to attend Sen. Barack Obama’s [D-IL] public rally" in Tiergarten Park because the event is "‘partisan political activity‘ prohibited under its regulations for those serving overseas."...
... But the ruling ... appears to indicate a double standard from the State Department. Last June, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) delivered a speech to the Economic Club of Canada in Ottawa. The event was reportedly organized in part by U.S. Ambassador to Canada David Wilkins, whom President Bush appointed in 2005. But more than that, the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa confirmed to ThinkProgress that Wilkins also attended the event.
Not only did McCain make clear references to and critiques of Obama’s policy positions in the speech, but he also referred to his own presidential campaign six times.
As Think Progress notes, the knucklehead Bushie who came up with this not-so-subtle plan explained his Berlin ban be saying "we always maintain that no U.S. government Foreign Service person overseas should be seen to be advocating one side or the other." Unless that side is Knucklehead Bushism.
UPDATE: Just connected the dots on some more selective State Department directives. You probably this news days before Obama's trip started:
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has asked US overseas diplomatic missions to provide minimal support to visits by presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain, officials said Monday.
In a cable sent Thursday, on the eve of presumptive Democratic candidate Senator Obama's visits to the Middle East and Europe, Rice forbade diplomats from holding events or arranging meetings for them, news reports said.
Senator John McCain, the Republican nominee, had already traveled to Europe and the Middle East more than four months ago.
How interesting -- this advice wasn't given to the U.S. Embassy in Canada when they set up a campaign speech for John McCain?
UPDATE: At this link (h/t TPM), you'll find a picture of Presidential Candidate John McCain (and his top foreign policy surrogate) being welcomed in Mexico on the tarmac by U.S. Ambassador Tony Garza. "Minimal support"?