March 17, 2005

BALTIC DEBACLE:

Schröder's party suffers setback (Judy Dempsey, March 18, 2005, International Herald Tribune)

Chancellor Gerhard Schröder's coalition suffered a political setback Thursday as the veteran Social Democratic leader of the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein failed after four rounds of secret ballots to win re-election as state premier.

The leader, Heidi Simonis, 61, the only woman to be premier of a German state, was denied victory during an extraordinary afternoon of high tension and drama in Schleswig-Holstein, a windswept state on the Baltic Sea.

Afterward, opposition leaders said the Simonis debacle was an omen for the future of Schröder's government, a coalition with the Greens led by the Social Democrats since 1998. Federal elections are due next year.

"This is a nail in the coffin for the Red-Green government in Berlin," said Guido Westerwelle, leader of the liberal Free Democrats.


Best make sure there's a wooden stake through the heart before you hammer down the lid.

Posted by Orrin Judd at March 17, 2005 11:48 PM
Comments

I believe that according to legend you should also cut off the head.

Posted by: MB at March 18, 2005 12:25 AM

"This is a nail in the coffin for the Red-Green government in Berlin
Funny, I thought Red-Green was Canadian.

Posted by: jd watson at March 18, 2005 3:15 AM

jd is correct. Which means the body will have to be wrapped in duct tape also.

Posted by: AllenS at March 18, 2005 5:50 AM

This is like the Democrats losing Rhode Island. Schleswig-Holstein is a city-state with Lubeck running the show, like Providence in RI.

Posted by: at March 18, 2005 8:08 AM

jd and Allen:

Are you handsome or handy?

Posted by: Rick T. at March 18, 2005 10:08 AM

Based on his 2002 re-election bid, we should expect to see the Bush Demonization Strategy No. 2 trotted out by Schroder's people any day now, possibly with Paul Wolfowitz as special guest star, since it's worked in Germany in the past...

Posted by: John at March 18, 2005 10:11 AM

Since your name is Rick, I'm goin with handy.

Posted by: AllenS at March 18, 2005 10:31 AM

"This is a nail in the coffin for the Red-Green government in Berlin," said Guido Westerwelle, leader of the liberal Free Democrats.

According to German news media he then added, "it is good that there was one righteous person in the Red-Green Sodom who would not participate in thwarting the will of the electorate."

Mr. Westerwelle is an avowed homosexual.

Posted by: Eugene S. at March 18, 2005 3:31 PM

When's the next lodge meeting? If Harold's gonna be there, please let me know before hand.

Posted by: Dave W. at March 23, 2005 4:00 AM
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