Sarkozy cuts off 'stupid' CBS interview

[rodeodance]

Source: ap



Sarkozy cuts off 'stupid' CBS interview

28 minutes ago

NEW YORK - France's president abruptly ended a "60 Minutes" interview aimed at introducing him to U.S. audiences, dubbing it "stupid" and a "big mistake" and refusing to answer questions about his wife.


Before the CBS news show interview in Paris even began, Sarkozy called his press secretary "an imbecile" for arranging the session on a busy day.

"I don't have the time. I have a big job to do, I have a schedule," Sarkozy said through a translator before the interview began. In English, he added: "Very busy. Very busy."

In the interview conducted earlier this month and aired Sunday night, he candidly discussed what he likes about the U.S. But he grew frustrated when asked about his wife, Cecilia, who helped negotiate the release of five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor charged with infecting Libyan children with HIV and then failed to show up at a ceremony in which Sarkozy was given a medal by Bulgaria.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071029/ap_on_re_us/sarkozy_stormy_interview;_ylt=AofN7ElI.XPPSv9isYPMQt6s0NUE

[Tinksrival]

1. Did they ask him if France has a Paris Hilton?

We Americans want to know! Another Paris in Paris! That would be soooo coool!

[Eurobabe]

2. No wonder why she divorced this little Napolean wanabee. n/t

[Buzz Clik]

3. Another thinking human shrugs off 60 Minutes.

It's a big club.

[GoneOffShore]

4. Good for Sarko!

I'm not a big fan. I wanted Royale to take the presidency. But he smacked down someone who was asking stupid questions.

A politicians private life, unless it shows him or her to be a hypocrite (ie, Larry Craig), should be that - private.

Americans are far too interested in the touchy feely and not nearly interested enough in whether someone is qualified and able to do the job.

[northzax]

21. I think asking about the timing of his divorce is legitimate

This all happened after the election? Or was the divorce delayed so as to present a certain image to the electorate? Fair questions, i think. He has consistently denied these rumors, right up to the point when they were confirmed.

[GoneOffShore]

25. Most people in France don't care whether their politicians are divorced,

divorcing, gay, straight or bi. It was not and is not a valid line of questioning.

If one is advocating hypocritical policies as regards sexuality that is another matter. We worry too much about the private and "spiritual" lives of our politicians.

I want a politician to be transparent in his dealings with corporations and the electorate - if he wants to dress up in rubber and fuck consenting sheep, I don't care.

[LeftishBrit]

29. I agree with you

I can't stand the man politically; but his private life would only be relevant if he were going around spouting Family Values and the Sanctity of Marriage, which, with all his faults, he isn't.

[baldguy]

5. "If you were a tree, what sort of tree would you be?"

The fact is, the American "news" media no longer exists.

[no_hypocrisy]

6. French politics is not equated with sexual innuendo, scandal, and intrigue

like in the United States. It's a non-issue. When President Mitterand died, in front of the cameras at his grave stood his wife, his children, his mistress, and his illegitimate daughter, all together grieving as a family.

This country is so provincial and puritanical as far as sex goes.

[Malidictus Maximus]

7. "In America

sex is an obsession. In the rest of the world it's a fact"
-Marlene Dietrich

[Seedersandleechers]

8. I believe it's not only

the US that engages in this type of journalism, but also, from what I've seen-the British do too. Not to make any excuses because it's embarrassing and ignorant but US journalism and British journalism both do the same. Am I wrong?

[Cronopio]

13. Their better media is much better, and their worse is much worse.

Better British media - Financial Times, Guardian, The Independent.
Worse - Anything owned by Murdoch - i.e., The Sun.

[GoneOffShore]

26. You neglected to mention the Daily Mail

Another piece of journalistic garbage.

The Telegraph is one of the better papers, despite their Neanderthal leader (editorial) pages.

Of course, American yellow journalism springs from the British tradition, as do our attitudes to sex.

"If it's not dirty, you're not doing it right."

[MilesColtrane]

9. He's a politician.

He's supposed to smile and say "next question please", not walk out of the interview.

[Cronopio]

12. The USMSM would take a "next question please" as a challenge and a placation ...

... and the next question would be even more tabloidy and even less newsworthy.

