French Kiss Obama Adieu!

According to the Wall Street Journal and several other sources, French President Sarkozy is "avoir les boules" at Mssr. Obama over the announcement of the secret Iranian nuclear site and the latter's overall policy. The French and the British wanted to confront the Iranians at the UN love-fest but Barry O and the boys would have none of it. They didn't want to spoil the "image of success" of President Obama chairing the UN Security Council and speaking fluffy butterfly language about nuclear disarmament.

Sarkoky's speech to the UN now makes more sense since we know he was "seething," about being told to be a team player (along with Gordon Brown, although Gordo just seems to like being near BHO and smiling - definite groupy candidate) and not bring up this untidy business.

Le Monde's diplomatic correspondent, Natalie Nougayrède, reports that a draft of Mr. Sarkozy's speech to the Security Council Thursday included a section on Iran's latest deception. Forced to scrap that bit, the French President let his frustration show with undiplomatic gusto in his formal remarks, laying into what he called the "dream" of disarmament. The address takes on added meaning now that we know the backroom discussions.

"We are right to talk about the future," Mr. Sarkozy said, referring to the U.S. resolution on strengthening arms control treaties. "But the present comes before the future, and the present includes two major nuclear crises," i.e., Iran and North Korea. "We live in the real world, not in a virtual one." No prize for guessing into which world the Frenchman puts Mr. Obama.

"We say that we must reduce," he went on. "President Obama himself has said that he dreams of a world without nuclear weapons. Before our very eyes, two countries are doing exactly the opposite at this very moment. Since 2005, Iran has violated five Security Council Resolutions . . .

"I support America's 'extended hand.' But what have these proposals for dialogue produced for the international community? Nothing but more enriched uranium and more centrifuges. And last but not least, it has resulted in a statement by Iranian leaders calling for wiping off the map a Member of the United Nations. What are we to do? What conclusions are we to draw? At a certain moment hard facts will force us to make decisions."

We thought we'd never see the day when the President of France shows more resolve than America's Commander in Chief for confronting one of the gravest challenges to global security. But here we are.

The French?? Dear Lord, this keeps up, I am going to start re-claiming some of my French ancestry. How will little French boys mock Americans in the years to come? "A bunch of hamburgahr eating talking monkeys?"

It's Coming...

This is grim news...more:

Wage hikes always cause a spike in the unemployment rate, and this year, with the country in the middle of a recession, businesses are already struggling to make ends meet. The economy will continue to hemorrhage entry level jobs unless legislators stop this summer’s minimum wage hike from happening.

Economists are nearly unanimous in pointing out that unskilled workers bear the brunt of minimum wage hikes. According to a 2007 survey from the American Economic Association at the University of New Hampshire Survey Center, 73 percent of labor economists believe increases in the minimum wage will lead to employment losses, which will fall disproportionately on the least skilled workers.

Teens get hit especially hard by wage hikes. Research from the University of Georgia (2006) found that for every 10 percent increase in the minimum wage, teen employment at small businesses decreased between 4.6 to 9 percent. Last summer’s 12 percent minimum wage hike contributed to a 5 percent drop in teen employment and the losses continued this year. Since Congress began implementing the 2007 wage hike, over 480,000 teen jobs have disappeared across the country.

Ahh, to heck with it - Congress passed it, it must be good!