US embassy cable - 05PARIS5057

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 005057 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
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E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC, KMDR, FR, Media Reports 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION REPORT - NOMINATION OF NEW SUPREME 
COURT JUSTICE 
PARIS - THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2005 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
NOMINATION OF NEW SUPREME COURT JUSTICE 
 
(B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
RUMOR OF A HOSTILE TAKEOVER OF THE FRENCH FOOD GIANT DANONE BY 
PEPSICO CONTINUES TO BE THE PRINCIPAL SUBJECT FOR ELECTRONIC 
AND PRINT MEDIA TODAY. ECONOMIC RIGHT-OF-CENTER LES ECHOS 
CARRIES AN EXTENSIVE INTERVIEW OF DANONE'S CEO AND DAILIES 
NOTE THAT AT A PRESS CONFERENCE YESTERDAY PRIME MINISTER DE 
VILLEPIN CALLED DANONE ONE OF FRANCE'S "INDUSTRIAL TREASURES. 
WHOSE INTERESTS WE MUST DEFEND." 
 
THE NOMINATION OF JOHN ROBERTS TO REPLACE SANDRA DAY O'CONNOR 
ON THE SUPREME COURT IS WIDELY REPORTED AND IS THE FRONT PAGE 
STORY IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX: "THE SUPREME COURT: GEORGE BUSH'S 
WAGER." ROBERTS IS GENERALLY DESCRIBED AS A "MODERATE" 
CONSERVATIVE BY THE FRENCH PRESS WHOSE NOMINATION "DELIGHTS 
GEORGE W. BUSH'S SUPPORTERS AND HAS TAKEN HIS ADVERSARIES 
ABACK" (RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO)(SEE PART C) 
 
THE FORMATION OF THE NEW LEBANESE GOVERNMENT RECEIVES SOME 
COVERAGE WITH CATHOLIC DAILY LA CROIX NOTING THAT _gTHE 
PRESENCE OF A MEMBER OF HEZBOLLAH IN THE NEW GOVERNMENT 
IRRITATES WASHINGTON AND THE STATE DEPARTMENT HAS SAID THAT IT 
WILL HAVE NO DEALINGS WITH MOHAMMED FNEISH, THE NEW ENERGY AND 
WATER MINISTER._h 
 
 (C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
NOMINATION OF NEW SUPREME COURT JUSTICE 
 
"BUSH NOMINATES A CONSERVATIVE TO THE SUPREME COURT" 
WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT PHILIPPE GELIE IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE 
FIGARO (07/21): "BUSH REVIEWED ALL OF THE POSSIBLE CANDIDATES 
FOR THE JOB BUT JOHN ROBERTS STOOD OUT FROM THE CROWD. TWO 
DAYS EARLIER, HE PULLED A HUGE THORN OUT OF THE PRESIDENT'S 
FOOT BY GIVING THE GREEN LIGHT FOR THE CREATION OF A MILITARY 
TRIBUNAL TO TRY PRISONERS AT GUANTANAMO." 
 
"BUSH NOMINATES A MODERATE CONSERVATIVE TO THE SUPREME COURT" 
GILLES BIASSETTE AND OLIVIER DE PINS IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX 
(07/21): "THE NOMINATION OF A NEW SUPREME COURT JUSTICE TO 
REPLACE SANDRA DAY O'CONNOR MARKS A DECISIVE MOMENT IN THE 
HISTORY OF THE U.S. DETERMINING AS IT DOES THE ORIENTATION ON 
A NUMBER OF THE 21ST CENTURY'S KEY ISSUES AFFECTING AMERICANS: 
BIOETHICS, FAMILY, RELIGION. FOR THE CHRISTIAN RIGHTWING, JOHN 
ROBERTS IS THE MAN OF THE HOUR AND THEY HAVE PINNED ALL OF 
THEIR HOPES ON HIM TO PUSH RIGHTWING CHRISTIAN VALUES BACK TO 
THE FOREFRONT. WILL THE SUPPOSED WAR PITTING `BLUE' AMERICA 
AGAINST `RED' AMERICA FINALLY TAKE PLACE? NOT SO CERTAIN. IN 
FACT THE CHOICE OF ROBERTS IS A CLEVER ONE. BECAUSE HIS 
OPINION ON THE ISSUES IS NOT WELL-KNOWN, DEMOCRATS HAVE LITTLE 
TO SNORT AT AND HAVE SO FAR REACTED RATHER CAUTIOUSLY TO HIS 
NOMINATION." 
 
"AN ALLY OF BUSH AT THE SUPREME COURT" 
THOMAS CANTELOUBE IN POPULAR RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE PARISIEN 
(07/21): "ONCE AGAIN GEORGE BUSH HAS DISAPPOINTED MODERATES 
WHO WERE HOPING FOR A MORE CONSENSUAL CHOICE ON HIS PART. 
INSTEAD GEORGE BUSH CHOSE A MAN WHO LOOKS LIKE HIM: WHITE, IN 
HIS FIFTIES, SCHOOLED IN NEW ENGLAND AND DECIDEDLY 
CONSERVATIVE. ALL OF THOSE WHO, IN THE LAST WEEKS, WAGERED ON 
THE NOMINATION OF A CENTRIST, A WOMAN OR, FOR THE FIRST TIME 
AN HISPANIC ON THE SUPREME COURT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT BACK DOWN 
TO EARTH." 
 
"BUSH CHOOSES A MODERATE CONSERVATIVE FOR THE SUPREME COURT" 
CORINE LESNES IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE (07/21): "TO DISPEL 
THE POLITICAL SCANDAL THAT HANGS OVER WASHINGTON CONCERNING 
HIS ADVISOR KARL ROVE. GEORGE BUSH DECIDED TO PROCEED WITH THE 
NOMINATION OF THE NEW SUPREME COURT JUSTICE EARLIER THAN 
PLANNED. AFTER THIS, IT ONLY TOOK HALF A DAY FOR KARL ROVE'S 
FACE TO DISAPPEAR FROM FRONT-PAGES TO BE REPLACED WITH THE 
QUESTION THAT IS ON EVERYONE'S MIND: WILL BUSH CHOOSE A 
NOMINEE WHO CAN UNITE OR DIVIDE THE COUNTRY? HISTORY HAS SHOWN 
THAT DESPITE THE FACT THAT 7 OF THE 9 SUPREME COURT JUSTICES 
WERE NOMINATED BY CONSERVATIVE PRESIDENTS THEY WERE ABLE TO 
MAKE DECISIONS THAT WERE NOT NECESSARILY POPULAR AMONG THE 
AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE RIGHT." STAPLETON