A duck so lame even protesters ignore him

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A duck so lame even protesters ignore him

Updated: June 10, 2008 - 10:32 PM

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The young anarchists, middle-age peace activists and established left-wing politicians in Germany have at least one thing in common: None bothered to keep a six-year tradition alive by organizing a protest of President Bush's arrival Tuesday in Berlin.

"Bush is not even popular in the role of the enemy anymore," wrote Der Tagesspiegel newspaper.

As in many other parts of Europe, Bush was a popular villain in Germany even before the Iraq invasion, in part because of his rejection of the Kyoto Protocol limits on greenhouse-gas emissions. His visits to Germany have reliably drawn thousands into the streets.

Monty Schadel, one of the organizers behind other protests, said the absence of public protests this time went beyond Bush's often-cited lame-duck status. There has been a noticeable shift here, he said, toward wrestling with German issues rather than focusing judgment on the United States.

"The theme of U.S. war policy is no longer the biggest one," Schadel said. "German war policy is now the most important. We need to return to our own doorstep."

A RIDE FIT FOR A KING

Bush, who fancies himself a Texas horseman, closed out Tuesday's European summit by admiring a performance of the Lipizzaner stallions. The elegant, high-stepping horses are native to Slovenia, though they're probably better known among visitors to Vienna.

THE REST OF THE EUROPEAN TOUR

Bush will be in Europe until Monday. He'll be in Germany today and then travel to Italy, the Vatican, Paris and London. He'll end his tour in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

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