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Obama's subtle way of saying that Europeans are better than Americans.

In many ways, they are. Where is Laura Bush's sensual new album to the manhood of George Bush? Who's she giving her dried up old chrysanthemum to?

Carla Bruni's new album and the love song for Sarko

Here's your chance to listen to the new musical oeuvre from Carla Bruni. In a marketing build-up worthy of Madonna or a Stones release, Mrs Sarkozy's record company has put Comme si de rien n'était (As if nothing happened) on the internet for free listening.

This must be the first time that the presidency of a leading nation has promoted a pop album. The Elysée Palace has been working closely with Naive records to maximise the launch of breathy love songs by the first lady. The repercussions have even gone as far as Japan, which was miffed by Bruni's decision not to join the other spouses at this week's G8 summit. She decided to stay in Paris to advance the release date. Today, she was on France-Inter radio doing the first of a series of promotional interviews which culminate with a long live session on TF1 television news -- the most watched show -- on Friday evening.

We've touched on the songs here already. They include Ma Came (My junk), the now famous drug song which caused an official complaint from the Bogota government last month. Bruni sings of an amorous high with the effects of Colombian cocaine. Most of the songs were written before her romance with Sarkozy last winter but one song, Ta Tienne (Yours) is a declaration of passion for the president, whom she calls her "orgy" and her "prince charming".

Here are some of it's lyrics:

I put an end
To all my emblems
To my career as an Amazon
And to my sovereign freedom...

I give you my body, my soul and my chrysanthemum
For I am Yours

You are my lord, you're my darling
You're my orgy
You're my folly, my mix
You are my blessed bread
My charming prince
I am yours...

Watch out because I am Italian
I am going to discourage the ladies
I will gag the beautiful sirens
I who always sought fire
I am burning for you like a pagan woman
I who made men dance
To you I give myself entirely...

Phew! (French lyrics below). Bruni will no doubt score a big hit with this record. It has been given the title "Simply" for its international release at the weekend. Her company originally thought of putting a defensive label on the album in France, saying "You can like Carla Bruni without liking her husband". They didn't need to worry.

The media, with one or two exceptions, are heaping praise on the musical quality of an album which is much more ambitious than the minimalist, intimate style of her first two. Le Nouvel Observateur magazine broke with the admiring consensus and called the record uninspired, boring and trite. The disc, a mix of her folk style and more orchestrated pop, is helped by some high class arrangements and excellent musicians. The nostalgic tone of the songs is nicely conveyed by a retro sound, a mixture of Françoise Hardy and American country. In her France-Inter interview, Bruni listed as her influences Dolly Parton, the Beatles, Stones and Ella Fitzgerald, among others. But there is no escaping Bruni's limited vocal talent. Her husky whisper is a running gag for Nicolas Canteloup, the comic impersontator, who plays her as inaudible. Judge for yourself.

Bruni, who casts herself as a wild but melancholy child in the songs, says that she will give away her share of the royalties to charity. For the moment France has taken to the new Madame Sarkozy. Her presence is seen as a calming influence and she has played the role extremely well, dressing demurely and staying silent until last month. It's pretty likely that we will now see a reaction against Carla-mania just as we have had a backlash over the past few days against the excess emotion over Ingrid Betancourt

Does anyone think that maybe, just maybe, this has something to do with the fact that there are so damned many countries in Europe that all speak different languages?

Why is that an excuse? Why is what Obama said even limited to Europe necessarily? Why is it so un-American to learn at least one other language and make it a priority. We should be smarter than the rest of the world, right? Its pretty much mandatory in most college curriculums. I was very lucky that I grew up in a high school that even offered the basic amount of language (French, Spanish and German). Of course, I was the dumbass that took LATIN because I thought it would help me with my writing. Which it did, but now I can't speak French, Spanish or German.

I think it should be mandatory that high school students take either Spanish or French (the 'gateway drug' of languages, most mainstream of the romance languages, plus you can speak to Canooks), but of course that would seem traitorous to certain people. The problem is, our education system in general is so fucked that its difficult to impose that when many kids aren't even basically literate out of high school. However, languages are easier to learn the younger you are. I personally think there's too much of a focus on complex mathematics in high schools and not enough on basic speaking and writing skills.

DeBrun, I definitely agree with you that dumbass tourists are of all political stripes, shapes and sizes. Frankly I admit to be one of them, when I've fumbled around Germany knowing only the words for 'water', 'bathroom' and 'beer'. But only arch-conservatives consider that a badge of pride as an actual philosophy.