The Vertiginous Tumble of DSK

by Nidra Poller (May-June 2011)

 “scandal.” I hope it will be nothing worse than “le troussage d’une domestique” [shtupping a chambermaid]. 

However, they do not necessarily approve!!!

If he did what he is accused of doing, it means he already considered himself immune.

What initially shocked French commentators was the realization that the act, if actually committed, is a crime punishable by decades in a ghastly American prison. The very morning of the alleged incident, DSK was still polling as the hands-down winner who could defeat either Nicolas Sarkozy or Marine le Pen in the 2nd round of the 2012 elections. The Front National candidate, who is getting traction on an anti-Islamization stance, came out immediately on the side of the alleged victim, identified at the time as a Ghanaian named Ophelia. It took most commentators another 24 hours to realize that by placing Dominique Strauss Kahn on a presumption of innocence pedestal they were necessarily slandering the plaintiff.

He could be innocent. But only if she is guilty.

One source says the IMF president, who had reserved a modest $525 room, was upgraded to the $3,000 a night suite. The whole affair clangs with this kind of theatrical irony. If the suite had not been available, would a different chambermaid have mistakenly barged in on a one-man orgy and be forcefully invited to participate? Or if there had been no upgrade there would there have been no chambermaid and no scandal. And Dominique Strauss-Kahn would be president of France this time next year.

Decidedly, the honey pot scenario is a title followed by 120 empty pages.

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