Frowning takes 68 muscles.
Smiling takes 6.
Pulling this trigger takes 2.
I'm lazy.
Posted on 10/08/2009 4:23:22 PM PDT by Cincinna
French minister in 'boy sex' row
Frederic Mitterrand has rejected criticism from the far right
France's Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand is facing intense pressure over a book he wrote that described paying for "young boys" in Thailand.
The book was written four years ago, before he joined the government, but is back in the headlines following his impassioned support for Roman Polanski.
Polanski has been arrested in Switzerland on child sex charges.
Mr Mitterrand, nephew of late President Francois Mitterrand, is expected to defend himself on TV later on Thursday.
Mr Mitterrand has come under attack from right and left.
In his 2005 book The Bad Life, he wrote: "I got into the habit of paying for boys," saying his attraction to young male prostitutes was not dimmed despite knowing "the sordid details of this traffic".
"All these rituals of the market for youths, the slave market excited me enormously... the abundance of very attractive and immediately available young boys put me in a state of desire."
Mr Mitterrand, 62, has denied being a paedophile, saying the term "boys" was used loosely.
The account of cruising for prostitutes in Thailand attracted little attention when it was published in 2005, when Mr Mitterrand was a TV personality.
'Sex tourism'
He did not share his uncle's socialist politics, and was brought into the centre-right government by President Nicolas Sarkozy in June 2009.
But his strong defence of Polanski has brought the book back into the public eye. Polanski faces deportation to the United States for having had sex with a 13-year-old girl in 1977.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
Mr Mitterrand, nephew of late President Francois Mitterrand, is expected to defend himself on TV later on Thursday
How do you defend the indefensible?
This piece of crap is sick perverted evil and vile.
*** FRENCH POLITICS AND CULTURE PING LIST *** FREEPMAIL ME IF YOU WANT TO JOIN ***
MITTERRAND WILL GO ON FRENCH TV TONIGHT TO PLEAD HIS CASE.
Mr Mitterrand said the US’ behaviour, in seeking his extradition, was callous and “horrifying”.
Socialist Party spokesman Benoit Hamon told Reuters: “As a minister of culture he has drawn attention to himself by defending a film maker accused of raping a child and he has written a book where he said he took advantage of sexual tourism. To say the least, I find it shocking.”
Marine Le Pen, vice president of the right-wing National Front, read excerpts of Mr Mitterrand’s book aloud during a television interview, and said it left “an indelible stain on the government”.
She called for the culture minister to step down.
“Resign, Mr Mitterrand and perhaps, afterwards we’ll be able to give lessons to other people,” she said.
Mr Mitterrand said it was an honour to be dragged though the mud by the National Front, and criticised the Socialists for making common cause with the extreme right.
A senior aide to President Sarkozy, Henri Guaino, on Thursday backed the minister, saying the row was “excessive and quite undignified”.
But the BBC’s Emma Jane Kirby, in Paris, says that the revelation that a senior cabinet minister was involved in sex tourism, just as the country holds negotiations with Thailand to discuss ways of fighting it, will inevitably embarrass Mr Sarkozy’s government.
“All these rituals of the market for youths, the slave market excited me enormously... the abundance of very attractive and immediately available young boys put me in a state of desire.”
UnFRICKINbelievable. And the book received little attention when it was published even though he was a TV personality? That shows how disgusting French society must really be.
If opposing paid sex with minors makes me “far right” (a term used in the first line of the article), then call me Attila the HUn.
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1. Blame the US
2. Shoot the messenger.. in this case, Marine le Pen, of the National Front, and members of the Socialist Party who consider him a traitor.
I will post a review of the TV show. I think it will be tonight on “On n’est pas Coucher”
You may be able to get a live feed through the website
Kevin Jennings’ frog counterpart.
No big deal-—zero has these kind of folks in his administration so it must be OK.
Oops - dupe thread, and now it’s been pinged twice.
I bet they was.
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Seen this evening on TF1 NEWS with Laurence Ferrarri . SHE DIDN’T BELIEVE HIM EITHER.
VIDEO OF FREDERIC MITTERRAND EXPLAINING HIMSELF
http://www.parismatch.com/Actu-Match/Politique/Actu/Mitterrand-se-defend-134668/
ARROGANCE
POOR ME! I HAVE SUFFERED SO MUCH.I WORRY ABOUT MY MOTHER, MY CHILDREN, MY FAMILY, MY HONOR!
IN A POLL IN PARIS MATCH, PEOPLE DID NOT FIND FRED CONVINCING; THEY DIDN’T BELIEVE HIM.
I found him to be arrogant, elitist, pathetic, self pitying, and not telling the truth.
Very sad . I used to love his Du Cote du Chez Fred and some of his specials on Hollywood.
Time for Fred to step up to the plate and offer his resignation, and for Sarko to accept it. His political career is fini.
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Obama Says A Baby Is A Punishment
Obama: “If they make a mistake, I don’t want them punished with a baby.”
Typical of European officials.
“Garcon!”
“Doing The French Mistake”
...for you “Blazing Saddles” fans out there...
>> If opposing paid sex with minors makes me “far right” (a term used in the first line of the article), then call me Attila the HUn. <<
What is sick with these people is the abuse of young vulnerable people for their own sick twisted edification.
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