ha >> a warm welcome to "the journal." >> thanks for joining us. >> government authorities launched an investigation into a special -- a suspicious package fod in chaellor merkle's office in berlin. republicans are expected to make historic gains in u.s. elections. bp is back in the black after the worst oil spill in u.s. history. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--

>> a package intercepted at chancellor angela merkle's offices in berlin today contained explosives and is linked to the mail bombing in greece according to germany's interior minister, who told reporters the parcel had been mailed from greece to the view of days ago. he confirmed the device was built in the same way as the bomb that exploded at the swiss embassy in athens earlier today. security in all-german mail rooms has been bolstered in response. he ordered them to exercise particular caution with mail from greece. >> the government district in berlin, the seat of political power in germany. a suspicious package arrived early tuesday afternoon. it was addresd tohancellor merkle, who was in belgium at the time it was delivered. journalists working close by were close to get on the scene. ben kim confirmation. police were investigating a package believed to contain an

incendiary device. the government spokesman for the package had attracted attention because of what he called "oddities." >> the investigation showed that the contents of the package could at least have injured people. it was rendered harmless by agents of the security services. we are happy that no staff, police officers, or anyone at all were harmed by it. >> a career service hand deliver the package to the mail room. it is located in a different -- a different building, several meters away. as a result, the chancellery itself did not have to be evacuated. angela merkle has been well returned to berlin. >> police in the greek capital offense have decimated two suspicious packages at the airport. local news reports indicate packages were addressed to the european court of justice. tuesday was the second day in a

row that parcel bombs were discovered in athens. the german embassy was another target, but the device was destroyed along with others destined for the embassies of russia, chile, and bulgaria. greek police suspect left-wing extremists are behind the bombings. to iraq now, where more than 70 people have been killed and 200 wounded in a series of explosions in baghdad. at least 13 explosions rocked the city tuesday evening, totaling cafes, restaurants, and targets in mainly shi'ite areas. this comes two days after islamic militants were massed in a cathedral. 53 people were killed in that incident. americans are casting their ballots in the midterm congressional elections at this hour. with good weather across much of the nation expecting to help the voter turnout. republicans are high in opinion pos, buoyed by discontent over

unemployment and bank bailouts. the have also gained from the backing of the conservative teat party movement. president barack obama and democrats have had an uphill battle motivating their own base to go to the polls. >> the president is not running this year, but by choosing new congressional representatives in several states, boaters will be sending him a message about the job he has been doing. many are disappointed. >> i think the rhetoric around this election has been awful. and no one is focused on the issues, and we need to focus on the issues. >> what is really important is that we have to have some kind of structural reform. >> look at the economy and what is going on in the world. people are looking for a change. >> president obama has tried in the last few days to rally support for the democrats, saying his administration has achieved much despite the

economic crisis. >> the republicans and drove us into a ditch. >> high unemployment and a massive deficit have people frustrated. that evidently has helped sarah palin and the tea party movement. >> the truth is with obama, policy, and -- pelosi and reed at the wheel, we are getting closer and closer to a cliff. >> the administration's economic policies have put the republicans on an upswing. it looks like there will get a majority in the house of representatives and it will be a close race in the sene's. >> will those gains mean an end to obama ability to push through legislative agendas? that is a question i put to our washington correspondent. >> i do not think we will see a complete shift in power, and we will not seek repeal of all the reforms that we have seen in the last two years, for example

health care reform. obama can still veto everything that comes from the republicans. i think there is a chance that the democrats will still control the senate. we have two scenarios possible. the first is that the moderate republicans will be stronger than the more conservative republicans. then we will see an end of partisanship, and i think the democrats and republicans can come together and find solutions to fix the problems of this country. the second scenario would be that the more conservative republicans will be stronger than the moderate republicans. then we will see anngoing election campaign for the next two years, because the more conservative republicans want really to have their man in the white house. >> stay with that theme. how has the rise of the tea party affected the national

political debate, and has the country shifted sharply to the right? >> i want to read the crystal ball. i think the tea party will become less important after the election. it is a grassroots movement. it is a movement that we have seen so often in the history of america, the anti-establishment movement. but they do not have a strong leadership. there is sarah pslin and i think it will become less important after the election today and tomorrow. >> thank you very much. we will have more on the midterm elections coming up. first, to business. the german auto industry -- a couple of clouds out there. >> german cars selling well abroad, but the domestic market remains sluggish. germany's auto association has forecast that 2010 new car sales

should 0.9 million vehicles, slightly upgraded, but it still signals a sharp drop from 2009, when a cash subsidy moved domestic sales despite the economic downturn. the have anticipated a loss of 23% from last year in the german home market. that marks a sharp contrast with booming export sales of two economies like china and the united states. >> luxury cars made in germany are flying off the lots in the united states. bmw, mercedes, and audi are especially popular. but mid market bnds like vw are also enjoying an upswing. in october, bmw sold 23,000 cars in the u.s., a 13% rise compared to last year. looks like in sales jumped 18%. porsche saw unit sales jumped 60%. upmarket gman demands are in

