In 2004, John Kerry intimated that his candidacy for the White House was supported by several unnamed foreign leaders. On Sunday, Hillary did Kerry one better, without even trying apparently, and managed to secure the explicit endorsement of former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder.
Speaking at the Jeddah Economic Forum in Saudi Arabia, Schroder said that “I’d be very pleased if Hillary Clinton would become the next American president.” His largely Saudi audience, which was segregated by sex with a plastic barrier, responded with applause.
As they laughed, Schroder tittered, “But don't quote me too loud. I hope I’m not harming her by saying that.”
The socialist Schroder, like Hillary, has spent the last five years as a vocal critic of the Bush administration, blasting the president on issues such as the war in Iraq, the government’s response to Hurricane Katrina, and global warming, to name a few.
But there may be more to Schroder’s endorsement of Hillary than just his hatred of President Bush. Last fall, Schroder became the first German Chancellor to lose to a woman, and maybe he wants an American Republican male to share his milestone misery in 2008.
