This is a picture of French Justice Minister Rachida Dati. Besides bearing a strong resemblance to a certain Democratic First Lady of a bygone era, and being my age as well (wow!), she is unmarried and with child. Now, the French have a wonderful approach to these kinds of things, an approach that would be unthinkable in the United States. The difference betrays just how dysfunctional, obsessed with trivia, and ridiculously puerile our politics and political journalism is:
Dati says she has no intention of revealing the father’s identity and offers this marvellous comment: “I have a very complicated private life, and that’s where I draw the line with the press. I won’t have anything to say on that subject.”
It would be impossible for a political figure in the United States to respond in such a manner. In fact, if an unwed woman in a position of authority in the United States become pregnant, she would most likely be asked to resign, if not fired outright.
The French are grown-ups. French politicians are grown-ups. I think we could learn a thing or two from them.
