A foreshadow of the 2010 elections in the U.S. perhaps…

Conservatives racing ahead in EU parliament voting

Conservatives raced toward victory in some of Europe's largest economies Sunday as initial results and exit polls showed voters punishing left-leaning parties in European parliament elections in France, Germany and elsewhere.

…

Right-leaning governments were ahead of the opposition in Germany, France, Italy and Belgium, while conservative opposition parties were leading in Britain and Spain.

Of course, “Right-leaning” is not necessarily a good thing - especially in Europe. But this quote actually made me smile:

"Tonight is a very difficult evening for Socialists in many nations in Europe," Martin Schulz, the leader of the Socialists in the European Parliament…

I can’t wait to hear similar words come from the Democrats in 18 months. Doubtful that can happen? Well, here are some of the issues that apparently are helping the conservatives trounce the socialists:

• Immigration
• Lawmaker scandals
• Massive bailouts

Sound familiar?

"People don't want a return to socialism and that's why the majority here will be a center-right majority," he said.

I hope American voters feel the same way in 2010.