French begged Bush to take call

The Daily Telegraph ^ | April 17, 2003 | Toby Harnden

[MadIvan]

A clear-the-air telephone call between President Jacques Chirac and President George W Bush this week was secured only by repeated pleading from French diplomats, it emerged yesterday. The 20-minute call on Tuesday was the first time they had spoken for more than two months.

When asked if the talk had been "positive", Ari Fleischer, Mr Bush's spokesman, said: "From the President's point of view, he would call it a business-like conversation." M Chirac's spokesman said he had been "pragmatic" about post-war Iraq.

Before the call could be arranged, Jean-David Levitte, the French ambassador to Washington, had to lobby Karl Rove, Mr Bush's chief political strategist, and Stephen Hadley, the deputy national security adviser, at the White House.

Final American agreement to the call was secured only after discussions on Monday between Colin Powell, the US secretary of state, and Dominique de Villepin, the French foreign minister.

Last week, Paul Wolfowitz, the deputy defence secretary, told senators: "The French have behaved in ways . . . that have been very damaging to Nato. I think France is going to pay some consequences, not just with us but with other countries."

A senior Bush administration official told The Washington Post: "What the French did . . . was serious and, yes, it is a problem. How much of a problem and how lasting it is going to be depend on the French. They can choose to make it much more serious, in which case the consequences will be there, and it will be very bad."

Mr Bush is known for being extremely slow to forgive those who have crossed him, particularly if he feels that they have been disloyal or dishonest. He was livid with Gerhard Schröder after the Chancellor's election campaign, which was widely seen as anti-American.

The anger towards France is deeper and more pervasive. French firms have suffered a loss of income from cancelled American orders and officials argue that the successful French attempt to scupper a second United Nations resolution extended far beyond M Chirac.

Mr Powell is understood to be still furious about the way in which he was treated by M de Villepin when he was called to a meeting supposedly about the international war against terrorism, only to be surprised by the French foreign minister declaring France's opposition to war with Iraq.

[RightOnline]

You got that right...........

[Grampa Dave]

"The anger towards France is deeper and more pervasive. French firms have suffered a loss of income from cancelled American orders and officials argue that the successful French attempt to scupper a second United Nations resolution extended far beyond M Chirac.

"Mr Powell is understood to be still furious about the way in which he was treated by M de Villepin when he was called to a meeting supposedly about the international war against terrorism, only to be surprised by the French foreign minister declaring France's opposition to war with Iraq.

To the slimey French Frog whore$~ You have spit on our country, our leaders and supported a terrible dictator.

Now you will pay a severe price. Prepare to be B$tch $lapped for the rest of this decade by angry Americans and Brits saying non more French Vacations.

Besides no vacations we can B$tch Slap the French for the rest of this decade by boycotting their products and services.

French Products to Buycott

We can resist their wines which usually come in behind the good Napa Valley Wines and Australian wines in blind tasting without French Judges like in the Winter Olympics.

We can do without French Products and services for the rest of this decade. Here is a list of French companies and their products to avoid for the rest of this decade. Please keep this list and send it to your relatives, friends and fellow conservatives via e and snail mail!

*New additions to the list.

Air France

Air Liquide

Airbus

Alcatel - Based in Paris France, Provider of communications equipment, including ADSL equipment, terrestrial and submarine optical networks, public switching, fixed wireless access and intelligent networks.


Allegra (Allergy Medication) - Produced by Aventis Pharmaceuticals based in Strasbourg, France

Aqualung (Including: Spirotechnique, Technisub, US Divers, and SeaQuest)

AXA Advisors

*Bacou-Dalloz-Makes Industrial protective devices

Bank of the West - Owned by BNP Paribas

Beneteau (boats)

BF Goodrich - Owned by Michelin

BIC (Razors, Pens & Lighters) - Started in 1945 by Marcel Bich. Originally based just outside of Paris. Began trading on the Paris Stock Exchange in 1972. 40.5% Publicly traded. Bich family still owns 33.5%.

Biotherm (Cosmetics)

Black Bush

Bollinger (Champagne)

*Browning Firearms**

Car & Driver Magazine

Cartier

Chanel

Chivas Regal (Scotch)

Christian Dior

Club Med (Vacations) - Owned in part by Paris based CDC (Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations)

Culligan (owned by Vivendi)

Dannon (Yogurt & Dairy Foods)

*Danone -Lea and Perrin, Evian and other food/water

*Decatholon Super Sport Stores or MVP Sport Stores*

* Dassault Systemes-(CATIA design software)*

DKNY - LVMH acquired 100% of Gabrielle Studio Inc., the privately owned licenser of Donna Karan trademarks back in 2001.

