France’s Sarkozy teaches 60 Minutes a Lesson
[Guest post by DRJ]
From Driver at AmusedCynic, French President Sarkozy illustrates French restraint at its best and American impudence at its worst:
“When I first heard about this, I thought it would reflect poorly on President Sarkozy. However, when I saw this short video, I thought: “Why doesn’t this happen more often?” Leslie Stahl comes off as a complete ass for wasting the time of an important international figure with gossip column questions that are none of her business. Good for him!
Stahl (voice-over): The day we interviewed him, Paris was buzzing with rumors that Cecelia had left him…again.”
Stahl: “Since we’ve been here [in Paris], it seems that every day we’re hearing another story about your wife. What’s going on?”
Sarkozy: “If I had something to say about Cecelia, I would certainly not do so here.”
Stahl: “But there’s a great mystery…Everybody’s asking…even your press secretary was asked at the briefing today…No comment?”
Sarkozy: “He was quite right to make no comment, and…No Comment. Thank you.” [removes microphone and earpiece, shakes Stahl’s hand, and leaves her sitting there by herself.]“
– DRJ
I assume she had been put on notice that he was not going to answer questions on this issue (can this even be called an issue?) but did it anyway.
Comment by dave — 10/30/2007 @ 8:26 am
I think that’s correct.
Comment by DRJ — 10/30/2007 @ 8:27 am
Oh I do like that man…
Comment by Scott Jacobs — 10/30/2007 @ 8:31 am
Way to go, President Sarkozy.
Comment by pataz — 10/30/2007 @ 8:32 am
He should have asked Leslie an inappropriate question about her personal life – I’m sure French intelligence could have dug up something juicy before the interview just in case – asked it, and then said “What do you think of no comment now?” before getting up and leaving.
Comment by chaos — 10/30/2007 @ 8:41 am
It may have been hot gossip in France but since 60 Minutes targets an American audience, no one really cares.
Comment by dave — 10/30/2007 @ 8:48 am
If Bill CLinton’s sex life wasn’t supposed to be an issue for us, why should we care about Sarkozy’s?
Stahl = epic phale.
Comment by Scott Jacobs — 10/30/2007 @ 8:56 am
My estimate of the French has gone up a notch.
Comment by Dana — 10/30/2007 @ 9:56 am
It’s NOT hot gossip in France. The French consider te ersonal lives of their politicians to be off-limits. Not so Americans and the “Mainstream” media. Leslie Stahl and her ilk would love nothing better than to “get inside” (as Timm Russert so often says) the Clinton’s marriage — instead of dealing with actual Clinton politics. It’s Beyond Pathetic.
Whether one agrees with him or not, Sarkozy is a highly interesting political figure. But “60 Minutes” has no way of getting at why this is so.
Comment by David Ehrenstein — 10/30/2007 @ 10:49 am
I’m surprised he didn’t get up and leave at the very beginning when Stahl made those condescending hand gestures, saying something along the lines of “Let’s take a deep breath and just calm down” like he was a 12 year old. Stahl’s an idiot. The stupidity and bias out of 60 Minutes never ceases to amaze.
Comment by Kent — 10/30/2007 @ 11:37 am
I feel like I should write the guy and appologize…
Comment by Scott Jacobs — 10/30/2007 @ 11:49 am
Sarkozy is of recent Hungarian extraction, which explains his unFrenchness.
Comment by Pablo — 10/30/2007 @ 11:59 am
Ha! I think Pablo makes a good point!
Comment by driver — 10/30/2007 @ 12:19 pm
Given the level of corruption in French politics, I’m not impressed by the amount of deference French media give their politicians and I’m not impressed by the insufferable arrogance of all European politicians and their sneering at being questioned.
That said, it is amusing to Stahl shown for the vapid faux journalist that she is.
Comment by SPQR — 10/30/2007 @ 1:21 pm
I think I like this guy.
Highly personal questions like that really don’t need to be asked.
Comment by Foxfier — 10/30/2007 @ 1:33 pm