I was just reading the Oct 25 Kausfiles about Walter Shapiro watching presidential campaign ads in Ohio and surprised to learn Kerry is running an ad. (Here in NY we are getting few Presidential ads.) In Shapiro's words:

Although, while it is far too defensive, the second Kerry ad about not giving the French and Germans veto power over our security is so forcefully delivered that you have remember it

I wonder how well those kinds of pronouncements by Kerry will go over with the French and Germans. Not that I care, Bush is going to be Pres, but Kerry has smash mouthed our coalition members and now he is doing it with his 'wish we had' coalition members. Now I doubt he said anything akin to "I'm not going to click my heels to German opinion", but the French and Germans understand the language of nuance, too, and it seems like they might feel annoyed by this as much as Poland, Italy , etc are about his comments directed toward them.

The point is Kerry boxed himself in this corner with his big mouth and big ego. Just one more group crossed off Kerry's Free Fire Zone list. Is there anyone still safe on the list?

(All the aggravating stuff aside, I should note that the G's and F's are coalition in Afghanistan so as to recognize that they are helping where they are comfortable in doing so.)