*DMC THREADS

Dom Perignon

Durand Crystal

Elle Magazine

*Emile Henry French Cookware

*Enertec makes high speed recorders used in Recon aircraft p>Essilor Optical Products

Evian

Fina Oil - Billions invested in Iraqi Oil fields

First Hawaiian Bank

George Magazine

Givenchy

*Grey Goose Vodka

*GroupeSEB owns Krups, Moulinex, Roweta and Tefal Cookware

*Groupe Shneider, owner of Modicon and Square D

*Guerlain Fragrances

*Hachette Filipacchi owner publisher of many magazines sold in the USA. See the list below:***

Hennessy

Houghton Mifflin (books) International Herald Tribune - 181 ave Charles-de-Gaulle - F-92521 Neuilly - FRSource:World Business Council for Sustainable Development '00 [Domain Registration], [Corporate Profile]

Jacobs Creek - Owned by Pernod Ricard since 1989

Jameson (whiskey Owned by Pernod Ricard )

Jerry Springer (talk show)

Krups

****Lagardere****

Lancome

*Lea & Perrins a product of Danon

Le Creuset (Cookware)

L'Oreal (Health & Beauty Products)

Louis Vuitton

Marie Claire

Martel Cognac

Maybelline

Méphisto (Footwear & Apparel)

Michelin (Tires & Auto Parts) - Their phone number is: (33) 1 45 66 15 53 in France

Mikasa Crystal and Glass (purchased by ARC int'l in 2001)

Moet (Champagne)

Motel 6 - 33, Avenue du Maine- 75755 Paris Cedex 15 France

Motown Records

MP3.com

Mumms (Champagne)

Nissan (Cars) - Majority owned by Renault

Nivea

Normany Butter

Parents Magazine

*Perrier

Peugeot (Automobiles) - Pronounced "Pooh Joe", must be French

Pierre Cardin

Playstation Magazine

ProScan - Owned by Thomson Electronics, France

Publicis Group (Including: Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising)

RCA (televisions & electronics) - Owned by Thomson Electronics, France

Red Magazine

Red Roof Inns - Owned by the Accor group based in France

Renault (Automobiles) major owner of Nissan

Road & Track Magazine

Roquefort Cheese - All Roquefort cheese is made in France

Rowenta (Toasters, Irons, Coffee makers, etc)

Royal Canadian

Salomon (Skis)

Seagram's Gin

Sierra Software and Computer Games

*Sodexho Alliance* French Food Caterer for the US Marines

Sofitel (Hotels) - Owned by the Accor group based in France

Sparkletts (Water) - Owned by Danone, based in France

Spencer Gifts

Sundance Channel

Taylor Made (Golf)

Technicolor

T-Fal (Kitchenware)

The Glenlivet (Scotch) *Top Tobacco - Dist. by Republic Tobacco L.P., Glenview IL, made in France

UbiSoft (Computer Games)

Uniroyal

Uniroyal Tires - Owned by Michelin

Universal Studios (Music, Movies & Theme Parks) -

Universal Studios is owned by Vivendi-Universal, headquartered in Paris France

USFilter

Veritas Group

Veuve Clicquot Champagne

Vittel

Vivendi - Vivendi Headquarters, Paris France

Wild Turkey (bourbon)

*Winchester Firearms (US Repeating Arms)**

Woman's Day Magazine

Yoplait - France-based Sodiaal owns a 50% stake of Yoplait

Yves Saint Laurent

*Yves Rocher Cosmetics

*ZigZag (tobacco papers and roller products)*

Zodiac Inflatable Boats

*New additions to the list thanks to Freepers. If you have an addition, Freepmail me with the URL showing French ownership.

** Sad news but these two companies are owned by the Belgian Company Herstal, (French Light)

***List of 18 magazines sold in USA by Hachette Filipacchi with an estimated 50 million readers: American Photo, Boating, Car Stereo Review's Mobile Entertainment, Cycle World, ELLE Decor, ELLEgirl, Flying, Home, Metropolitan Home, Popular Photography, Premiere, Sound & Vision, Travel Holiday, Woman's Day Woman's Day Special Interest Publications.

****Lagardere owns the Virgin Megastore group in France, which it bought from Richard Branson three years ago. Its Hachette media division publishes a battery of magazines including Elle , see *** Hachette Filipacchi above. Lagardere also has a stake in the Airbus manufacturing operation. The company is capitalised at over €5bn based on last week's closing prices.****

[okie01]

"In just two years, Bush has accomplished more positively than Teddy Roosevelt in five or Clinton in eight."

