Pave: Carrying On

Le jour 40 de Sarko

When Ex-Jack was made to walk the long red carpet, when he looked to depart, to leave us, where, we openly wondered, where would we find our ready stock of mock?

Ah, but Jack, now Ex-Jack, has not left us (and this and this and this).

And we are delighted to report neither has the first-woman-ever-within-six-points-of-the-Élysée™.

SÉGOLÈNE ROYAL AFFIRME AVOIR DÛ DÉFENDRE
DES IDÉES QU'ELLE NE JUGEAIT "PAS CRÉDIBLES"
[SÉGO ACKNOWLEDGES HAVING HAD TO DEFEND
IDEAS SHE FOUND "NOT CREDIBLE"]

21 juin 2007 (Le Monde) - Smic à 1 500 euros, généralisation des 35 heures. Selon Ségolène Royal, "ce sont des idées qui ne sont pas crédibles, pas cohérentes avec le projet socialiste". L'ex-candidate socialiste à la présidentielle les a pourtant défendues pendant sa campagne. Elle a "dû les reprendre dans son pacte présidentiel", a-t-elle précisé, mercredi 20 juin, lors de l'émission Question d'info (LCP-Le Monde-France Info).

Parlant du smic à 1 500 euros brut en cinq ans, "qui est une idée phare de Laurent Fabius", Mme Royal a rappelé que la mesure n'était pas évoquée "dans [sa] profession de foi". Cependant, a-t-elle ajouté, "certaines mesures [étaient] en même temps politiquement fondées : le message politique était de dire que les socialistes sont favorables à une augmentation des bas salaires".

[SMIC {Salaire minimum interprofessionnel de croissance} at €1,500 {from €1,250/month}, extension of the 35-hour work week. According to Ségolène Royal, "such ideas are not credible, not consistent with the socialist project". Yet the socialist ex-presidential candidate defended them during her campaign. She "had to include them in her presidential pact", she made clear, during the broadcast of Question d'info (LCP-Le Monde-France Info) this Wednesday, June 20.

Speaking about the SMIC at €1,500 euros gross over five years, "that's a pet project of Laurent Fabius", Mrs. Royal pointed out that the measure was not mentioned "in [her] profession of faith". However, she added, "certain measures [were] at the same time politically founded: the political message was by way of saying that the Socialists favour an increase in low wages ".]

Oh, that Laurent Fabius and his stupid ideas! Oh, the poor Picto-Charentais! Made to lie -- and lie stupidly. [Pause as we adjust our socks.] Now, we know all politicians lie. [Pause.] It is just rather startling to have one admit to it straight-up. Having admitted to being a shill, to lying for votes, a reformed Ségo now asks for your future vote. No more lies. Honest.

ROYAL SET ON SECOND PRESIDENTIAL BID

PARIS June 22, 2007 (AFP) - Defeated French presidential candidate Segolene Royal, who is bidding to take over as head of the Socialist Party, said Friday she planned to run again for head of state in 2012.

Asked whether she would seek to carry the Socialist banner five years' from now, she told France 2 television: "It is likely... I want to carry on."

POST-MORTEM ON LOST ELECTIONS HELD WITHOUT ROYAL

PARIS June 23, 2007 (France 24/AFP) - Leaders of France's Socialist Party gathered in Paris Saturday for a post-mortem of the presidential and parliamentary elections that ushered President Nicolas Sarkozy's right-wing camp to power, but their losing presidential candidate was a no-show…another sign of the crisis within France's second largest political party as a bitter leadership battle looms.

… Royal, whose break-up with her partner of 30 years, current party leader Francois Hollande, made headlines this week, has launched an aggressive bid to take over his job when he steps down next year.

… Convinced she holds the key to the left's renovation, Royal hopes to seize control of the party well ahead of time to prepare her programme for 2012... Yet even some of her admirers regretted her failure to show up for the party meeting. "We really need everyone, it's not good that everyone is not here," said Jean-Marc Ayrault, head of the Socialists' group in the National Assembly.

When staging a palace coup, it heartens the minions to put in an appearance, to give a little shove toward the bayonets.

Royal kicked up a storm this week by disowning key parts of her presidential platform -- the extension of the 35-hour week and a big hike in the minimum wage -- as unrealistic, saying they were imposed on her by the party old guard.

She was savaged for her comments, attacked as "duplicitous", "provocative", "deceitful" and "clumsy," and accused of trying to shift blame for her failed presidential bid on to others.

Hhmmm. Yes, well, we can see how it might look like all that -- especially to those who Ségo has blamed and betrayed.

FRENCH SOCIALISTS DEAL BLOW
TO ROYAL'S BID FOR PARTY LEADER

PARIS, June 23, 2007 (AFP) - France's opposition Socialists Saturday dealt a blow to attempts by Segolene Royal, the left's failed candidate in last month's presidential elections, to take control of the party.

The Socialist Party's national council met in Paris and adopted a timetable for choosing a new leader after recent electoral defeats to right-wing President Nicolas Sarkozy, ignoring the views of Royal who was not at the event.

... The line was drawn Saturday as the 300-member council voted overwhelmingly [306 for; 1 abstention; 3 against] for the timetable of renovation and reform proposed by Francois Hollande.

PFFT (What is this?): Stock of mock 4½ | No more lies ½ | Rayonnement français 0