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Obama's tough love for Sarkozy
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President Barack Obama meets with French President Nicolas Sarkozy at Palais Rohan in Strasbourg, France, Friday, April 3, 2009. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
French Liberation published an amusing account of the relationship between Presidents Obama and Sarkozy, calling it tough love (l'amour vache). Apparently, despite the incredible show of solidarity in photo ops and other reporting, Obama has been on a little personal round of digs toward his French counterpart. Why, you ask?
Obama knows how to hold a grudge with a toothy grin:
- Sarkozy was way too friendly to George Bush, especially in his support of the Iraq war, which Obama was against
- Sarkozy fibbed and Washington is not forgiving him so fast. Apparently, at the time of the Russia/Georgia skirmish, Sarkozy made it known that the US President (Bush at the time) phoned him to discourage him from brokering a cease fire, and our telephone records show the absolute contrary to that.
So how did Obama give Sarkozy his due? According to Liberation, he invited Gordon Brown to be the first European head of state to visit the White House rather than Nicolas, despite insistance on the part of Sarkozy. Remember that letter he sent to Jacques Chirac? He specifically worded his message as working together 'for peace', in a direct zing to Sarkozy who was in favor of the Iraq war. Liberation failed to mention that it was Chirac who wrote first. It's an important omission.
There's more. Obama refused Sarkozy's invitation to visit Omaha Beach prior to the NATO summit (but he'll be back on D-Day and will do that then). While in Strasbourg for their bilateral talks, Obama gave Sarkozy very high marks for France's extraordinary leadership in NATO, but seized the moment to add that Sarkozy was on so many fronts that it was hard to keep up.
And today during his final press conference, he teased Sarkozy one last time. After giving preference to American reporters, he did accept two questions from non-American press. After having pleased the European press, he apparently broke out in laughter and said: 'I hope that Nicolas Sarkozy treated our press in the same manner; I am very sensitive when it comes to parity.'
For more info: G20 Summit: Sarkozy sets the tone, and yes he can, Foreign Policy: why is Obama writing to Jacques Chirac?Nobel Peace Prize: Obama or Sarkozy?
Special Report: Obama's First 100 DaysExclusive examiner.com coverage of the Obama administration's promise to bring about change.
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