Irrelevant trivia, but Chirac actually spent a summer in the U.S. working at a Howard Johnsons in his youth, so he might actually have a taste for American food....

Quote from Chirac's plea for Paris to host the Olympics:
'French president Jacques Chirac took part in the French presentation in person to make an impassioned plea to the IOC. "The heart of Paris and the heart of France are beating in unison in the hope of becoming Olympic ground in 2012.

"Dear friends ... I shall vouch for this. You can put your trust in France, you can trust the French, you can trust us," he said.'

Does this result mean the IOC doesn't trust France?

I was listening to Morning Edition's report on this story, and the NPR correspondent in Paris reported that a Parisian told her he thought Bush interceded on behalf of Blair, snagging the bid for London.

One would think that an omnipotent evil cowboy would have secured the bid for New York, but perhaps I'm too naive to appreciate the layers of complexity in the conspiracy.

Irrelevant trivia, but Chirac actually spent a summer in the U.S. working at a Howard Johnsons in his youth, so he might actually have a taste for American food....

He does indeed. Chirac:

"I've known the U.S. for a long time. I visit often, I've studied there, worked as a forklift operator for Anheuser-Busch in St. Louis and as a soda jerk at Howard Johnson's. I've hitchhiked across the whole United States; I even worked as a journalist and wrote a story for the New Orleans Times-Picayune on the front page. I know the U.S. perhaps better than most French people, and I really like the United States. I've made many excellent friends there, I feel good there. I love junk food, and I always come home with a few extra pounds. I've always worked and supported transatlantic solidarity."

One would think that an omnipotent evil cowboy would have secured the bid for New York, but perhaps I'm too naive to appreciate the layers of complexity in the conspiracy.

Ah, but you see, Bush is an omnipotent evil stupid cowboy! And here we see he's so dumb he forgot about New York!

Actually, I think I agree with Chirac on his assessment of British cooking. Most of it consists of things being boiled--with the notable exception of Beef Wellington, which I love.

Good thing he didn't knock Scottish cooking. Mmmm, haggis.

I can only guess that when he's been here they dragged poor Putin out for fastfood burgers. Bush needs to take him out to the local mom and pop cafe in Crawford and get Pooty-poot a big-ass bubba burger. If he doesn't like that then there's no helping the man.

That Washington Times article is hilarious. Now the Finns are flipping out and Chirac's remarks just might have cost Paris the 2012 Olympic bid.

Yet another example of why the EU is doomed to failure.

The vote in the final ballot was 54-50. There are two Finns on the IOC. You do the math. Putin's an idiot, but we already knew that.

You can put your trust in France, you can trust the French, you can trust us.

...especially if you're a depraved, genocidal dictator with a UN-provided Swiss bank account...

One would think that an omnipotent evil cowboy would have secured the bid for New York, but perhaps I'm too naive to appreciate the layers of complexity in the conspiracy.

The voting is done in rounds, with the city having the lowest total eliminated for the next round.

I think Moscow was eliminated first, followed by New York, leaving Madrid, London and Paris very nearly tied. So the surrender monkey could be right about la conspiration Anglo-Saxonique, even without Dubya selling out the Big Apple.

C'est triste, non?

"probably eats boiled swamp rats with ding-dongs and ketchup packets from Tastee Freez"

You say that like it's a bad thing...

No swamp rat, but at our get-togethers we cook washtubs full of swamp cabbage.

Hubris: One would think that an omnipotent evil cowboy would have secured the bid for New York, but perhaps I'm too naive to appreciate the layers of complexity in the conspiracy.

David C: Ah, but you see, Bush is an omnipotent evil stupid cowboy! And here we see he's so dumb he forgot about New York!

I think you guys are reading way to much into this: Quite obviously, Bush simply wasn't aware that New York is part of the United States, which is frankly an easy mistake to make.

Mr. Putin suggested that American hamburgers might rank the worst of bad food.

Yeah, right. Like he doesn't love 'em. Of course, the Russians are known for their delicious... ah... food. Or something.

Ask any Muscovite where to get a "Beeg Mek"*

*Big Mac. McDonalds Moscow is reputedly as nice architecturally as a church. Mickey Dees uber alles.

Anyway. Why argue with someone who eats snails?