Clinton accomplishments? A slow track, that.

Perhaps, though, a comparison between Bush's term-to-date and Polk's single term would be apt. Both succeeded at everything they intended to accomplish.

[spodefly]

Begging is one step from surrender.

[okie01]

"Bush should of left the Frogs 'on hold' listening to orchestral remakes of bad showtunes for a few more weeks."

Or, better, put Willie Nelson's "My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys" on a loop...

[CharacterCounts]

What did it for me was polls in Le Monde showing that between 25% and 33% of French actually wanted Saddam to stay in power,

It wouldn't surprise me at all to learn that the same percentage of the French opposed their liberation by the US and Britain in WWII.

[Tom Bombadil]

Mr Bush is known for being extremely slow to forgive those who have crossed him, particularly if he feels that they have been disloyal or dishonest.

Any Texas Democrat could have told the French about this.......W will deal with anyone until they lie to him and then he will not give them the time of day.

[tophat9000]

The French.... on there knees begging….. what else is new?

[tophat9000]

Bush to Chirac….kiss my Texass

[Wphile]

LOL! I was getting my hair done today and my hairdresser - who normally isn't very political and is probably a centrist rather than a partisan - said he wanted the French to grovel. He wanted them on their hands and knees! We at a great laugh at La France's expense.

Vive La France - NOT!

[cinFLA]

I put that 350Z on hold, stocked up with Old Granddad and read Road and Track at the newsstand. Nothing much else on the list is of much interest.

[AlaskaErik]

We are reshaping the world. In just two years, Bush has accomplished more positively than Teddy Roosevelt in five or Clinton in eight.

And just what did Clinton accomplish? I can't think of anything positive.

[Jhoffa_]

The only thing that would be funnier is if they didn't see this coming from a mile away.

Action/Consequences.. Makes the world go round.

[Tokhtamish]

What has happenned quite clearly is that French business interests have lost a great deal of money because Chirac decided to confront the United States head to head. They will lose everything they invested in Iraq. Their export markets in the US have been badly damaged. The conflict has escalated from neoconservative pundits to the man in the street who now despises France.

The realization that a culture of pervasive anti-Americanism can have a very real cost to France when the Americans notice and take great offence has hit them like a thunderbolt. They have been foolish and frivolous and the chickens have come home to roost.

The captains of French business and industry apparently called Chirac on the carpet and read him the riot act. Whatever the polls say in France he is in deep doodoo with the people who control the purse strings. He has been ordered to fix this.

Remember the old Billy Joel song "Big Shot" from the '70's ? He sings/sneers it the morning after to a hung over, blood shot eyed friend who made a total ass of herself acting like "la superstar" at the disco last night.

"Well, you just don't remember all the things you said"
and you're not sure that you wanna know"
"I'll give you one hint honey,
you sure did put on a show.

"Oh, you had to be a big shot did you
you had to prove it to the crowd
"you had to be a big shot did you
all your friends were so knocked out..."

I think of that with Chirac now. He had to be a big shot but now it is the morning after.

[expatpat]

No -- Chirac.

[bygolly]

And just what did Clinton accomplish? I can't think of anything positive.

One thing Clinton did do is inspire the Mogadishu war plan used by our enemies...obviously not positive...

[Becki]

The Frogs are hopping...

Good one!

;^)

Becki

[tophat9000]

The new French national anthem played when they visit a country to make up

Froggy went a-courting and he did ride,
Uh-hmm, Uh-hmm
Froggy went a-courting and he did ride
Uh-hmm, Uh-hmm....

[Cicero]

Mr Bush is known for being extremely slow to forgive those who have crossed him, particularly if he feels that they have been disloyal or dishonest. He was livid with Gerhard Schröder after the Chancellor's election campaign, which was widely seen as anti-American.

I'm getting a bit tired of the left-wing effort to portray Bush as bad-tempered and vindictive. Let's keep things straight. CLINTON was well known for his vindictiveness. Cross him and you were dead, literally. What set clinton off was anything that he took as an attack on himself PERSONALLY.

Bush, on the other hand, is only doing what any president should do, paying back insults, injuries, and malicious attacks on the United States.

The European press attacked Bush personally nonstop for two years, and they never suffered any payback. But undermining the United States in a time of war is another matter.

Maybe news reporters should remember that in addition to his long list of enemies killed and women raped, clinton also was responsible for getting at least four of their reporter colleagues fired from their jobs for printing things he didn't like. But these people are scum. they lick the boots that kick them, as long as a Democrat is wearing them.

[Irish Eyes]

The only hard thing to give up on this list is the Evian Water. Anyone know of a good tasting bottled water????