Tag: Nicolas Sarkozy

Mar 30 2010

Sarkozy Didn’t Read the Bill

Pardon. M. le Président, avez-vous lu la législation ?

At Columbia University yesterday, French President Nicolas Sarkozy both chastised and praised the US for the passage of the Health Insurance Bill:

“Welcome to the club of states who don’t turn their back on the sick and the poor,” said Sarkozy. He also added: “When we look at the American debate on reforming health care, it’s difficult to believe. The very fact that there should have been such a violent debate simply on the fact that the poorest of Americans should not be left out in the streets without a cent to look after them … is something astonishing to us.”

snip

“If you come to France and something happens to you, you won’t be asked for your credit card before you’re rushed to the hospital.”

M. Sarkozy hasn’t read the bill, obviously.

Nov 02 2008

We Got ‘Em Right Where We Want ‘Em!

It’s gettin’ down to crunch time, America!  And I couldn’t be more pleased about the state of the Palin-McCain ticket as we head into these last few days.  As I proved conclusively earlier, polls show that we are in great position to win this election.  

I’ve been workin’ like the dickens to shore up this misperception that I don’t understand foreign policy too good.  Just the other day I was chattin’ with French President Nicolas Sarkozy about all kinds of things, like which countries we can see from our houses, unfair things the liberal media says about us, our shared love of hunting, the relative hotness of me and his wife . . . well, I’ll just let you listen for yourselves:

Sep 07 2008

Uh oh..Saakashvili-o’s!

Folks, it seems as if everyone’s favorite Georgian President is spoiling for a Round 2 with Moscow.

Despite the presence of Russian troops on Georgian soil, President Mikhail Saakashvili said the West would help his country regain control of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, the separatist regions of Georgia recognized as independent nations by Moscow last month.

“Our territorial integrity will be restored, I am more convinced of this than ever,” Saakashvili said in a televised appearance. “This will not be an easy process, but now this is a process between an irate Russia and the rest of the world.”

“Our goal is the return of our territory and the peaceful unification of Georgia,” he said.

– excerpt from “Georgian president vows to reclaim 2 provinces “, AP, 2008

You know, I felt bad about what happened in Georgia.  Tbilisi’s top man should have known better than to try and call Moscow’s bluff.  Washington should have also known better than to egg on Saakashvilli.  Nobody ended up a winner in this, well maybe Gazprom, but who knows I’ll defer to Jerome a Paris on that.  

Oct 27 2007

Sky News EuroReport: Secret Gore-Sarkozy Negotiations

crossposted at Daily Kos and Truth & Progress

A few minutes ago, I received a phone call from Paris from an old grad school friend of mine who said that Sky News just broadcast a report about secret negotiations between Al Gore and Nicholas Sarkozy over Gore’s political future.

Given its stellar record, Sky is indeed the gold standard in news reporting — particularly in Europe.  Its ability to understand American politics and popular culture is unparalleled.  I am fully aware that many of you are diehard fans of Sky News and are convinced that it represents the best there is in television journalism.  I am in awe of your political acumen and I salute you for knowing what’s important and what’s fluff on the airwaves.  Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket 

As for me, though I’m always skeptical of any Murdoch-owned news outfit, news of these negotiations intrigued me.

Sep 22 2007

Emmanuel Todd: ‘Iran is not dangerous’ (but Sarkozy is)

In yet another fascinating interview, demographer Emmanuel Tood (best known for his prediction – based on demographic trends – of the Soviet Union collapse, and his more recent predictions of the “end of the US empire“) discusses Iran at length, and suggests that demographic trends in the Muslim world, and in particular in Iran, suggest a massive weakening of the influence of religion over their populations, rather than the opposite.

Bringing you one of our famous bilingual two-column diaries from the European Tribune