Barack Obama has insisted that the US has no right to “meddle” in the Iranian presidential election, but apparently that’s more of a guideline than a rule.  No, I’m not talking about Honduras, but instead the upcoming national elections in Germany.  When Angela Merkel answered a question at a press conference by referencing the elections, Obama put on his prognosticator’s hat and declared her the winner:

With less than three months until Germany goes to the polls to choose a new leader, US President Barack Obama believes Chancellor Angela Merkel is a shoo-in for re-election, according to a report that will be published on Monday.

Walking to a joint press conference on June 26, Merkel told Obama that she “was preparing her election campaign”, according to news magazine Spiegel, citing footage captured by public television channel ZDF but only partially released.

Turning to Merkel with a grin, Obama is quoted as saying: “Oh, you’ve already won. I don’t know you’re always worrying.”

Maybe Obama said the same thing to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.  Merkel laughed out of sheer surprise, but not everyone in Germany thought it was funny:

But for her challenger in the September 27 election, Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the reported comments are no laughing matter.

No, he has this odd idea that Germans have to actually go to the polls and vote before other heads of state recognize the winners.  For a man who claimed that supporting Iranians protesting over a rigged election was “meddling” rather than defending the basic human rights of expression and self-determination, Obama sure seems comfortable with “meddling” in our allies’ elections.

Got an Obamateurism of the Day? If you see a foul-up by Barack Obama, e-mail it to me at [email protected] with the quote and the link to the Obamateurism. I’ll post the best Obamateurisms on a daily basis, depending on how many I receive. Include a link to your blog, and I’ll give some link love as well. And unlike Slate, I promise to end the feature when Barack Obama leaves office.

Illustrations by Chris Muir of Day by Day. Be sure to read the adventures of Sam, Zed, Damon, and Jan every day!