How Does a Dead-Last French Cable Channel Nab a Sit-Down With Obama?
Obama provides an exclusive to a reporter best-known for on-air sobbing at the news of Bush's reelection.
But if the prospect of four more years of George W. Bush made Laurence Häim sad in 2004, the presence of Barack Obama in the White House evidently makes her very happy now.
Ms. Haïm’s “At the White House” blog is subtitled “The Blog Made in Obama,” with the odd “Made in Obama” tag being in English. Announcing her impending departure for Saudi Arabia to follow the president on his travels, Ms. Haïm writes, “Come back … to this blog to be at the heart of what’s happening behind the scenes of the presidential trip, which starts in a few hours after 22 hours of flight guys and girls … LH.” The chirpy “guys and girls” is again in English.
Even Obama’s appointment of children’s entertainment executive Charles Rivkin to be ambassador to France — a move that would undoubtedly have been greeted with horror and disdain had it been made by Obama’s predecessor — earns an enthusiastic exclamation point on Ms. Haïm’s blog: “Former Muppets Boss Ambassador to France!”
In her iTELE interview, Ms. Haïm does ask Obama what he is expecting from France in Afghanistan (answer: nothing concrete). But on the whole, her questioning of the president is as predictably sycophantic as are the president’s responses predictably platitudinous. The interview includes scintillating exchanges such as this:
“What do you love about France, if I may ask?”
“Well, let’s see … we’ve got the food, we’ve got Paris, we’ve got the south of France, Provence, the wine.”
Elsewhere, on the topic of relations with the “Muslim world,” Ms. Haïm reminds the president that during the electoral campaign he had told her that he wanted to convene a “Muslim summit.” The idea will undoubtedly be of interest to the Organization of the Islamic Conference, whose 57 member states already convene every three years in an “Islamic summit.”
Ms. Haïm does, however, manage to ask at least one seemingly tough question.
“Do you speak French?”
“My French is terrible.”
This is the same remark that he made in April during his “townhall meeting” with European students in Strasbourg (in Strasbourg indeed, Obama added to his merely faulty linguistic résumé by saying that both “my French and German are terrible”). But then he adds, “I studied it in high school and I just forgot it. Now, Michelle, I think, speaks a little French.” Asked whether he would say a word in French, the president politely declined.
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John Rosenthal’s writings on European politics and transatlantic relations have appeared in English, French, and German in such leading publications as Policy Review, Les Temps Modernes, and Merkur. He holds a PhD in philosophy and he taught political philosophy and classical German philosophy before turning to journalism. More of his work can be found at Transatlantic Intelligencer.
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50 Comments
1. Sherab Zangpo:“Ms. Haïm writes, “Come back … to this blog to be at the heart of what’s happening behind the scenes of the presidential trip…”
Let me see: in three days
- his Justice Dept. dropped the charges against the black panthers thugs
- the government took control of a major corporation
- he declared that Iran has the right to nuclear energy
- he declared the USA one of the largest muslim countries in the world
And I am supposed to think that something is “happening behind the scenes” ???
I think it is happening in the front-stage and it is just in our face.
It seems that my moderation in judging was a serious mistake.
Somewhere I have read that Chavez calls him comrade Obama.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment.
Jun 3, 2009 - 12:09 pm 2. Jim:Just wait till next year when things are even worse than they are now. Eventually, Zero’s socialistic policies will be exposed for what they really are. We can only “hope” that this happens before November of 2010.
Jun 3, 2009 - 12:30 pm 3. dan:ha – weeping in ‘04? they should’ve played that on repeat on Fox for the whole day.
Jun 3, 2009 - 12:32 pm 4. The Wizard:Obama is an Islamic Terrorist! He is in his homeland furthering the destruction of America and our economy.
Obama is a liar, a fraud, a racist and his pernicious policies are just plain evil.
I would even suggest he leaked the top secret nuclear info to “his” allies, not ours.
America needs to wake up, while we still have a country, our freedoms and democracy.
Jun 3, 2009 - 12:59 pm 5. Dred Scott:So long as the French don’t do b.j.ournalism like Brian Williams and then kow tow bow.
Jun 3, 2009 - 1:04 pm 6. The Shadow:I see the Wizard is off his meds again
Jun 3, 2009 - 1:20 pm 7. Ms. Attitude:I believe Ms. Haïm’s had an O from the interview….
Jun 3, 2009 - 1:21 pm 8. tovarish:57 states?????? Where have we heard of 57 states? Mr. Obama made a slip while on the campaign trail saying he had been in a certain number of the 57 states. American’s thought he meant 57 states in the USA. The Islamists knew what he meant – the 57 states of the Organization of the Islamic Conference which meets every three years in an “Islamic Summit.”
