POP, GOES DEWEASEL:

German right vows improved U.S. relations (Nicholas Kralev and Tom Goeller, June 4, 2005, THE WASHINGTON TIMES

The conservative Christian Democrats and their Free Democratic partners will restore Germany's alliance with the United States and downgrade Berlin's ties with Russia if they win elections in September, leaders from both parties say.

In a series of interviews, they also said that they would review their alliance with France, which they intend to keep strong, but warn Paris not to challenge Berlin to choose between the United States and France, as was the case with the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. [...]

Wolfgang Gerhardt, chairman of the FDP parliamentary group, said Mr. Schroeder had built an "axis" with Paris and Moscow, which was "neither in the interest of Europe, nor of Germany."

"We are convinced that this is a mistake," he said. "European integration will not work against the trans-Atlantic partnership, but together with it, since we share the same values."

German officials rejected the accusations that Mr. Schroeder has become close with Mr. Putin at the expense of ties with Washington. They said the chancellor has been working well with President Bush since their bitter rift over Iraq.

Last week, Mr. Schaeuble agreed with Mr. Schroeder that the alliance with France is "key" for Germany, but noted that a CDU government would bring back a tradition that he said Mr. Schroeder abandoned.

"We always told France, 'Don't make us choose between you and the United States, because we probably won't choose you,' " Mr. Schaeuble told a group of young American leaders on a visit to Berlin organized by the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations and Germany's Draeger Foundation.

You mean the problem was them, not us? Someone better break it to Cabana Boy and company.

Posted by Orrin Judd at June 4, 2005 12:03 PM