Stoiber Defends Comments on Easterners

Conservative Bavarian premier Edmund Stoiber defended remarks he made last week about "frustrated" east German voters in a television interview broadcast on Sunday. Stoiber's comments were widely criticized, and were perceived as having hurt the bid of conservative party leader, Angela Merkel, for chancellor. In the interview, Stoiber said his comments were aimed at Left Party candidates Gregor Gysi and former Social Democrat leader Oskar Lafontaine. "It can't be misunderstood. It can only be misunderstood if you separate the text from the opening attacks on Gysi and Lafontaine," Stoiber said when asked if he intended to apologize for the comments.