Jun 3, 2009 - 1:24 pm 9. Sherab Zangpo:#8 Tovarish
Bingo !
Congratulations !
NOBODY had seen that !
Excellent.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment.
Jun 3, 2009 - 1:42 pm 10. Ms. Attitude:Same thing was said of Moses when he kept saying it was going to flood.
Jun 3, 2009 - 1:44 pm 11. stuart Williamson:This is irrational. It does not Axelrodian. Select the puniest cable outlet in France he almost certainly could have appeared on the largest? That’s just stupid.
It must have been one of the rare occasions when Obama insisted on having is own way and selected (Quelle surprise!), the most slobbergingly adoring sycophant in tout le monde.
So Axelrod shrugged. Who cares? The French are in his pocket. The US media won’t mention it. Let him have his way from time t time, when it doesn’t matter.
Wait till the day his ego makes him try to take charge in a true crisis and the turd hits the turbine!
Jun 3, 2009 - 1:45 pm 12. Sherab Zangpo:Title of Yahoo-AP news:
“Obama seeks counsel of Saudi king, finishes speech”
Thank you for the opportunity to comment.
Jun 3, 2009 - 1:48 pm 13. Toulumne:Ms. Attitude meant Noah, methinks.
Jun 3, 2009 - 2:12 pm 14. Dean:Osama obama is a muslim that is why he made the comment about us being a muslim country. He said so on one of his enerviews before he was elected, if you will remember. It became obvious that he wlipped when the journalist said “you mean christian.”
Jun 3, 2009 - 2:34 pm 15. Ms. Attitude:Osama obama said oh yah christian. Now listen no christian would slip and say he is a muslim. That just would not happen. They are not just friends having a disagreement. They are on the opposite end of the pole. That kind of things just doesn’t happen.
It isn’t the first time that a person has claimed to be a christian for political reasons. A pagan did the same thing in the years 321 ad or thereabouts. He had a problem his kingdome was a mix of christians and pagans, so in order to bring peace he made a outward attempt to be a christian. He past the first sunday law to make a day of worship as a requirment. Who can tell me his name?
13. Toulumne: It’s getting late in the day…thanks for the correction.
Jun 3, 2009 - 2:43 pm 16. "progressive"watch:Obama “…my French is terrible…” His American patriotism is ten times as terrible. He has a better chance of learning French–even a better chance of being French.
Jun 3, 2009 - 2:59 pm 17. AThinkingPerson:Anyone need proof that a liberal brain is completely void of any thought process at all?
I submit a comment on the topic at hand…
“6. The Shadow:
I see the Wizard is off his meds again”
I guess “The Shadow” doesn’t have the mental capacity to come up with any intellectual conversation and thus resorts to inane posts…….again. *yawn*
Jun 3, 2009 - 3:08 pm 18. stuart Williamson:I thought that Mr. Rosenthal was talking about Obama’s weird choice for the only interview he gave in France on this trip, before he went on to his obligatory gaffe in cairo, The Islam-obsessed regard every article as a venting opportunity. Masters of non sequitur and irrelevance.
Jun 3, 2009 - 3:29 pm 19. Pastor of Muppets:Glad to see the racists are back in force with their neo-con claptrap.
The president never said there are 57 states. Is that the best Republicans can come up with?
No wonder the party will cease to exist by mid 2010 at the latest.
And good riddance.
Jun 3, 2009 - 3:52 pm 20. Ms. Attitude:19. Pastor of Muppets:
Are you deaf?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpGH02DtIws
Jun 3, 2009 - 4:23 pm 21. Ellen K:I have come to the conclusion that the “neocon” and ‘racist” epithets are the moral equivilent of “death to America” in their speech patterns. They don’t mean anything, but it’s just become such a common addition that they drop it in anywhere. Just an observation.
As for Team Obama, right now he’s playing to his strong suit. Believe me, that interviewer was handpicked based on her previous tears at the Bush reelection. Likewise, Obama’s continuing malaprops are starting to wear thin. People see through these things and they know he’s saying one thing and doing another. I don’t know how anyone can trust the guy. Sadly, I think he may have met his match with Kim Il Jong and his crowd. They aren’t easily swayed because they are insulated powermad fools. I guess maybe Obama will change his tune when NK launches a missile capable of dropping one on Los Angeles. Until then he will use the placation technique of Smiiling Bill and hope for the best. It’s only a matter of time.
Jun 3, 2009 - 4:38 pm 22. tovarish:Pastor of Muppets: Actually, your mr. obama DID state that there were 57 states. We now know to which “states” he was referring. We Republicans did not come up with 57 states, we Republicans live in all 50 states of the USA and love our country. Your reference to racists escapes me. Do you confuse religion with race? Islam and it’s muslims refer to religion. There are three races: caucasian, oriental, and negroid.
