AccessMyLibrary provides FREE access to over 30 million articles from top publications available through your library.

PARDON?(The Talk of the Town)(John Kerry and international relations)

The New Yorker

| April 19, 2004 | Kurlantzick, Joshua | COPYRIGHT 2004 All rights reserved. Reproduced by permission of The Condé Nast Publications Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)Copyright

Alain de Chalvron, the Washington bureau chief for France 2, the French equivalent of the BBC, hasn't had an easy time since he came to America, last fall. He has had to endure a predictable barrage of remarks regarding freedom fries, Old Europe, and the "Axis of Weasel," along with a reticent White House, which has made it hard for foreign journalists to get briefings. So when John Kerry became the front-runner for the Democratic Presidential nomination de Chalvron and other French journalists in Washington were understandably excited. They knew about Kerry: he went to a Swiss boarding school, he has a cousin who ran for the French Presidency, and he supposedly wooed Teresa Heinz by impressing her with his fluent French.

For a time, Kerry seemed equally enthusiastic about the French reporters covering his campaign. "He was quite accessible in Iowa and New Hampshire," de Chalvron said the other day, in his office in Washington. "He understands French very well. His words are correct and sometimes even sophisticated. I asked him, 'How can you have this life? It must be terrible, crisscrossing the country.' Kerry answered, 'C'est affreux'--'It's awful.' " De Chalvron's voice rose with admiration. "Affreux, it's not a very usual word. It's something a French person can use easily, but Kerry could have said, 'Yes, it's terrible,' instead of going to pick a more difficult word."

Everything changed, though, when, in recent months, Republicans started intimating that Kerry was too Continental. Conservatives complained about his touting of endorsements from foreign leaders, and Commerce Secretary Donald L. Evans told reporters that Kerry "looks French." Right-wing talk-show hosts began referring to him as "Monsieur Kerry" and "Jean Cheri." A couple of weeks ago, the Washington Post reported that G. Clotaire Rapaille, a French anthropologist known for ...

Related articles from newspapers, magazines, journals, and more
BBC airs global views of Americans; Many foreigners have love-hate relationship...
Newspaper article from: The Washington Times June 17, 2003 700+ words
...writer Will Hutton calls globalization "a cloak for the export of the American business model" while French news anchor Alain de Chalvron comments, "the first word linked to the U.S. in France is 'power' rather than 'liberty' and 'democracy.' " A Brazilian...
Kerry's one tough foe for anyone to shake.(Editorial)
Newspaper article from: The Boston Herald Buckingham, Virginia March 8, 2004 700+ words
Byline: Virginia Buckingham John Kerry won't be easy to beat. I should know...everything we had at him. Nothing stuck. Kerry was as resilient as a Weeble. He wobbled...fall down. Still, Weld would have beaten Kerry had he run against him in many of the 38...
Kerry Calls for Corporate Tax Cuts as Incentive to Halt Outflow of U.S. Jobs.
Newspaper article from: Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News March 27, 2004 700+ words
...Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry vowed Friday to create 10 million U.S...business tax cuts and fairer foreign trade. Kerry said his sweeping plan would spur companies...benefit from lower taxes and cheap labor. Kerry also said he would repeal President George...
Kerry speaks out against veterans' ad.(Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
Newspaper article from: Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service Gilbert, Craig August 20, 2004 700+ words
...silence on the subject, a bristling John Kerry suggested Thursday that President Bush...record, and he called a group of anti-Kerry veterans a "front" for the Bush campaign. "He wants them to do his dirty work," Kerry said of his Republican opponent. Bush...
Kerry believed allegations could no longer be ignored.
Newspaper article from: Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News August 20, 2004 700+ words
...For nearly two weeks, Senator John F. Kerry had refrained from commenting directly...television ad and a book that alleged that Kerry had lied about his combat service and did...deserve his medals. Then, Wednesday night, Kerry told his aides that he had to act. As...
Kerry Spokesman Plays Down Candidate's 1971 Vietnam Meeting.
Newspaper article from: Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News March 25, 2004 700+ words
...before a Senate committee in 1971, John F. Kerry, who was a leading antiwar activist at...and met with communist representatives. Kerry, now the presumptive Democratic presidential...the spokesman played down the extent of Kerry's role and said Kerry did not engage...
Kerry's War Commanders Speak Out against His Candidacy.
Newspaper article from: Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News May 5, 2004 700+ words
...former officers who commanded John F. Kerry in Vietnam more than three decades ago...military and medical records, and said Kerry should be denied the White House because...superiors had committed "war crimes." Kerry has since said his accusation about war...
Kerry and Edwards Family, Friends and Invited Guests.
Press release article from: PR Newswire July 30, 2004 700+ words
...individuals have been invited to join the Kerry and Edwards families this evening: Dan Barbiero - John Kerry's College Roommate Helen Barbiero - Friend...Bundy - Bundy Family Harvey Bundy - John Kerry's College Roommate Hollister Bundy - John...
For more facts and information, see all results
©2009 Gale, a part of Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
About us | FAQs | Contact us | Privacy policy | Terms and conditions
Other Gale sites: Encyclopedia.com | HighBeam Research | Acquire Content | Books & Authors | Goliath | MovieRetriever | Smart QandA