[RummyChick]

It could be that he wrote Chirac to form a bond and knows he is not President. It is an incredible insult to the President of France if he wrote Chirac before the real deal.

I doubt it was addressed “Mr President” or whatever the protocol is for a letter to a Head of State.

[chase19]

Yes, I considered that but still think in so doing he dissed Sarkozy. It’d be kinda like Sarkozy writing to Bush.

[plangent]

It could be that he wrote Chirac to form a bond and knows he is not President. It is an incredible insult to the President of France if he wrote Chirac before the real deal.

This seems the most plausible. The Chirac Foundation is the co-sponsor of an Istanbul Conference called "Water for Peace and Peace for Water." Still, it is a major gaffe to send this out before having even a first official communication with Sarkozy.

[ScaniaBoy]

This is in reply to your post #52. I haven't had time to read all the other 300 posts, so maybe there are others who already pointed this out.

You are totally correct. The letter was addressed and intended for the former president Jacques Chirac, as a reply to his letter of congratulation to Obama after the election. Chirac is quoted on a French website to say that he don't think the greetings have anything to do with his (Chirac's) stance on Iraq, but everything to do with Chirac's involvement in "the dialogue between the cultures". Although, nothing was decided the former president did not exclude the possibility of traveling to DC.

Of course this is a terrible insult to the present French president who has been trying to enter into a dialogue with Obama ever since his inauguration.

Who is next on the list of allies and important adversaries to insult?

[Mila]

"It could be that he wrote Chirac to form a bond and knows he is not President."

The Christian Science Monitor is reporting that Obama wrote to reply to a letter that Chirac wrote concerning the Jacques Chirac Foundation for Sustainable Development and cultural Dialogue.

Quote,

"The foundation is promoting access to water and medicines in west Africa, combating deforestation in the Congo Basin, and trying to save dying languages in Polynesia, according to a spokesman who helped set up the foundation."

In that context some of the wording of Obama's letter, "I am certain that we will be able to work together, in the coming four years, in a spirit of peace and friendship to build a safer world." makes more sense.

http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2009/03/23/obama-writes-letter-to-chirac-blogosphere-goes-crazy/