Merkel's coalition to court the U.S.

[ECH1969]

Angela Merkel's new coalition government will work toward stronger ties with the United States and scale back on the close relationship outgoing Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder had with Russian President Vladimir Putin, say officials from both parties in the future Cabinet.

The officials say that foreign policy has not been a divisive issue in the coalition negotiations between Mrs. Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Mr. Schroeder's Social Democratic Party (SPD) since last month's inconclusive election.

"Atlantic partnership and European integration are not mutually exclusive," said Wolfgang Schaeuble, the CDU's senior foreign policy spokesman, suggesting that Mr. Schroeder as well as French President Jacques Chirac had demanded that their continental colleagues choose between a united Europe and the United States.

"Failure in Iraq will be a catastrophe maybe even more for Europe than the United States," he said in an apparent reference to the continent's proximity to the Middle East.

http://washingtontimes.com/world/20051011-100017-2107r.htm

[Cha]

1. Puke, merkle...that's right..kiss up

the bushits..they're really high in the polls right now.

[trogdor]

2. I give her government a year, tops.

By next summer, they'll be talking about new elections again, and Merkel will be out on her ass.

[Cha]

3. I love it that other countries

can have elections whenever they feel their government isn't going on the right path. And, I hate it that we have to suffer for how many years until we remove the bushit fascist regime from their dirty power takeover?

[Cha]

4. Hey, Clinton, New York..

I was in your fine city the other month for the Cindy Sheehan Peace Rally!

[anotherdrew]

5. get yer ass to Iraq merkel, thats is all bush wants, yer dead kids

stupid foolish people to vote for her... what sheep.

[orwell]

6. Just think...

...of the nifty new uniforms. I'm sure they have some left over from WWII. Something in medium gray perhaps...