Same Coverage Different Country.

Check out this AP Report on the German elections:

BERLIN - Conservative challenger Angela Merkel's party won the most votes in German elections Sunday but fell short of a clear mandate to govern, according to official results. Chancellor Gerhard staged a dramatic comeback and proclaimed that he should head the next government.

The vote heralded the end of Schroeder's seven-year tenure but left in doubt who will follow. The inconclusive results make it likely that Germany's next government would be weakened because of the narrow vote margin and difficulties in forming a coalition.The vote centered on different visions of Germany's role in the world and how to fix its sputtering economy. Schroeder touted the country's role as a European leader and counterbalance to America, while Merkel pledged to reform the economy and strengthen relations with Washington.

But Merkel's move to become Germany's first female chancellor puts those finance reform plans in doubt. She must now find a majority in a coalition that would likely force her to water them down.

So let me get this straight. Merkel wins, Schroeder claims victory and says she did not win by enough so I should keep my job. So a reform minded conservative wins the poular vote and gets dismissed by the AP? Shocking.

I don't know much about Merkel but I would guess she is decidedly more pro-America than Schroeder. No wonder the AP hates her.

A quote from Schroeder "I do not understand how the (Christian Democratic) Union, which started off so confidently and arrogantly, takes a claim to political leadership from a disastrous election result," Schroeder said, adding defiantly that he could foresee four years of stable government "under my leadership."

Uh Gerhard, you lost why is her result disasterous? Because the polls showed her to have a bigger lead? Yeah, polls are real accurate. Understand here folks, the German parliament will now elect the new Chancellor. I guess old Gerhard figures if he tells enough people his party actually won, he can get the job. I wonder where he learned that?

This kind of smells like the Washington State Governor's race where they kept finding ballots behind file cabinets until the Dems won and declared all recounts over.Hang onto your hats folks, things could be a changing over in Germany.