Your hatred is palpable. How is your blood pressure? Are you skinny with pimples and can’t get a date? Do you beat your wife and rape your kiddies? As for your hope for our demise in 2010, we’ll see about that. Honeymoon’s last about six months. August first we’ll see how America likes her first muslim usurper. Since you hate America so much, Mr. Muppets, why not leave?
Jun 3, 2009 - 5:03 pm 23. tovarish:Dean: you refer, of course, to the Roman Emperor, Constantine.
Jun 3, 2009 - 5:14 pm 24. Cyber Rainbow:I will sure be glad when we get a black Christian President who was born in this country and whose friends and business partners are not Marxists and whose pastor of 20 years does not hate this country
Jun 3, 2009 - 5:23 pm 25. tovarish:Cyber Rainbow, ochen horoshow, spaciba.
Jun 3, 2009 - 6:04 pm 26. ked5:Obama provides an exclusive to a reporter best-known for on-air sobbing at the news of Bush’s reelection.
~~~~
Does that mean the questions don’t have to be vetted?
Jun 3, 2009 - 6:49 pm 27. Stef:Pastor of Muppets: You are correct, Sir! The President never said there were 57 states. He was a candidate at the time, not President. He also claimed there were 58 states, not 57, as has been maliciously spread on this board! In truth, he claimed to have visited 57, but he still had one more to go, which makes a grand total of 58 on Obama’s map! Watch it for yourself.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpGH02DtIws
Jun 3, 2009 - 6:50 pm 28. steeple:20 Ms. Attitude Thanks for the catch there. Now POM can go back to watching The Bachelorette.
Jun 3, 2009 - 6:58 pm 29. Marie Claude:“For if French journalists in general have abandoned any pretense to objectivity while reporting on American politics in recent years —”
bof, coming with sourses like “nopasaran” shows that the author doesn’t privilege the objectivity too.
“Nopassaran” isn’t taken seriously by us, this is where some frustrated interpret the french actualities and throw their venim
Jun 3, 2009 - 7:10 pm 30. Donna V.:Now, now, let’s not be tough on Muppie boy. Remember he thinks we’re all jealous of big black penises and he wants us to “bask” in Obama’s appreciation. That’s right, bask. Because Muppie sure does! Muppie basks and wags his tail just like a Golden Retriever when a baby drops Cheerios on the floor.
See, Muppie’s getting his Cheerios, his table scraps, and he sure doesn’t appreciate it when you mean people complain about his master. It makes him soooo mad and upset that he’ll just have to work off steam – in the smallest room in the house, with a picture of Obambi in one hand and,….,That always calms Muppie down.
Jun 3, 2009 - 7:12 pm 31. Ms. Attitude:30. Donna V.:
I remember reading the thread where he said that. Thanks for the laugh, Donna. Isn’t it a scarey thing having the President of the United States engaged in a popularity contest? Not too mention his bully tactics.
Jun 3, 2009 - 7:30 pm 32. Banned by Huffpo:Here’s a word for The One: Merde.
It’s what erupts from his mouth, every time he opens it.
Hey, thanks for posting all the locations of the U.S. nuclear storage/test/research sites on your web site! And you even included maps AND directions!
Shucks, was this another Biden gaff? Dang man!
But hey, now all sleeper cells know where to go to get the really good stuff to send home to Iran.
Oh, and by the way, better dust off those old “How to Respond to a Nuclear Detonation in Your Neighborhood” brochures.
Jun 3, 2009 - 7:55 pm 33. Banned by Huffpo:Ms. Attitude:
30. Donna V.:
I remember reading the thread where he said that. Thanks for the laugh, Donna. Isn’t it a scarey thing having the President of the United States engaged in a popularity contest? Not too mention his bully tactics.
Yup. Kinda creepy. But you have to wonder . . . being bi-racial, maybe The One got the short end of the stick (so to speak.)
But then again, in the original post, the author seemed pretty familiar with the, well, you know: “First member.”
Jun 3, 2009 - 7:59 pm 34. Donna V.:You’re welcome, Ms. Attitude! For me, that marked the end of making the mistake of treating Muppie like a serious adult ever again. I’m not letting that one go. Folks, don’t bother debating the fool. Just point and laugh when this clown with a bootlicker mentality turns up. And ask him how the basking is going,…,
Jun 3, 2009 - 8:05 pm 35. Big Red:Ah, Donna. Golden Retrievers are one of the smarter breeds, with a level of intelligence the good pastor could only aspire to.
Jun 3, 2009 - 8:35 pm 36. James:Marie Claude: I haven’t been back to France since before the election of Obama. What is the general feeling on the French street about him? I know that I’m probably asking the impossible from you, but maybe you have some thoughts? Thanks.
