Clinton wins surprise support from former French first lady (Bernadette Chirac)

Reuters ^ | Nov 22, 2007 | James Mackenzie

[Cincinna]

U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton won surprise backing from the wife of former French President Jacques Chirac on Thursday, together with a pledge to join her on the campaign trail.

The Chiracs' political affiliations are at the opposite end of the spectrum from the Clintons', but the former French first lady said she had always thought Democratic candidate Clinton had the makings of a U.S. president.

"She's a woman who is not liked by everybody. But she's strong and she has convictions," Bernadette Chirac, well-known for a forceful character of her own, told the weekly Le Figaro magazine.

In the later years of his presidency, Jacques Chirac was widely vilified in the United States for his vocal opposition to the Iraq war led by President George W. Bush.

His wife met Clinton several times when her husband Bill Clinton was in the White House before Bush.

"From the first look, the first words, Hillary Clinton is a friendly, smiling person who never lets herself be caught out," she said.

She even expressed interest in attending the Democratic convention in Denver in August. "And if I can be of any use to her somewhere in the campaign, I'm available. I'd like to go with her and I'm going to suggest it to her."

(Reporting by James Mackenzie; Editing by Elisabeth O'Leary)

[SouthCarolinaKit]

Surprise, surprise! Another crook is backing Hillary. Is there any rational, honest supporter for her? I’ve not heard of one.

[Miss Didi]

Look what I found from 2003:



This just in from la belle France
life, liberty, & the pursuit of happiness
July 08, 2003

T he Hillary has her first foreign endorsement. Clinton's disavowal, in what looks like a bad translation from what she said into French and back into English, is that "I don't have the intention to run" for President. Uh-huh.

It is refreshing to know that, if she should grace us with the pleasure of a run for the Presidency in 2008, she will at least have the grateful and gracious support of the Mme Chirac. From an AP story as carried by the Guardian: (snip)

This just in from la belle France

[Ann Archy]

Probably another cheated-on doormat.

[mewzilla]

Surprise my derriere.

[battleax]

Who the H*** cares she isn’t voting in our election...or is she??????????

[mewzilla]

Probably another cheated-on doormat.

They both have something else in common: Benefiting from Oil For Food.

[mewzilla]

They tried the Segolene Royal thing, too. Didn’t work then, either.

[mewzilla]

And something else they have in common....

Preliminary charges filed against Chirac

[Rockiette]

Does this mean that Hillary is a Marxist or simply, as the Chiracs, corrupt and lucky to be walking free rather than prison. Hope Jacque ends up in the slammer for the rest of his useless life...

[hinckley buzzard]

U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton won surprise backing from the wife of former French President Jacques Chirac on Thursday, together with a pledge to join her on the campaign trail.

Well--I'm sure this will make a splash in Newton, Iowa..

[Revolting cat!]

Is this enough for a rewrite of the Four Tops' Bernadette?

[expatguy]

I know I was here.

Clinton's REAL Legacy Abroad

[Cincinna]

Excellent blog post.