Schroeder's Parthian Shot

So it finally appears that Angela Merkel will succeed Gerhard Schroeder as Chancellor of Germany, ending a saga of Floridian proportions. But as seems to be the case these days, it's impossible for a leader to step down from a post graciously; instead, we see that the level of a person's character can be inferred from the degree to which they attempt to disguise the insults they hurl. Here's a sample from a recent Schroeder news conference (emphasis mine):

Schroeder made his comments in a speech to a trade union in Hanover in which he warned of the dangers of eroding the welfare functions of the state.

"I can think of a recent disaster that shows what happens when a country neglects its duties of state towards its people," said Schroeder, who will soon cede his post to conservative rival Angela Merkel.

"My post as chancellor, which I still hold, does not allow me to name that country but you all know that I am talking about America," Schroeder said to laughter and applause.

Ha ha. Very classy. Of course, this is not the first time Schroeder has talked about Katrina; indeed, he has on various occasions favorably contrasted Germany's response to its 2002 floods with the US response to the recent hurricane. Not to belabor this point, or spend more time than necessary on the loser of an election thousands of miles away, but here's a very instructive photo comparison I found at Davids Medienkritik: