Anti-War Schroeder Suffers Major Defeat

That should be the headline around the world after Germany's anti-war, anti-American politician lost a major election in yesterday's North Rhine-Westphalia election, forcing Schroeder to call for special elections one year ahead of schedule. Social Democrats had previously ruled the region for nearly 40 years.

With the exception of Spain's Aznar, all of the major pro-war Iraq candidates (Bush, Blair, Howard) have been victorious in their re-election bids, while anti-war Schroeder suffered a major loss. Obviously Schroeder has many problems, but if it were the other way around, the media would make it a point that it was a "referendum on the unpopular decision on the Iraq War."

Support for Social Democrats stands at a meager 29 percent, according to polls in Germany.

So long Gary...