Obama’s German controversy

The response was swift. The paper and website was swamped with comments, calling the headline everything from tasteless to racist. "Die Tageszeitung’s" Deputy Editor and Chief did not repent. In a statement he said, "The headline is intended to be satirical. ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’ is a book that all Germans know, which they associate with issues of racism. The headline is supposed to make people think about these stereotypes. It works on many levels."

"The World’s" Carol Hills gets the story from Nicholas Kulish, Berlin Bureau Chief for the "New York Times."

Kulish says "Die Tageszeitung" has a reputation for trying to be provocative. The paper is seen as being very pro-Obama, and according to Kulish: "… they see themselves as the left liberal newspaper that would champion Obama, and everybody else is on their territory. So … they were forced to try to go a step further and instead went a step too far."

Kulish says the editors of "Die Tageszeitung" may also have thought they had the street cred to be ironic with the "Uncle Tom" headline because Germans genuinely are interested in America’s minority groups.

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