Article

2004-06-09 Europe

Greek Reporter questions Olympic readiness

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Posted by Super Hose 2004-06-09 3:54:34 AM|| || Front Page|| [2 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 The over-qualified Mayor of Athens, Dora Bakoyianni,

Aris? Is this just a really bad translation?

Posted by Shipman 2004-06-09 9:56:04 AM|| 2004-06-09 9:56:04 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 I'm not sure where the reporter was coming from. He may have blundered and meant "overqualified" as a compliment. Is the text of the question a translation or was the reporter speaking in English?

But frankly I do feel that Dora Bakoyianni is being wasted in being a mere mayor, when I'd have much preferred her to be the foreign affairs minister, or even the prime minister instead of Karamanlis. I'd have almost certainly voted for ND had it been she that'd be leading it rather than him -- and had Karamanlis lost the election and been forced from the leadership of his own party it would probably be indeed her that'd be given the reins of its leadership. She is from the pro-Western, pro-democratic, pro-freedoms, liberal-right wing of her party.

Karamanlis on the other hand is IMO from the wing I'd call "amoral crooks", cozying up to whomever suits him, from the most conservative right to the most Stalinist left, not having any ideology other than what benefits him personally the most.

Posted by Aris Katsaris 2004-06-09 10:41:04 AM|| 2004-06-09 10:41:04 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 Aris, look at the statement: QUESTION: So you said you feel it was a good meeting. Then Mayor -- Madame Mayor Dora Bakoyianni, daughter former Prime Minister of Greece, Constantine Mitsotakis, is doing a splendid job for the Olympics Games, as I understand; correct?
He seems to be hunting something to match his own adgenda or that of his paper. He has been covering the State Department for several years as I search his last name and it linked to a State Departmeent Q&A from 2002.

Do you know anything about Lambros Papantoniou or the Elettheros Typos Greek daily.

Maybe he just smells the US pulling out of the Olympics - which I don't see happening.

Posted by Super Hose 2004-06-09 2:08:37 PM|| 2004-06-09 2:08:37 PM|| Front Page Top

#4 I don't know anything about Papantoniou, but Eleftheros Typos is believed to belong politically to ND, the ruling party which Bakoyanni also belongs to. Have never read it myself.

Posted by Aris Katsaris 2004-06-09 2:22:47 PM|| 2004-06-09 2:22:47 PM|| Front Page Top

#5 Maybe he just smells the US pulling out of the Olympics - which I don't see happening.

No need for the U.S. to officially pull out, but officials might want to issue a warning that given the current climate, attendees go at their own risk. We can't protect all our citizens everywhere.

Posted by Bomb-a-rama 2004-06-09 2:26:33 PM|| 2004-06-09 2:26:33 PM|| Front Page Top

#6 Aris, thank you. BTW I am pretty sure that the US is coming because all the track athletes are embroiled in a doping scandal. America only bothers to watch track when the Olympics roll around.

Posted by Super Hose 2004-06-09 2:29:18 PM|| 2004-06-09 2:29:18 PM|| Front Page Top

#7 Track? There's a stockcar olympic event?

Posted by Shipman 2004-06-09 2:56:21 PM|| 2004-06-09 2:56:21 PM|| Front Page Top

#8 Yes, but only for trucks.

Posted by Pappy 2004-06-09 7:20:58 PM|| 2004-06-09 7:20:58 PM|| Front Page Top

#9 Monster trucks. This year our truck-star is naming his vehicle "turban burner".

Posted by Charles 2004-06-09 10:43:10 PM|| 2004-06-09 10:43:10 PM|| Front Page Top

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