GERMANY VOTES - AT 9:50 A.M. ET:  It hasn't been well publicized in American media, but Germany, one of our most critical allies, votes tomorrow.  At stake is whether pro-American Chancellor Angela Merkel stays in power, or whether the leftists take over.  Most observers are betting on Merkel, but there's a wild card - threats of terrorism against Germany by Al Qaeda.  Remember that Spain, days after a terrorist attack, caved in and threw out a pro-American prime minister, voting in a leftist government that has been aloof to the United States.

BERLIN – German political parties held their final campaign rallies before Sunday's national election, mindful of specific new warnings by Islamic militants that they would exact retribution for the country's presence in Afghanistan.

Two threatening videos surfaced Friday — one by al-Qaida and another by the Taliban — showing video of top German landmarks like the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin and Munich's world-renowned Oktoberfest.
IntelCenter, an organization that monitors terrorism, said the threats directed at Germany are "now at unprecedented levels."

Chancellor Angela Merkel hopes to return for a second four-year term and ditch her conservative party's "grand coalition" with her main rivals, the Social Democrats, led by her foreign minister and challenger, Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

The 54-year-old Merkel wants to form a new center-right government with her preferred partners, the pro-business Free Democrats. But while she is personally popular among voters — some 49 percent said they would vote for her — Germans vote for parties and do not directly elect candidates.

Merkel is widely expected to remain chancellor and her conservatives to be the biggest party.

COMMENT:  It is absolutely crucial that Merkel remain in power, with enough support to govern effectively.  Germany would be a key player in any action against Iran.  Its role with Iran hasn't always been honorable - it trades widely with Iran and supplies that country with electronic equipment - but the Merkel government is far more responsible than any leftist counterpart would be.  So, we have a lot riding on tomorrow's election.

I wonder who Obama is rooting for?

September 26,  2009