Political campaigns are frequently marked by mudslinging, misrepresentation and sometimes even real issues. Apathy, especially if the election is a local one, often sets in early. In many respects, Berlin's local campaign is no different, although there has been a bit of interest stirred up recently.

It's not about some new election promise or ground-breaking manifesto that's gotten everyone excited. Rather, it's a little battle of the pictures that's erupted concerning campaign ads and posters.

The most high-profile case involves Germany's former soccer team coach, Jürgen Klinsmann, hero of the nation after he led the team to a third-place finish in the World Cup held this summer. Seems the left-of-center Social Democrats wanted to capitalize on all the good feeling around "Klinsi" and one of their posters features a young man who looks remarkably like the blond-haired trainer.

Klinsmann was not happy about the use of his image, or at least one that approximated his own very closely. His "people" threatened to sue and the Social Democrats quickly got workmen out to paper over the double's image on the large-scale posters around the city.

Still, the party of Mayor Klaus Wowereit isn't admitting any wrongdoing; the resemblance is "pure coincidence," the party says.

Picture pique

An anti-Wowereit ad got his main opposition, the Christian Democrats (CDU), in a bit of hot water. Trying to paint the popular mayor as an irresponsible party animal (well, he does enjoy having a good time), in one TV spot the camera pans over what is depicted as his desk in city hall.

On it, there's a champagne bottle, corks, a red high-heeled pump, a flyer from the Love Parade and a framed photograph of Desirée Nick, an often scantily clad local entertainer who is on friendly terms with the mayor. (So friendly, in fact, that two years ago a mini-scandal broke out when she and the gay mayor were caught on camera in an intense lip-lock at an AIDS benefit.)

Nick wanted no part in a campaign to discredit her friend, and threatened to sue since she did not give the CDU permission to use her image. The party quickly changed the ad, removing the offending photograph, saying it "had no interest in a legal battle."

Good move, since the battle to win the mayor's office will be difficult enough.