Unfortunately, the guy has already lost his job and his presidential campaign - I'm not normally one for conspiracy theories, but if somebody on Sarko's side of the bench paid that maid to make up a story, I wouldn't be surprised. DSK *was* a favourite to win the election....

Where my Francophobes at????

How does taking an accusation of rape seriously make one a francophobe?

So it appears the consensus is that the maid's story is made up, but what about Tristane Banon. Sorry but before we start saying everyone was wrong to have accused him of anything we should wait to see where that investigation goes too.

Le sigh....

Yeah Putin I liked DSK as a politician but you cannot write off allegations just because someone is powerful.

You as a champion of proles everywhere I'm sure understand that.

That DSK was even arrested based on the accusation of a Guinean immigrant makes me proud to be American, because I don't think that would have happened in many other countries.

If she made it up, well then that's bullshit and that sucks a lot, but that doesn't mean you *assume* she made it up lol.

Also yeah Mafia points out the other allegations, those should also be taken seriously.

This is as much a feminist issue as anything imo.

It doesn't Invictus, but the sole reason for believing this story among some on here was visceral hatred of the French. This story already had holes in it before the new revelations about her lying to the police and her relationship with a drug dealer that uses her account as a conduit for his cash flow (with whom she had conversation in which she is alleged to have said "This man has lots of money, don't worry I know what I'm doing"). Or the revelation that the NYPD police commissioner received the Legion of Honor from Sarkozy in 2006 and the department leaked details of the case to the media.

As for Tristane Banon, she initially told this story to a televised chat show 5 years after the fact, with a smile on her face. Kind of odd that now, 9 years later (and right when the maid case is falling apart), all of a sudden she is pressing charges. Furthermore the first people to report this story were UMP partisans, and the UMP has been on record saying they will do whatever would publish "incriminating photos" of DSK if he ran for President. And lo and behold this came after a couple of stories about DSK's expensive taste in cars and suits.

It doesn't Invictus, but the sole reason for believing this story among some on here was visceral hatred of the French.

Im sorry, were the Duke Lacrosse players French? I guess Lacrosse sounds French, maybe thats why people believed it.

The fact that the accuser lied about her background is understandable (though foolish) considering the spotlight on her. And the fact that her incarcerated boyfriend and possibly her were looking to get compensation from it should also not surprise us. (after all, monetary judgments are commonly part of the civil justice system - and a civil case would have likely followed the criminal one... had it not been dropped... indeed, it could still happen [see O.J.Simpson for a parallel example]). Admittedly, the possibility of a monetary compensation (or a book deal, who knows) could serve as a corrupting factor... and is unfortunate in that regard... but just because I look forward to getting compensated by the guy who crashed into my car doesn't mean I made the car crash up or crashed on purpose.

Perhaps I missed something (I admittedly wasn't closely following the story - but just stumbled into a couple of accounts) but it seemed still that there was good evidence that her story was true - as well as others that came forward to say, basically, yeah, he's a creep and he molested me years ago, etc. Now, granted, people's motivations (such as for compensation or publicity [how could she want this kind of publicity?], or for him, power) must be taken into account... but I don't think they prove anything. (just as Casey Anthony's disgusting coverup of her negligence doesn't also make her also guilty of murder) I don't know whether you're simply trying to make a funny, Putin, but what does Francophobia have to do with this? The fact that DSK is French is not relavent to the case... at least not to me. (and I'm not a Francophobe). To me, if there is any relevance to the individual's respective backgrounds, it is one of class and the power dynamic. She is the lower class relatively young maid, he is the rich and powerful old white man. Again, this doesn't prove anything - but it is more on topic than Francophobia.

Let's assume for the moment that the violent sex with a maid half his age and none of his power was consensual (he is, after all, clearly irresistible)... it hardly makes DSK look like anything but a creep. But then, being a creep in your personal life in no way makes you a bad politician or leader in your public life. e.g. Putin, you can defend his socialism without feeling that you have to defend his personal character

LaCrosse is CANADIAN!!!!
hihi
And I'm a francophone, though I'm not French, so obviously that makes everything I'm about to say absolutely true and relevant.

I always take issue with the way the media forgets this essential feature of our legal systems: "innocent until proven guilty". In this media-world we live in, accusations often suffice to produce something akin to political murder. That's just wrong I think, though I know the issue to be so complex that I cannot think of an easy solution to it. I mean, DSK still had to be elected (twice!) before becoming Prez DSK, and you can't fault people for being suspicious of his character when you hear accusations of that nature. But, at the same time, he is innocent until proven otherwise. ... It's an interesting issue.

