[Michael81Dus]

Nice to see that still many Americans have good connections to my fatherland. ;-)
And most of the FReepers having been to Germany at least have heard of my hometown Düsseldorf. That brings a smile to my face - and when I see the losers faces this evening, the smile will change to a loud laugh! Schröder and the SPD deserve a heavy setback.

But I fear that it´ll be closer than expected, although my party (CDU) will win both elections.

[monocle]

I had spent some time in Dusseldorf on business as well as in Paris. My experiences could not have been more different. The Germans were pleasant and trustworthy whereas the French were rude and treacherous. The Germans were tough negotiators, but once you had an agreement you could bank on it. The French, on the other hand, were deceptive negotiators and would immediately work to undermine any agreement.