FREE CORSICA!
Heh, Heh, Just Kidding

FRANCE'S ROYAL RED-FACED OVER TELEPHONE HOAX

January 26, 2007 (France 24) - Gerald Dahan -- who is seen as close to Royal's right-wing rival Nicolas Sarkozy -- told French radio he called [Ségolène Royal] on Wednesday claiming to be Quebec Premier Jean Charest, to discuss a row over comments in which she appeared to back independence for the French-speaking Canadian province.

The Socialist candidate arrived late for a public debate on Wednesday, announcing that she had just been speaking with the prime minister of Quebec, and that he sent his greetings to the assembly.

In Montreal, a spokesman for Charest said the premier had not spoken with Royal and confirmed she had fallen victim to a hoax.

Royal, who left Thursday on a four-day campaign trip to the French Caribbean islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe, was not immediately available for comment but her staff tried to shrug off the incident.

"Dahan's a funny guy. Jokes happen. We should treat these things with a pinch of salt, a touch of humour," said Royal's adviser Jack Lang. Her official spokesman Francois Rebsamen said "we don't comment on hoaxes."

But, of course, M. Lang has commented and it seems to us the better response over M. Rebsamen's huffy blow-off. The peer-to-peer prank phone call (or here, en-bas à en-haut) is a regular feature of French political life. The hoax of itself is harmless, but the pranking M. Dahan drew Mlle. Royal into another reckless remark.

The comedian, who specialises in duping public figures, played a brief extract of the alleged conversation on air, in which he jokingly compares Royal's comments on Quebec to suggesting independence for Corsica, the restive French Mediterranean island.

"The French people wouldn't be opposed to the idea, by the way," Royal is heard to reply with a laugh -- before adding: "Don't repeat that, though -- it would cause another incident in France. It's a secret."

Sarkozy wasted no time in rounding on his rival, telling reporters that Corsica "is no laughing matter" and that her remark, "if it was a joke, was a joke in poor taste".

Now that was a mistake. Perhaps this is Mlle. Royal's real thinking on the matter of Corsica, but to admit such on an open line is to invite discovery. Corsica is a divisive issue but not a burning issue in the presidential campaign -- so why risk introducing it? As Mlle. Royal herself foresaw, her remark has caused "another incident in France", which is to say another blow to her campaign.

SÉGOLÈNE IN ROYAL PICKLE OVER CORSICA

PARIS January 26, 2007 (MSNBC/FT) - Mr Sarkozy, Ms Royal's main rival for the presidency, has clearly seized the initiative this week in the race for the Elysée Palace. As interior minister, Mr Sarkozy has taken a tough line towards the separatist movement in Corsica that is seeking independence for the Mediterranean island.

"For me Corsica is not a subject for joking, especially when I am speaking with the prime minister of another country."

And there is this:

On Thursday she stumbled again when asked in a radio interview how many nuclear submarines France owned. "One", she replied. "No, seven" fired back the presenter, to which she replied, "Ah yes, seven." The correct answer was four.

We admit to feeling a wee bit of Mlle. Royal's pain. We do not think her a dummy and it would be a shame if such a perception sinks her campaign. We believe her campaign should sink on the merits of her idiot attitudes and her idiot ideas.

* Oops + plenitude = oops-itude. For context, see here.

PFFT (What is this?): Goof-itude 3 | Rayonnement français 0