Doesn't Mr Kohl's prestige in European policy count in his favour?

ECONOMIST: Can Kohl win in September?

Central bankers need to be credible because otherwise markets can't count on anything and will not react to policy action in the future.

WSJ: Spanish Markets Pummeled Over ECB Disappointment

Yet even as concerns about the price of oil and global warming have intensified--along with cries that the industry do something about it--U.S. energy policy has become increasingly impossible to count on, causing major problems for companies.

FORBES: Magazine Article

So I think as we move forward on addressing our fiscal challenges, Chinese policy makers know that they can no longer count on the U.S. consumer to provide that demand to the global economy.

WHITEHOUSE: Via Telephone

We are all impatient with the slow job growth associated with the sluggish recovery, but the proper policy responses are appropriate monetary and fiscal policies, not regulatory interference based on the short-term job count.

FORBES: The FCC, Jobs And Rainbow Stew