BREMEN, Germany Helmut Kohl's designated successor on Tuesday launched a blistering attack on the German chancellor's challenger, slamming Social Democrat Gerhard Schroeder for dividing the nation. Wolfgang Schaeuble, the powerful parliamentary leader of Kohl's Christian Democrats, pushed forward the CDU campaign for September's election with an unusually personal assault on Schroeder, who is well clear of Kohl in opinion polls. Newspaper editors don't know whether they should send political correspondents or theatre critics to cover Schroeder, said Schaeuble in an hour-long address to 1,000 delegates at a CDU party congress in the northern city of Bremen. Schroeder's now even appearing in real TV soap operas, said Schaeuble, referring to a recent cameo appearance Schroeder made.

He's unable to hold a discussion for more than the length of a TV soundbite. He's devoid of any more content than that. Schaeuble, far more popular with voters than Kohl, seemed to revel in his new role as the campaign's attack dog, slamming the SPD for everything from flirting with the reform Communists and what he suggested was its lack of patriotism.

The SPD is incapable of all that, he said after saying patriotism and love of fatherland was part of democracy. It is a mystery to me why, at the end of this century, a German can't love his fatherland the way a Frenchman or an Italian can, Schaeuble said. The SPD has not tried to foster unity between East and West. They are only dividing our people.

Schroeder, 54, is ahead of Kohl, 68, in voter surveys ahead of the September 27 election by a margin of 43 to 35 percent. Last year Kohl nominated Schaeuble to one day succeed him. I don't believe a word they say anymore, said Schaeuble of the SPD. They have lied to us before every election. I believe they would have formed a government in 1994 with the Communists and that is exactly what we have to prevent in 1998.

(Reuter)