PARIS: French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin on Sunday took a dig at the notion that Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy was the governing party's automatic presidential candidate, saying the debate is not yet over. Villepin said that the "game has not been played out," dashing party hopes for quick unity around Sarkozy, particularly since the opposition Socialists have just picked their candidate, Segolene Royal. The premier spoke three days after Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie openly questioned some of Sarkozy's stances at a party function with him in attendance. Villepin, special guest on a television show, suggested that there is no reason to rush to choose a candidate with the April first-round presidential vote five months away. The opposition Socialist Party erred in choosing its candidate so soon, he said. The Socialists picked Segolene Royal in a party primary on Thursday, giving her more than 60 percent of the vote in a widely-watched internal election. "A woman in politics, it's new, it's attractive, it's interesting," Villepin, a conservative, said. But he added, "to have chosen a candidate so soon is an error."
Villepin said that the "game has not been played out," dashing party hopes for quick unity around Sarkozy, particularly since the opposition Socialists have just picked their candidate, Segolene Royal.
The premier spoke three days after Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie openly questioned some of Sarkozy's stances at a party function with him in attendance.
Villepin, special guest on a television show, suggested that there is no reason to rush to choose a candidate with the April first-round presidential vote five months away.
The opposition Socialist Party erred in choosing its candidate so soon, he said.
The Socialists picked Segolene Royal in a party primary on Thursday, giving her more than 60 percent of the vote in a widely-watched internal election.
"A woman in politics, it's new, it's attractive, it's interesting," Villepin, a conservative, said. But he added, "to have chosen a candidate so soon is an error."
Being conservatives, Villepin or Sarkozy, whomever wins, will no doubt spend the next five months taking subtle -- hell, perhaps not so subtle -- stabs at the fact that the Commies have given the nod to a woman.
Plus, while I give Domi some credit on the hair, Royal is easily the better looking of the two, so you've got to know he's intimidated. Conservatives want live babies so they can raise them to be dead soldiers. - George Carlin
dashing party hopes for quick unity
Note also how the press unquestioningly accepts language that is favorable to the right's candidates. Unity on the right is a good thing ("hope"), and getting there soon is a good thing ("dashing"). But on the left, somehow, it's not (because someone from the right says so).
Amazing bias. In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
Meanwhile, the right have all the risks of back-stabbing and disunity to come...
So -- you're on the right and faced with this unpleasant situation -- what do you say after spending an hour or two locked away with your communications boys?
"I know what: they did it too soon!!!"
(Give that man a medal).
