Hackette puts ‘Speedy’ in a spin
Nicolas Sarkozy piled on the charm in spades at his maiden Brussels press conference as French President this week, taking a rather embarassingly obvious shining to the perky editor of eurovillage rag the European Voice.
Dana Spinant hit the hyperactive mini-Frenchman hard with a probing Pulitzer-winning question on whether his ambitions for enhanced cooperation might not create a two-speed Europe … or something.
Gesticulating his way through a protracted response on his right as a politician to pass comment on the Euro, he suddenly pulled up short:
“All of a sudden, such was my enthusiasm, I forget the other part of your question, what was it?” he asked.
“It must be your red headband that distracted me” he added, flashing that winning knee-high grin Spinant’s way.
She put her question once more, successfully unshaken by the Sarko smarm.
But he was not to be put off, prefacing his answer with a twinkle, a pout, and a “you have such a wonderful way of putting your questions…”
Journalists gagged in nauseous dismay, while the large audience of non-hacks who had muscled in to see the great little man tittered jealously like adoring schoolgirls.
And for any journalists who had somehow not noticed the preponderation of visitors and civil servants who had meandered in to the press room for a gawp, the telltale sign came at the end when the assembled throng applauded the whole emetic display.
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