No, the appropriate and effective response in that situation is for Sarkozy to stop involving himself in a stupid, losing game and leave. A corporatist creep he may be, but he did the right thing this time.

[Bitwit1234]

10. So he and his wife's martial troubles is more important

than his domestic and foreign policy. THE MSM STRIKES AGAIN. And makes a fool of themselves as usual. If more people would just get up and leave when the press starts something like this, they just might, maybe, could be get the message.

[Demit]

11. LOL! I guess marital troubles do often turn martial. :)

[Javaman]

16. Everybody was kung fu fighting!! LOL

earworm! earworm!

:rofl:

[Ian David]

14. "Merde! Where is Dan Rather? Who is this 'Katie Couric' woman?" n/t

[IntravenousDemilo]

22. I can't take seriously an adult woman who calls herself "Katie".

And I felt the same about "Cokey" Roberts.

[Javaman]

15. "very busy" aka "hard work" nt

[kineneb]

17. but at least he has above room-temp. IQ...

unlike another world "leader"...:evilgrin:

...and he doesn't need a chainsaw to look busy...

[medeak]

18. Bet they would never approach Hillary with questions like these

husband and I watched and felt he was exceedingly polite and 60 minutes totally over reacted re the "running out on 60 minutes" headlines they had

[krkaufman]

19. Yes, that headline might have had meaning at some point in the past ...

... before '60 Minutes' began its downward slide.

[Buns_of_Fire]

28. It used to be said that you knew your business was going to have a bad day...

if the CBS truck pulled up out front and you saw Mike Wallace get out and start to walk towards you. :hide:

[krkaufman]

20. Sarkozy on US: "You can be called Schwarzenegger, and succeed"

Sarkozy: "That's what he (Sarkozy's father) thought. That a name like Sarkozy was a handicap," the president said. "That's the reason why I like the United States. You can have a name like Schwarzenegger and be governor of California. You can be called Madeleine Albright and be secretary of state. You can be called Colin Powell or Condi Rice, and succeed."

Question is... Can you be called Barack Hussein Obama, and succeed? It seems many Americans think it should not be so.

[ldf]

23. kudos

:thumbsup: to sarkozy

leslie, you shouldn't look taken aback when you are sinking to murdoch's level.

you got exactly what you deserved.

[go west young man]

24. Just another example of our pathetic media focusing on crap as usual.

[tabasco]

27. Hey Leslie, buy a clue.

When you start your vapid, dumbed-down questions about a head-of-state's personal life, and he says he would not talk about it here, maybe you should respect that and ask about something important. But noooooooo, you just have to keep asking the important, vital question, "what's up with your divorce?"

I don't blame the mf for leaving. Leslie Stahl did not respect his wishes and she got what she deserved. I wish more US politicians had the courage to say "my personal life is MY BUSINESS, not yours."

I can scarcely believe how far and how fast CBS News has fallen.

[gauguin57]

30. Mme. Sarkozy was not only his wife, but, basically, a top advisor.

Before he became president, when he was Economic Minister, she had the office next to his, managed his calandar, and took care of his appointments and so forth. She was an unofficial advisor, but for a while had some governmental title. She went on governmental trips -- like the one in which she negotiated the freedom for those nurses in Libya.

She's not "just" his wife. In losing her, he's losing a trusted advisor. Sarkozy's whole country WAS talking about whether their president was divorcing; and don't you think going through a divorce just as you're taking the top job in the land, is gonna have some effect on your psychological health ... and, therefore, possibly on your job performance ... and you're the president of the country?!

Plus, what someone else said, about whether they stayed together just to put on a show so he'd be elected.

All of these things make Leslie Stahl's question absolutely legitimate.

Sarkozy was acting like an ass long before Leslie asked him that question (acting like he was too busy to talk to her). That question was only one of many questions, including ones about foreign policy.

"60 Minutes" is about the only news show we can trust anymore. They are NOT like the rest of the MSM. Now, lately, CBS has been trying to fluff it up with people like Anderson Cooper (his interviews with celebs like Kenny Chesney are a disgrace). So keep on criticizing "60 Minutes," folks, even when they are asking LEGITIMATE questions, and we'll only have a total MSM black hole of misinformation and celebrity gossip to turn to.