Angry in the Great White North

Today in Spiegel:

German Environmental Minister Jürgen Trittin remains stolid in his assertion that Hurricane Katrina is linked to global warming and America's refusal to reduce emissions.

[D]espite the uproar he has caused, Trittin remains unrepentant. On Wednesday, his spokesman Michael Schroeren even said that he "can't understand ... at all" why Americans are upset. Trittin's comments "are true and he wrote what he meant."

Which, of course, enraged Americans (and many others):

Essentially, they were outraged that in the middle of a crisis, a German minister would turn to America and -- instead of reaching out a helping hand -- virtually point a finger and say, "You asked for this."

Of course, the job of a spokesman is to take what your boss really said, and turn it into what he meant to say, or should have said, or what you wish he'd said.

Too bad Tritten's spokesman Michael Schroeren doesn't understand that part of the job:

On Wednesday, his spokesman Michael Schroeren even said that he "can't understand ... at all" why Americans are upset. Trittin's comments "are true and he wrote what he meant."

Michelle Malkin links to others tracking foreign "responses".