demand at home. but middle brands have been hard hit at home in germany, with sales far below last year's numbers. car makers benefited from the popular "cash forclunkers" program in 2009. once that expired, show rooms were empty. domestic sales fell 37% in october alone. >> british oil giant bp has announced a third quarter profit $5.50 billion, despite a charge of $7.70 billion to finance the cost of the gulf of mexico oil spill. so far, it is billed as the worst oil spill in u.s. history, and has added up to $40 billion. >> the cleanup and damage claims have already cost bp 11.6 million euros. despite the enormous costs, the corporation posted third quarter profits of $1.30 -- 1.3 billion

euros. investors have renewed trust in the company. bp shares lost half their value in the aftermath of the disaster on april 20. the share price has since stabilized, but it is still not clear when the company will make a full recovery. bp and its critics have differing opinions on the success of the cleanup. the oil giant says most of the crude has been removed. environmentalists say three- quarters of it is still in the water. they say dispersants have caused the oil to sink further, affecting deeper ocean layers. >> onto tuesday's market action. european shares rose to six months closing highs, with bp gaining after profits beat forecasts. our correspondent sent us the summary of the day's trading action at the frankfurt stock exchange.

>> private equity companies reported their results. a dialysis subsidiary for medical care, and later on this evening a fertilizer maker, reported results that have been higher than expectations. the companies all raised their forecasts for the next of the year. mato and linde shares went down a little bit, mainly because of profit-taking. they had a big rally in the near past. the market in general forward again, mainly driven by the fact that investors hope that the fed will ease monetary policy some money will remain cheap. > stefan wulff in frankfurt. the dax finishing 0.75% higher. the euro stocks 50 closed at

2861. the dow closed at the top of the hour. closed 0.75% higher. the euro is currently trading at a value of $1.4030. business is continuing to pick up for a german wholesale giant. it has increased to $16 billion in the third quarter. that is a billion more than the same period last year. they have stores in more than 31 countries. management said the company is experiencing significant growth in all regions. whatever is the forecast for the full year pre-tax earnings to come in at 2.3 billion year rose. that is your business update. >> we go to kosovo, where the coalition government hasost a votef confidence in parliament. as a result, parliament has been dissolved. elections are scheduled for

december 12. costs of zero has been trapped in a deadlock since september, when a court ruled the president could not also the head of a party. he resigned and pulled his six ministers out of the coalition. in response, the prime minister called a vote of no-confidence and lost. in russia, a chilled billionaire has appealed to a court in his second trial, telling the judge that the fate of the nation rests on t verct in his case, expected to be handed down in december. he was russia's richest man, but was arrested and convicted in 2003 on charges of tax evasion, theft, and embezzlement. >> at the close of his trial, he said he was willing to spend the rest of his life in prison for his principles. the former oil magnate attacked prime minister vladimir putin and said his trial was a symbol of government arbitrariness. >> the trial was corrupt from

the start, in fact and in law. the prosecution is furious and the evidence were fact. >> he is accused of stealing more than 200 million tons of oil from his own company. international observers think the second indictment is a response to his political ambitions. >> this trial is based on such an obviously absurd foundation. if it ends with a conviction of the accused, that means there is no reliable legal protection in russia. >> the court will announce its ruling in mid december. if found guilty, mikhail khodorkovsky could face another seven years in prison. >> he tried to launch an attack on the politics of vladimir putin. few people in moscow believe the judge is immune to political pressure. this is a test of president

medvedev's commitment to the rule of law. >> nato should expand its coopation with china, according to journalist zu guttenberg, now on a visit to berlin -- to beijing. he says the government should work together piracy and cyber attacks, the war in afghanistan, and security issues. china is already involved in civilian reconstruction in afghanistan. >> where else to study chinese history than the great wall? german politician zu guttenberg listen to the history of the fortifications. it was good preparation for beijing, where he called for close to a corporation with the west on security, afghanistan, and the fight against piracy on the high seas. >> since we live in a world that cannot be easily ltd., where ties with major developing partners are important, that

should be a major consideration for security policy. therein lies great opportunity. >> he also plans to broach controversial topics like china's persecution of the man who recently won the nobel peace prize. >> the question is always how should we talk to our chinese friends, and should we be able to communicate in a way that allows us both space? >> on his agenda were meetings with high-ranking military officers and politicians. on wednesday, he is set to meet the chinese vice president. >> after a delay of several months because of a bitter dispute over protecting personal privacy, google has launched its first street view images of germany. at the moment, the online mapping service is offering images of a few streets in a southern german town as well as the chancellery building here in berlin and soccer stadiums. google plans to add the 20 largest german cities by the end

of the year. i will be right back in one minute with more on the midterm elections in the united states. please join us for that.