Jun 3, 2009 - 8:42 pm 37. jvon:Organization of the Islamic Conference has 57 states? Didn’t Obama think the US had 57 states? Hmm.
Jun 3, 2009 - 9:02 pm 38. Realist:PC Left wing Multi Culti ‘neolibs’ should ponder this and think where Obambi is leading them. The three greatest mass murderers of the 20th Century were all SOCIALISTS Mao, Stalin and Hitler.
Jun 3, 2009 - 10:43 pm 39. Gary Rosen:Whoa cry the bemused ‘neolibs’ Hitler was a Fascist but the NAZI’s was their nickname for the full party name of the ‘National SOCIALIST German WORKERS Party’.
So ‘neolibs’ you have two choices either accept that Hitler was truly one of you or accept that a plausible foreign born LIAR and charismatic speaker can highjack a movement due to the blind , hysterical, emotional, gullible nature of its followers and the aquiescence of the Media and the ruling elite. Either way you are screwed and so is the USA unless it wakes up from its obsession with this evil man Obambi.
“19. Pastor of Muppets:
Are you deaf?”
Deaf, dumb and blind. Especially dumb.
Jun 4, 2009 - 1:39 am 40. Gary Ogletree:My only hope is that the American left is peaking with Obama’s trip down the rabbit hole. After all, didn’t Alice make it home okay?
Jun 4, 2009 - 5:48 am 41. davod:Has anyone researched the company? Maybe Obama is paying off one of his French campaign doners.
Jun 4, 2009 - 6:59 am 42. Bilgeman:A dame with a mug like that is a French Cable news reporter?
No wonder they’re in last place. She looks like John Kerry in drag.
Jun 4, 2009 - 7:15 am 43. sheesh:42 BM3K . . . “She looks like John Kerry in drag.”
Sorry, this is not the time or place for your fantasizing. Here’s one for you to use later though – Bill O’Reilly chatting up a young producer on the phone while employing the buzz-worthy insertion of his very own BM3K . . . and it has the benefit of being true! Oh, hosanna! Stop the Bilgester before he dreams again.
Jun 4, 2009 - 7:57 am 44. Marie Claude:Bilgeman, my-be she’s got the same genes like yours !
BTW, she isn’t in our cable
Jun 4, 2009 - 8:19 am 45. Marie Claude:James, well, I’m not really following what the French think and say of Obama, most of the people don’t care of what it isn’t french
, he is just the new president of the US with a more positive attitude towards France. English papers are babling about him and his relations with Sarkozy… not really ours ! but except that they decorticate Sarkozy’s actions and often not for the best !
He is repproached to be “imitating” too much the american ways !
Otherwise,we have the habit to be criticised by your papers whoever is in our office or your office, so !
This isn’t the 2003 “crisis” atmosphere anymore, when the relations were tense. Lots of my compatriots go on vacations to the US, and enjoy it.
Jun 4, 2009 - 8:38 am 46. Pastor of Muppets:My son and his wife went there last year too. So, I expect that the feelings are like they were , more or less warm, depends on our mutual policies, though the EU makes more deal nowadays ! May-be it’s a sign that we have started to think without the Americans influence.
If you were not all such mental midgets I’d laugh at your dismal attempts to edit President Obama’s comments in that made-up video.
So you have Final Cut Pro…I still can hear the edit point in the audio.
LOL. Busted neo-cons are just one more Republican sitting in jail just like that crooked Sen. Teddie Boy Stevens.
Losers all.
Jun 4, 2009 - 10:40 am 47. Uncle Joe:I love you, muppet preacher. You will be top preacher in new regime. You nail doze busted neocons right on their teddies. Maybe you me go someplace nice togezer. We talk about nasty republicans, we drink vodka, we play with each others little weenies. You me we not loser. We big party mans. Love and licks from Uncle Joe to puppet.
Jun 4, 2009 - 12:32 pm 48. Stef:Pastor of Muppets: You’re funny. Seriously funny… Oxymoron unintentional.
Jun 4, 2009 - 1:48 pm 49. Donna V.:Golden Retrievers are one of the smarter breeds, with a level of intelligence the good pastor could only aspire to.
You’re correct. Golden retrievers are also noble and famously good-natured.
Now I feel bad for insulting them so. I apologize to all Golden Retrievers.
Jun 4, 2009 - 5:09 pm 50. The Editrix:“Until nabbing her interview with President Obama this week, Ms. Haïm’s greatest claim to fame was to have burst into tears while announcing the re-election of his predecessor, George W. Bush, in 2004.”
That is exactly what will happen if you give a woman a job — any job — that requires some degree of seriousness. Not that is has anything to do with left or right. On the other end of the spectrum there are that gushing Harpy Ann Coulter or Debbie “Photoshop-job” Schlussel.
Jun 8, 2009 - 3:50 am