Election Blow for Merkel

[malaise]

Angela should have known that once Bush touches you, you're doomed.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7211589.stm
<snip>
German Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) have suffered a dramatic electoral setback in the key state of Hesse.

State Premier Roland Koch, who made immigrant crime an election issue, lost his absolute majority in Hesse's parliament, official results show.

Premier Koch had fought an aggressive and divisive campaign in Hesse, calling for tough new laws against immigrant young offenders.

Although critics were quick to point out that his campaign was xenophobic, Chancellor Merkel gave her full backing to Mr Koch, known as the "Crown Prince" among conservatives.

But it is now clear that many voters felt uncomfortable with the CDU's hardline rhetoric and they delivered a severe blow to Chancellor Merkel's party, our correspondent says.
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[LeftCoast]

1. Damn. CDU still the majority party in Lower Saxony.

That's where I lived when I was an exchange student in college. Nice to see the CDU take a hit in Hesse though. :D

[malaise]

2. Any hit is good news

Go SDP!!

[xchrom]

3. and right in her safe zone.

:applause:

[Kolesar]

4. BBC & Deutche Welle story in LBN

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3158917

[malaise]

5. Thanks for that link n/t

[LeftishBrit]

6. Glad to hear that...

not only for party-political reasons, but because it may indicate to other politicains that xenophobic campaigns can be counter-productive. The British Tories ran a very anti-immigrant campaign in 2005, and it is thought to have cost them votes, though they would have lost in any case.