>> welcome back. americans are voting in midterm congressional elections that are seeing an upsurge of conservative activism that promises to sweep republicans into congress by margins llsters predict have not been seen in 80 years. the electorate is angry, with unemployment, home foreclosures, and bank bailouts topping the list of grievances. president obama is on the campaign trail, but has been disappointed not only by the economy but the unfilled promise to end america's foreign wars. >> hello, minnesota. hello, philadelphia. >> barack obama is in election mode, almost like two years ago,

but the first impressions are fleeting. the president's popularity rating in 2010 seems a shadow of 2008. >> to all those folks who fought for change in 2008, we have to fight for change in 2010. >> obama enter the campaign late, some say too late. ?the democratic party election adviser says the president's lack of popularity is partly due to his perceived distance from ordinary voters. >> he grew up lower middle- class. he got through college on scholarships. he is the american dream. he just does not -- he is a different flavor than most americans are used to. >> with his health care bill, obama brought historic change to u.s. society, but his political opponents have persuaded many voters that he's taking america in the wrong direction. >> i believe they are heading

towards more socialist tendenci, and i believe in capitalism. >> it is pretty radical over here, what he is trying to do and what he wants to do. >> garden parties like this one, aimed at conveying an image of obama as a man of the people, but the president is so unpopular in some regions that local democrat candidates have preferred not to have his health for their campaigns. >> i think the places that he would be seen as hurting democrats, he is not going to go there. if you look at the past couple of weeks where he has gone, he has gone too large concentrations of democratic voters. >> for barack obama and the democrats, it seems it is not going to be like two years ago. >> millions of independent voters who became disenchanted with the president when he and the democratic congress pushed

through the bank bailout, with a price tag of $2 trillion. in spite of a massive stimulus program, unemployment is at levels not seen for decades. when to a community in indiana to find out how the economy is affecting the vote. >> there is not a lot moving in eklkhart, indiana. the economy is struggling. residents rk in the automotive industry, specializing in trailers. sales plummeted when the financial crisis hit. the mayor calls the impact of the downturn on local businesses. >> bank credit and south and the recreation vehicle industry got caught inhe middle. the entire plant slowed down. when moved completely out of here. they went bankrupt when it tried to open in another state. >> president obama paid several visits here and promised help.

but many companies still had to cut back production. 14% of residents are now unemployed. that is well above the national average. many automobile industry workers are bitterly disappointed. >> they were the democrat party that was elected in promising all kinds of things, and it does not seem to have happened. >> in the presidential elections two years ago, the majority of the residents voted democrat. opinion polls indicate that things will be very different this time around. >> i will be voting republican. i guess because of the economy and the way things are going today, the stimulus thing just bothers me to no end. >> every day, these pensioners to go door to door, canvassing for the local republan candidates. >> all these taxes. >> they say for most people, one

issue stands above all others. >> the economy is the big thing. we just need to get people get to work. but could not get jobs. >> right. >> their conversations with local residents have convinced them that the republicans will at least achieve a majority in the house of representatives. since his inauguration, president obama's most important political goal has been a revival of the u.s. economy. how well he has seemed to have succeeded will be reflected in the midterm election performance. >> america has a tradition of third-party movements and candidates in times of economic crisis. the most recently successful was the bull moose party of president teddy roosevelt. from 1901 to 1909, he battled big industry and corruption in an attempt to help the common man. the tea party calls americans like him forgotten heroes that

serve as potent models to help them save the fading american dream. >> ♪ i am american made ♪ >> a song for a typical tea party audience, predominantly male, most of them white, and all of them angry with the government. the songwriter is playing at a party full of protest voters. >> i have been to events all over the country. there is no racism. there is no violence. it is a very peaceful movement, and very patriotic. >> politically, the tea party movement has a simple message -- cutting back government. >> what about the people who represent us? >> i liked their positions on taxes, on spending, and on conservative constitutional government. i think they are going to clean out the trash in the republican

party and have already started to do that. >> i think they have rejuvenated the republican party, such as myself. i agree with what they are doing and i'm here to support them with my mother and my daughterthree generations. >> they all love tea party champion serra palin. she has backed many an experienced candidate, ousting of established republicans in the process. her fans are loyal. they embrace the a dodge that government does not solve problems -- government is the problem. >> the politicians who are in office today -- some of you need to man up and spend some political capital to support the tea party candidates instead of doing this, waiting to see how everything is going to go. >> the tea party express moves on. next stop, las vegas, hit hard by the financial crisis, and fertile ground for the tea party movement.

>> to go to vegas. >> the people here are hoping to see the tea party candidate in nevada, sharron angle, but she does not turn up. >> i just talked to sarah palin. >> some are disappointed and leave before the end of the rally. but the singer stays right to the end of the tour. he says the tea party movement has already achieved something important, making politics interesting again. >> this movement has awoken the public and in gauged the public in politics. whether or not they are from the tea party, the left and right are going to be held accountable to a new standard, and i think that is really important. >> but the tea party movement still has to prove whether it can move beyond show to real political actions.

>> we will have more on the elections as the voting returns come in. please join us for that.