Gerhard Schroeder dished out more lies than a snake-oil salesman to win reelection from a German voting populace that responded positively to, among other treats, his repugnant disdain for America's nasty habit of demolishing dictators and liberating the oppressed (whereas, of course, the liberal Germans would rather trade directly with any given dictator; to hell to his people).
Well, if promises were cupboard china Gerhard would be making like a newlywed after a tiff; contrary to his pledges of fiscal conservatism (er, rather, restraint), Schroeder has been born-again in the religion of taxation. Tax here, tax there, tax everywhere - none of this was heralded in his campaign. To put it politely, the German people bought a bridge. A big bridge.
That in itself isn't news. This is.