Bad vibrations

Anyone who follows the news from the U.S. must be struck by the constant negativism about the state of the economy. For example, NBC News reported last night that it's the "end of an era" for car leasing, because the residual values of the cars are plummeting. Critics say the media are overstating the magnitude of the current crisis and are making things worse than they really are. Yet it's the mood in Nov. that will likely decide the presidential elections. The same could apply this Oct. in the Czech elections. Czechs are no strangers to bad news, but the stage is being set for what could be an unprecedented barrage of bad economic vibes. A sense of impending doom will be evoked not only by ČSSD and the unions, but also perhaps by Vlastimil Tlustý's faction within ODS. The degree to which the Czech media echo this gloom could determine just how long Mirek Topolánek remains the PM. [Czech Republic Brian Williams prime minister]