I have to disagree with you in every way. There's favors, and there's career suicide. No amount of Hollywood connections one can imagine would make it logical for the President to assume someone would even circumspectly approach him about help with a child abuse situation--decades old though it may. And the last thing any Prez would do is pardon a man for drugging and abuse a child--hands down I can bet you this will *never* happen. And I'd say this even if Obama weren't the father of two young girls, and a man who obviously respects women. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kelwyn" <ravena...@yahoo.com> To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Wednesday, April 21, 2010 11:55:59 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: [scifinoir2] Re: Way OT: Polanski Rumoured to Have Appealed to Obama
Obama's war chest was filled by Hollywood money and Polanski still has friends in high places. When you take the kind of money Obama took, you shouldn't be surprised if there are some strings (and expectations) attached. I would not be at all surprised if a major Hollywood player/donor put the squeeze on Obama to pardon Polanski. Do not be surprised, should Obama be a one-term wonder, if Polanski is pardoned as the President exits office. ~(no)rave! --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com , "B Smith" <daikaij...@...> wrote: > > I imagine this is really high on the President's list. *snicker* > > If he did intervene I could see Republicans trying to make hay out of this in > 2012 with a Willie Horton style attack ads. Sorry Roman, have a nice time in > Switzerland. > > --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com , Omari Confer <clockworkman@> wrote: > > > > > > > > Sent on the go from my Peek > > ------------------------------------- > > Mr. Worf<hellomahogany@> wrote: > > > > Polanski's affair with the 13 yr old was turned into a huge media circus in > > California after a particular DA got hold to it. Frankly I think he got a > > free pass after what happened to his wife. (His wife was Sharon Tate who > > was > > killed by the Manson family. She was pregnant at the time.) > > > > On Tue, Apr 20, 2010 at 12:14 PM, Keith Johnson > > <KeithBJohnson@>wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > Lessee...two whole months in a Swiss prison? Well, hell, that's enough: > > > everyone knows the reputation of the fierce Swiss prison system. Almost > > > as > > > bad as Russia, South Africa, or America! Besides, dude spent over a month > > > in > > > detention here in the States. Talk about cruel and unusual punishment! I > > > can't imagine why everyone doesn't just let him go about his business... > > > > > > > > > > > > And to think, Michael Vick has served more time--and apparently endured > > > more scorn and moral outrage--for dogfighting... > > > > > > > > > > > > *************************************************** > > > > > > http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-04-19/polanski-begs-obama-for-mercy/?cmpid=p_yahoo > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > In an astonishing act of backroom international diplomacy, French > > > President > > > Nicolas Sarkozy hand-delivered a letter from fugitive Oscar-winning > > > filmmaker Roman Polanski to President Barack Obama last week on the > > > sidelines of the international anti-nuke proliferation summit in > > > Washington, > > > according to a small and little-noticed article< > > > http://www.lexpress.fr/actualite/indiscrets/la-lettre-de-polanski-a-obama_884410.html > > > >embedded in the prestigious French political magazine, L’Express. > > > > > > It is unclear what Polanski or President Sarkozy, for that matter, think > > > that Obama might be able or willing to do for a man who has acknowledged > > > giving a Quaalude and champagne to a 13-year-old girl he then sodomized. > > > > > > Talk about dropping a stink bomb. The Polanski letter, which is not > > > directly quoted in L’Express’ article, is said to suggest that the > > > two > > > months the aging director spent in a Swiss prisonâ€"in addition to the 47 > > > days > > > that he spent in detention in California in 1977â€"should suffice for the > > > crime of unlawful sexual intercourse he pled guilty to. (Polanski is now > > > under house arrest at his chalet in Gstaad, Switzerland while authorities > > > seek his extradition to the United States.) > > > > > > * * > > > > > > Polanski’s letter also suggests that extraditing the Polish-born > > > filmmaker > > > (who became a French citizen in the 1970s) would do little more than feed > > > the appetite of