Please Don’t say Non

Kickback Jacques is making the case for the constitution to the French voters, whilst visiting another former great power that also withered due to central bureaucratic meddling.

Jacques Chirac broke with tradition yesterday while visiting Japan to urge France to vote Yes in its May 29 referendum on the European constitution.

With Kickback Jacques behind it how can it fail? Mind you it seems he has little hope of staying away from the fray.

His trip coincided with the release of the third opinion poll in 10 days showing a majority against approving the constitution, with the No vote at 55 per cent. A month ago 60 per cent were in favour.

First 51%, then 52% and now 55%. I have no idea how the polls were run, but the trend it a little difficult to argue with. A little aside:

His comments came at the end of a three-day trip, officially to promote technological ties but primarily to attend a tournament in Osaka of his favourite sport, sumo wrestling.

Which explains very neatly the French attachment to the discredited idea of national champions. Larger and fatter than necessary, only kept that size by continuous overfeeding and capable of an impressively useless spectacle not possible to more agile athletic alternatives. A sport where bigger is most definitely better is sure to appeal to vain and arrogant politicians everywhere.