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| Europe |
| French begged Bush to take call |
| 2003-04-17 |
| I think I like France better as an enemy. A clear-the-air telephone call between President Jacques Chirac and President George W Bush this week was secured only by repeated pleading from French diplomats, it emerged yesterday. The 20-minute call on Tuesday was the first time they had spoken for more than two months. Yeah, we'll give you call. When asked if the talk had been "positive", Ari Fleischer, Mr Bush's spokesman, said: "From the President's point of view, he would call it a business-like conversation." M Chirac's spokesman said he had been "pragmatic" about post-war Iraq. Do you think the US will call? We'd better stay home in case they call. Before the call could be arranged, Jean-David Levitte, the French ambassador to Washington, had to lobby Karl Rove, Mr Bush's chief political strategist, and Stephen Hadley, the deputy national security adviser, at the White House. Maybe America's phone's not working. Final American agreement to the call was secured only after discussions on Monday between Colin Powell, the US secretary of state, and Dominique de Villepin, the French foreign minister. This France? Yeah, it's the US. Please stop giggling, will you? This is going to be tough to say so we guess we should just come right out and say it. We like you a lot, you know that, and we've had some great times together. But...uh...things have changed, France. We've changed. And we just think it'd be best if we both started seeing other countries. The anger towards France is deeper and more pervasive. French firms have suffered a loss of income from cancelled American orders and officials argue that the successful French attempt to scupper a second United Nations resolution extended far beyond M Chirac. It's not you, it's us. We're just in a different place right now. |
| Posted by:Christopher Johnson |
| #15 I'm for Ermey,a no bull kinda dude. "The Siege of Fire Base Gloria"great movie Ermey stared in,check it out. |
| Posted by: raptor 2003-04-18 08:21:24 |
| #14 I second Billy Boy as ambassador to Paris. Or to the UN. He'd fit right in at either venue. |
| Posted by: Baba Yaga 2003-04-17 19:56:22 |
| #13 I posted R. Lee Ermey's name here yesterday, but it wasn't my idea. I found across the idea on some blog during the 'quagmire' phase. |
| Posted by: Dishman 2003-04-17 19:42:01 |
| #12 Ambassador to France? That's easy: Bill Clinton. Slick would have an adoring audience that would never tire of him, along with an unending supply of hookers; stationing him in Paris would keep him out of our hair and out of Dubya's as well; and the French are so clueless and vain they would probably think we were honoring them. |
| Posted by: Dave D. 2003-04-17 18:22:51 |
| #11 Reporter: And how do you like France so far, Mssr. Ambassador? Rummy: I've been here a @#@#@ week and still can't find a decent glass of wine. Any of you guys ever hear of Napa Valley? (Ermey's great, too, though.) |
| Posted by: Matt 2003-04-17 17:45:24 |
| #10 I bet the french press had the other way around. 'Bushed begged for me to call and give him military advice.' Tell them they still are NOT getting any contracts. No, Non, Never! |
| Posted by: Cyber Sarge 2003-04-17 17:41:37 |
| #9 I still like the idea from yesterday(?) - can't remember who, oh well. R. Lee Ermey as Ambassador to France! "AWRIGHT YOU MAGGOTS! LISSEN UP! WE'VE HAD JUST ABOUT ENOUGH OF THE PISSING AND WHINING, SO JUST SHUT UP *NOW* BEFORE I DECIDE TO REACH DOWN YOUR THROATS AND PULL YOUR STINKING LUNGS OUT!" |
| Posted by: mojo 2003-04-17 17:17:14 |
| #8 Do you suppose that Ambassador Jean-David Levitte's kneepads came in handy when he went "chapeau in hand" to Rove? |
| Posted by: ColoradoConservative 2003-04-17 17:04:52 |
| #7 The Rumsfeld takedown of De villepin could make up a significant portion of that $20 Billion war cost on pay-per-view. I'd pay to see it |
| Posted by: Frank G 2003-04-17 16:39:48 |
| #6 appoint Rumsfeld as our ambassador to France No, Matt, we're not looking to punish Rumsfeld! |
| Posted by: Tom 2003-04-17 15:44:05 |
| #5 "From the President's point of view, he would call it a business-like conversation." I like that. Kind of like receiving a call from a telemarketer. "Please send any offers in writing and I'll get back to you if I'm interested." |
| Posted by: Tom 2003-04-17 15:42:03 |
| #4 Any reason not to appoint Rumsfeld as our ambassador to France? And have him give press conferences every day of the week? |
| Posted by: Matt 2003-04-17 15:37:16 |
| #3 I feel a lot better now - there were various versions floating around (probably from State Dept EuroWeenies) saying Bush called Chiraq. For the life of me I couldn't see how that would be to our benefit. Next time, use caller ID? |
| Posted by: Frank G 2003-04-17 15:00:15 |
| #2 Yaz... Reality Land, whereas Chirac lives in the twin states of Delusion and Collusion (separate manor houses, doncha know). |
| Posted by: Tadderly 2003-04-17 14:26:31 |
| #1 appoint Rumsfeld as our ambassador to France No, Matt, we're not looking to punish Rumsfeld! |
| Posted by: Tom 4/17/2003 3:44:05 PM |