9 a.m.
PARIS — After a Chunnel ride from London's Saint Pancras station, your intrepid blogger is now on the Champs Elysee, awaiting the press availability of Sen. John McCain at the Elysee Palace (1 p.m. EDT). The presumptive Republican presidential nominee will first meet with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who he has met twice. (Mr. Sarkozy provides the 71-year-old McCain with a regular joke in his standard stump speech — "France now has a pro-American president, which just goes to show you that if you live long enough, you'll see everything." Badabing.).
Wonderfully French incident at the Gard Nord train station in Paris. Standing in line at the information booth, the Parisian inside simply stuck up a sign that said: "Position Closed." In line was a couple from England and your blogger; both simply needed to know which Metro to catch. "That wasn't very nice," said the British woman. "Welcome to France," said your blogger.
On the train over, your blogger continued reading Mr. Sarkozy's book, "Testimony." He has accomplished a lot at a fairly young age (and in his book, he makes sure to tell you all about it — and take full credit). Still, he is much like Mr. McCain — a straight-talking politician who doesn't mind standing alone if he's standing on principle. Not very easy in France.
But most interesting was this passage about his second wife and the difficulties they had gone through: "Today Cecelia and I are back together for real, and most surely forever." Whoops. Seems that didn't work out. The two are now divorced, and Sark the Shark, 52, is married to former supermodel Carla Bruni, 40.
The dismally dour dollar is on display everywhere, and easy to understand by this one reference: A venti cappuccino at Starbuck's cost $8.25. Seriously, But fashionable Parisians in trendy glasses are sitting in the freezing cold drizzle smoking (in that fabulous French way), and Frank Sinatra is playing on the stereo — "I Love Paris (Every Moment)." Having covered the campaign for months, Paris sure beats Kalamazoo.
Joseph Curl, senior White House correspondent, The Washington Times
