Reply #3: I heard on the news today (must have been NPR) about [View All]

[gristy]

some conciliatory comments from Schroeder. I think he's probably trying to soften up shrub and open the communication channel to see just what he's going to offer. A month ago I would have said bush would not offer him anything other than a threat that they'd better help out (somthing like the old "you're either with us or you're against us" line). But the way things are now, he's going to throw him a bone or two so that he has to think about it for while. They'll negotiate back and forth and come to some kind of "agreement" that actually is pretty hollow. But here's where shrub really makes out: the BFEE will spin this "agreement" like mad so that bush appears to come out ahead. Then when nothing of substance comes from the agreement, or if perhaps the agreement falls apart, shrub can blame Germany. Just watch.