Look that's all very good Putin and I agree that it has always been extraordinary and a bit fishy, the whole thing, but you just DON'T dismiss rape allegations like that, against the powerful most of all.

We live in a rape culture and many of DSK's defenders, especially in France, have come perilously close to justifying or downplaying the significance of rape or its close relatives.

i know LaCrosse is canadian, I was being sarcastic, Putin actually said the only people believed allegations was because Strauss was French, meanwhile they believed that a group of guys from North Carolina did the same thing. Again Putin neglects realityand goes for the throat.

Cachimbo I am a proponent of strictly adhering to innocent till proved guilty, but that and not believing accusations against people out of hand are different things totally.

You take accusations seriously, but you don't assume anyone is guilty until convicted. They're not mutually exclusive if that's what you're implying.

yes, and the fact that the accusation was sufficient to torpedo his possible aspirations to be president (at least this go-around)... and that his political opponents took advantage to help in this regard, doesn't mean that it was a conspiracy. ...similar to the fact that Bush/Cheney took advantage of 9/11 to give a pretext to invade Iraq does not mean that the 9/11 attack itself was a Bush/Cheney conspiracy in the first place.

Fair enough.
But where accusations lead to political death, it feels like something is not right. Especially if it has an air of political murder.
The legal system has to take accusations seriously, whereas I believe we (as citizens) have *somewhat* of an obligation to reserve our judgement.

And Santa wants us all to forget his little anti-French rants from before and change the subject to the Duke lacrosse issue.

Thucydides +1 for the points about rape culture and the power dynamic... and being proud as an American that the accuser's accusations were taken seriously... at first (at least)

No, I'm pointing out the ridiculousness of your statements, as I said before from my experiences with French people, I do not desire any further.

Calling lacrosse Canadian is a little insulting to the natives who created it

If memory serves me well, Canada (and the spelling is unimportant here) means "Village" in a native language (which I sadly forget right now). So what I'm really saying is that Lacrosse comes from the big native village north of the 45th parallel!

(I.e.: don't make this into something it's not! I didn't mean anything but light hearted fun.)

Was that supposed to be coherent? I have no idea what you just said Santa.

ok let me break it down

1. Im not trying to change the subject, I am showing that it was not because he was french that people believed this, in fact, they believed that a group of preppys did the same thing in North Carolina. And, newsflash, they were not french

2. I do not make any qualms about my distaste for the French public. Without the facts of the case they were in an uproar that Americans arrested a Frenchman, as if being French and powerful absolves you when being accused of Rape.

and inface, you are the one seeking to change the topic, my point about the duke lacrosse scanda is eminently relevant, but of course you try to change the subject with an ad hominem, now the discussion is not about your baseless statement, but about how I am <blank>.

Dexter, it's a cumulative case of absurdity. I'm not defending DSK for being a socialist. He's a crappy excuse for a socialist. I have no particular affinity for the French PS other than it's not Sarkozy's goons. There are plenty of problems with this case beyond her total lack of credibility, her palling around with drug dealers and eagerness to win compensation, and it disgusts me that it is likely that Sarkozy and his henchmen would cynically exploit a woman, knowing full well that people would latch onto the illiterate immigrant vs powerful IMF chairman dynamic, in order to discredit a political rival. It's absolutely disgusting that people exploit others very proper impulse to take these kinds of accusations seriously in order to smear someone.

Putin, if this was some sort of set-up by people outside of the woman herself, I anticipate that that will come to light... Do you have any evidence that this was a plot? ...I mean beyond your disgust for Sarkozy and suspicion that he would be capable of such a dishonorable maneuver.

funny because if this was a master plot, wouldnt they make sure she had her story down? Oh I'm sorry, I forgot we were speaking out of our ass here, logic isnt necessary...

"Putin, if this was some sort of set-up by people outside of the woman herself, I anticipate that that will come to light... Do you have any evidence that this was a plot? ...I mean beyond your disgust for Sarkozy and suspicion that he would be capable of such a dishonorable maneuver."

No, who needs that!

Someone needs to explain to me how talking about your Francophobia and willingness to believe anything bad said about a Frenchman = me changing the subject.

"funny because if this was a master plot, wouldnt they make sure she had her story down? Oh I'm sorry, I forgot we were speaking out of our ass here, logic isnt necessary.."

Why would they care about that? DSK is out of the race, mission accomplished.

Yes and I already mentioned it. Do people bother to read anymore?