Or perhaps, a better question is, "What's the French for 'Bang him up!'? I refer, au naturel, to that French pygmy - or should that be 'pigmy'? - Nicolas Sarkozy, the former President of France and a leader - mais non, the leader! - of the European Union. According to Zero Hedge, he has just been charged with taking back-handers from one of the most disgusting North African leaders of modern times:
Sarkozy - who was president of France from 2007 until 2012 - is said to have accepted around €50MM [my emphasis]from Muammar Gaddafi, Libya's overthrown leader, was captured and killed in 2011. As we noted, the amount was more than twice the legal spending limit in French elections for the time, which was €21MM. Gaddafi's alleged payments to Sarkozy also violated foreign financing laws and declares the source of campaign funds.
Rather shrewdly, Zero Hedge suggested that M. Le President should have followed the example of the Clintons:
If Sarkozy were smart enough, maybe he should've opened up a foundation - like the Clinton's to accept foreign bribes donations.
They do that sort of thing so much better 'over there'!
The Clintons yes, but now the Biden family "business" might be a better venue.
Posted by: Whitewall | Saturday, 17 October 2020 at 15:37
If The Don has accomplished anything worthwhile it's finally driving a stake through the heart of Clintonian radical centrism. We'll miss them as much as you folks miss Tony Blair. They're not likely to return from the political dead no matter how often their foundation, names or emails are mentioned.
Posted by: Bob | Saturday, 17 October 2020 at 15:51
"Clintonian radical centrism" sounds so much nicer than Clinton Crime Family.
Posted by: Backofanenvelope | Sunday, 18 October 2020 at 10:12
"Clinton Crime Family" fits because what they did to America was a political crime. There probably would never have been a president like The Don without them stabbing the traditional Democratic base in the backs. They're a couple of cheesy freaks who always knew how to play both ends against the middle while trying to cozy up to the Republican donor base. The Don's problem is he only knows how to play one (smaller) side against everyone else.
Posted by: Bob | Sunday, 18 October 2020 at 14:56
'Still 'n' all', Bob, the Clintons did their bit to help 'Obamarama' into the top job. So, perhaps it was him that helped 'The Don' step up!
Posted by: David Duff | Sunday, 18 October 2020 at 15:37
Some 'pre-White House-Clinton-history' for y'all (well maybe with the exception of Bob 'cause for once, I think he gets it! (Lord knows I've referenced it many times and oft.)
The Clintons lets remember, got their start in Arkansas and as, a great many regions of Arkansas are in the essentials if not in name, Republican, the Clintons needed 'em if they were gonna get their foot in the door. So they managed the trick.
David's point though, passes muster too.
That's just the way criminal organizations get their starts.
Posted by: JK | Sunday, 18 October 2020 at 15:53
JK,
Whether the Clintons helped Obama or he won in spite of them could be debated.
Posted by: Bob | Sunday, 18 October 2020 at 23:30
Well Bob, the point I was trying to communicate predated Obama, by a lot.
(Although I don't think it "meritocracy" what got Obarmy's first SecState.)
As to "who [specifically] helped" I'm agnostic but I'd venture something like 'the time was ripe' for something like that.
(But thank God, an ala Al Sharpton wasn't heading the ticket!)
Posted by: JK | Monday, 19 October 2020 at 02:56
JK,
Obama beat Hillary in the Democratic presidential primary. He worked out a deal with the Clintons he probably considered a necessary evil. He was a traditional center-left politician who didn't approve of the Clintons' two-faced strategy (triangulation). NAFTA and the Financial Services Modernization Act are probably the two biggest reasons Trump is president.
Posted by: Bob | Monday, 19 October 2020 at 18:43
Bob, any idea how many jobs were lost to the USA due to the NAFTA?
Posted by: Glesga | Tuesday, 20 October 2020 at 02:45
Glesga,
The number of job losses aren't as important as the types of jobs lost. Generally, NAFTA killed jobs in the high-paying manufacturing sector and created more in the relatively lower-paying service industries. Since manufacturing has been a larger employer in the Midwest, the result was Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania breaking for Trump in 2016.
Posted by: Bob | Tuesday, 20 October 2020 at 15:39
"Au naturel" means naked. The word you seek is "naturellement." ("Naturally")
Posted by: Michael Adams | Wednesday, 21 October 2020 at 03:21