the American media that he believes just wants to > > > humiliate > > > him. > > > > > > It is unclear what Polanski or President Sarkozy, for that matter, think > > > Obama might be able or willing to do for a man who has acknowledged > > > giving a > > > Quaalude and champagne to a 13-year-old girl who he then sodomized. > > > > > > Politically, pre-conviction clemency for Polanski might spark outrage > > > along > > > the lines of the infamous Marc Rich pardon (and it could only be ordered > > > by > > > Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger), and personally it is difficult to > > > imagine > > > the American president helping a man who used drugs and alcohol to > > > manipulate a girl who was only a few years older than the Obamas' eldest > > > daughter into sex. > > > > > > L’Express’ article, by Renaud Revel, is barely more than 100 words in > > > length and it has garnered almost no attention in the French press, where > > > Sarkozy has little desire to be seen as a diplomatic mailman for an aging > > > pedophile, especially to his core conservative supporters who are > > > increasingly unsatisfied with his presidency, both in substance and in > > > style. The French media’s caution is understandable given Sarkozy’s > > > influence over much of France's traditional media; he plays a dominant > > > role > > > in choosing the heads of state-run media, while privately held > > > publications > > > tend to be owned by his friends and supporters. > > > > > > It is unclear how Polanski's letter actually reached President Sarkozy's > > > hands, but a number of possibilities stand out: Polanski’s wife, the > > > femme > > > fatale actress-turned-pop singer Emmanuelle Seigner, who is a generation > > > younger than he, is a contemporary of supermodel-turned-pop > > > singer-turned-first lady, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy. > > > > > > The Polanski-Sarkozy connection may also have been made by Minister of > > > Culture Frédéric Mitterrand, who was initially an extremely vocal > > > Polanski > > > defender. Mitterrand argued that he should be immediately set free after > > > Swiss police grabbed him on his way to receive a lifetime achievement > > > award. > > > Mitterrand largely went silent on the issue after elements from his own > > > past > > > came back to haunt him. (In 2005, he authored a book, *The Bad Life*, > > > that > > > details, among other things, the narrator’s louche quest for sexual > > > gratification with paid “boysâ€� in Thailand. Scenes from the > > > bookâ€"which is > > > slated for release in English this weekâ€"were read out of context as > > > part of > > > accusations that Mitterrand was an apologist for pedophilia, or worse. He > > > insisted that “boysâ€� referred to young adults, and he suggested that > > > portions of the book were fictionalized.) > > > > > > It is also worth noting that President Sarkozy has worked hard on behalf > > > of > > > a wide array of French hostages, convicts and prisoners around the world, > > > and that many French people question the logic of sending a 76-year-old > > > man > > > to prison for a crime dating back more than three decades when the > > > now-adult > > > victim has repeatedly said that everyone, including the prosecutors, > > > needs > > > to move on. Sarkozy himself told the right-wing Le Figaro newspaper late > > > last year, "I understand that people are shocked by the gravity of the > > > accusations against Roman Polanski. But…it is not a good administration > > > of > > > justice to do this 32 years after the facts, when the person concerned is > > > 76 > > > years old." > > > > > > The frantic Sarkozy, who often conjures up creative solutions when it > > > comes > > > to negotiations, has previously earned the thanks of Polanski’s family > > > for > > > his efforts, particularly after Polanski’s release from prison into > > > chalet-arrest on $4.5 million bail. Soon after, Polanski’s > > > sister-in-law, > > > the actress Mathilde Seigner told Le Parisien newspaper, "The president > > > has > > > been very effective." > > > > > > This time, however, perhaps not so much. > > > > > > *Eric Pape has reported on Europe and the Mediterranean region for > > > Newsweek since 2003. He is co-author of the graphic novel Shake Girl< > > > http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001KU9Q6I/thedaibea-20/ >, > > > which was inspired by one of his articles. He is based in Paris. Follow > > > him > > > at twitter.com/ericpape* > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! > > Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/ > > >
