'snip' Even as the violence worsened, Chirac failed to peek over the ramparts of the Elysee Palace, only managing to send out his quaffed errand boy, Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, in order to maintain an image of national strength and executive leadership. De Villepin’s earliest actions, however, indicated that Chirac’s government was much more interested in political spin than taking back the streets. In a display of posturing that would warm Al Sharpton’s heart, De Villepin rushed to appease the rioters by meeting with the parents of the two dead teenagers and promising a thorough investigation of the police,...