Yesterday I ran across this little tidbit from Reuters: Bernadette Chirac came out today in support of Hillary Clinton. Mrs. Chirac is the wife of former French President, Jacques Chirac, who just left office in May of this year.
Hillary must be pleased as punch at this endorsement. Is it the woman thing, do you think?
Reuters offered no political reason, just this:
"From the first look, the first words, Hillary Clinton is a friendly, smiling person who never lets herself be caught out," she said. She even expressed interest in attending the Democratic convention in Denver in August. "And if I can be of any use to her somewhere in the campaign, I'm available. I'd like to go with her and I'm going to suggest it to her."
It seems that the two women met several times during hubby Bill's Presidency. The two husbands seem to have quite a lot in common. Former President Chirac is currently under more formal investigations for corruption in office than you could shake a stick at.
From SFgate.com: "Across the Channel, Britain's Times reports that the just-announced case "is one of half a dozen which sprang from investigations that began in 1999 into 'la machine Chirac,' the fortress-like city hall...the former president built up as his power base" before becoming president in 1995. The paper notes that ongoing investigations and other, already completed trials have shown that the equivalent of millions of dollars "of city and corporate funds were diverted for political ends during...Chirac's mayoral reign....Half a dozen of his former subordinates have been sentenced to suspended prison terms over affairs arising from his mayoral years, while his presidential immunity has until now shielded him from proceedings."
The Clintons and the Chiracs would seem to have quite a bit in common. Currently the Chiracs are living in a borrowed apartment. Maybe Bernadette can exchange some tres chic cheek-to-cheek kissing on Hillary's campaign trail for a little Chinese cash to tide over the Chiracs. Or perhaps Bill still has enough friends from across the big pond to finagle a pardon for the old man.
All in all, I'm not terribly impressed by the endorsement. Just more convinced of the character of Mrs. Clinton. I don't really think Mrs. Chirac has a clue how most Americans feel about her husband and his very, very shabby treatment of our sitting President. Not something any French cheek-kissing on the campaign trail is going to rectify any time soon.
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