Sarkozy Does Penance for Chirac's Sins

French President Nicolas Sarkozy's visit to America is one of the most significant events in U.S.-French relations in over 40 years.

The visit to the White House, the speech before Congress, and the remarks made by the French head-of-state are all the trappings of light-years of progress, according to the protocols of international relations.

In fact, if Jacques Chirac is the dark symbol of a power-hungry, rogue, anti-American European who fell from grace due to his multitude of sins, then Sarkozy is the traditional French libertarian, the U.S.-friendly white knight who rides into America to do penance for the sins of Jacques Chirac.

Not only did Sarkozy kiss the hand of the American First Lady, graciously embrace the American President as his trans-Atlantic friend, and speak before Congress, but he eloquently and convincingly articulated the essence of 'the American dream,' the ideals of Capitalism, and the shining example to the world of a government based upon human liberty.

He should know. Traditional Frenchmen who are history-literate know that French thinkers/philosophers supplied much of the intellectual foundation for the formation of a new government in a new world that is based upon the concept of freedom.

The United States and France have a long history of close relations ever since the beginning of the American Republic. The Statue of Liberty, of course, was a gift to the U.S. from France.

France's relations with the U.S. began to grow sour after the Charles De Gaul years. France turned decidedly Socialist, and a string of French Presidents were elected to office that had a decidedly cold attitude toward the U.S., ultimately culminating in Jacques Chirac.

Chirac was from the very start a dark figure. It was he who cut the very first nukes-for-oil deal with Saddam Hussein in Iraq. In that deal Iraq obtained its first nuclear reactor, and France obtained Saddam's oil.

Relations between the U.S. and France reached a dangerously low ebb when Chirac not only opposed the decision by President Bush and Prime Minister Blair to attack Iraq but condemned in extremely harsh terms the American President and U.S. foreign policy.

Everyone knows that Chirac's behavior stemmed from his long association with Saddam. With Chirac, it truly was 'all about the oil.'

The result was a massive, grassroots-led boycott of travel to France.

With Chirac finally gone after seemingly a never-ending reign of terror, Sarkozy represents a distinct shift in French politics. The prevailing wisdom is now based upon the fact that the two nations are centuries-long natural allies and that relations between the two are in dire need of mending.

Sarkozy's visit to the U.S. is a resounding and successful coup of sorts--a bid to mend fences with France's old friend. And mend them he did.

With words that cannot in any way be misconstrued, Sarkozy made it clear that he is no Socialist and that Socialism is a failure. Further, he demonstrated that the days of Jacques Chirac are over, finis. It is a new day in American-French relations.

In just a few short hours Sarkozy kissed the hands of the 'Pope,' addressed the 'Cardinals,' and gave his confession of faith in American freedom and Capitalism at the altar of the Halls of Government and the mainstream media.

The problem is, the mainstream media managed to downplay Sarkozy's poignant words. So has the blogosphere. With the mainstream media and the major blog sites dominated by rabid Leftists, it is not very hard to understand their silence on Sarkozy's ringing endorsement of the American way.

Without Chirac to sound all of their anti-American themes, I suppose the Left has decided that Sarkozy is not one they want to be promoting.