While making dinner, I listened to Hugh broadcasting from the Dem convention, he was interviewing Regis Le Sommier, the American bureau chief for Paris Match, and a man whose name appears to mean King Bedspring. I don't know if King Bedspring knew how he was being played; I don't think so. Mr. Hewitt's objective was simple: explore and amplify French support for John Kerry. It was like a cat playing with a mouse he intended to eat, and the mouse thought they were having dancing lessons. Amusing. . . .

Regis left but promised to come back at the top of the next hour. I called the family to dinner, served everyone tacos, walked the dog and had the 6 PM cigar. Googled Regis. Ah, of course. I remember him. Go read; I'll wait.

Regis returned. More of the same. The subject of American anti-French sentiment came up; he was surprised to hear about it, didn't think there was much of it. Americans are shunning French wines? He had never heard about this. No, no, he doubted it was true. Anyway, any assertions that Chirac was unduly tied to Saddam were baseless, and besides, America armed Saddam. . . .

If I understood the pith of his gist: Anti-Americanism was understandable, given that George Boosh was bent on ruining the world (pauvre Irakis, deprived of pere Saddam). Anti-French sentiment - if such a curious thing existed — would be an irrational response to legitimate criticism. You Ameericans are so - what's your word? - chauvinistic.

That's what I inferred, anyway. I got out the super-secret studio hotline number. I had one objective: get this guy to admit that the relationship betweeen France and Saddam was stronger, and much more current and lucrative, then the relationship between the US and Iraq. Then we could move on to really hard problems, such as whether water flows uphill or down. . . .