Posted on 08/06/2007 6:02:58 AM PDT by nuconvert
French President Sarkozy Lashes Out at Photographers While on Vacation in U.S.
August 06, 2007
CONCORD, N.H. French President Nicolas Sarkozy lost his temper with two American news photographers covering his vacation Sunday, jumping onto their boat and scolding them loudly in French.
The confrontation came Sunday afternoon as Sarkozy and companions were headed for open water in a boat on Lake Winnipesaukee when he spotted Associated Press photographer Jim Cole and freelancer Vince DeWitt aboard Cole's boat, which was outside a buoy barrier monitored by the New Hampshire Marine Patrol.
Before Sarkozy spotted him, Cole had driven his boat up to the patrol boat, identified himself and received permission to be there.
"He was happy and smiling and he waved at the security people as he was coming out," Cole said of the president. "And then he noticed us taking pictures and his happy demeanor diminished immediately."
The men said they watched through their lenses as Sarkozy pointed toward them and his boat began moving in their direction. Coming alongside Cole's boat, Sarkozy, clad only in swim trunks, jumped aboard and began shouting at them.
"The president was very agitated, speaking French at a loud volume very rapidly," DeWitt said.
Both men said they repeatedly stated they did not speak French. Cole said that he asked whether any of the other passengers on Sarkozy's boat spoke English, but that no one answered or intervened.
Sarkozy picked up DeWitt's camera but then put it down. A woman then spoke up in English and relayed Sarkozy's request to be left alone, DeWitt said. The woman did not identify herself.
Hours earlier, Sarkozy had spoken to reporters and said in French,
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
I’m startin’ to like this guy.
I agree that it’s unreasonable for him (or anyone) to expect us to understand their foreign language when they are visiting (or living) here, but I doubt that that was his expectation. I would bet a fair amount of money that he speaks more than a smattering of English. I would be curious to know if I’m right. Anybody know?
When I go to a foreign country, I try to learn at least enough of the local language to get by. But if I were harrassed to the extent that Sarkozy was, I would definitely “lose it” in English. I think that most people would lose their temper in their native language, regardless of how fluent they are in another.
Just my $.02.
Mothers.
Doctors.
Heads of State. <—— Sarkozy
Lawyers.
Congresscritters.
Dogs.
Reporters.
Journalists.
Papparazzi. <——these guys
Child molesters.
Terrorists.
Where would you allow, prefer him to travel?
Well, U.S. heads of state vacation in the U.S. I would assume that a foreign head of state would vacation in their own country or territories. What would the response be if Bush said he was taking two weeks off to go sit on a beach in Aruba?
Did he make them cry?
More importantly, they have elected a guy with stones, as the islamo-cultists in France may soon discover.
“The confrontation came Sunday afternoon as Sarkozy and companions were headed for open water in a boat on Lake Winnipesaukee when he spotted Associated Press photographer Jim Cole and freelancer Vince DeWitt aboard Cole’s boat, which was outside a buoy barrier monitored by the New Hampshire Marine Patrol.” Maybe Bob finally pushed him over the edge.
I agree that its unreasonable for him (or anyone) to expect us to understand their foreign language when they are visiting (or living) here, but I doubt that that was his expectation. I would bet a fair amount of money that he speaks more than a smattering of English. I would be curious to know if Im right. Anybody know?
***
I don’t know whether he speaks English or not. But to be fair, perhaps he was so upset that he wasn’t thinking clearly. I remember my grandmother and grandfather arguing in Italian, then my grandmother would turn to me and say someting in Italian. She was so upset from her argument with my grandfather that she would forget that I didn’t speak Italian very well.
Regardless of whether he spoke English or whether anyone thinks he shouldn’t even be here — he has the right to be left alone. This man and his family are guests of this country and I think it was rude of these idiots to hound him like that. He was perfectly within his rights to demand that they leave him alone. They’ll have plenty of opportunity to take pictures when or if he and President Bush get together.
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