Dress rehearsal for Mandela Day, First Lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy (pics)

tocqueville

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Sat Jul-18-09 05:33 PM
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Dress rehearsal for Mandela Day, First Lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy (pics)

NEW YORK - JULY 18: Carla Bruni-Sarkozy and Dave Stewart perform during the dress rehearsal for Mandela Day:
Celebration Concert at Radio City Music Hall on July 18, 2009 in New York City.

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MADem

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Sat Jul-18-09 06:25 PM
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1. Is that the gee-tar Michelle Obama gave her as a gift? nt

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tocqueville

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Sat Jul-18-09 06:59 PM
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2. I dunno

Presidential gifts have to be turned to state collections or museums when they exceed a certain (quite low) amount of money. I don't know if it applies to 1st ladies too...

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MADem

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Sat Jul-18-09 07:11 PM
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3. I think she went out and bought it with her own money.

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20270172,00.html

Call Michelle Obama the ultimate guitar hero.

The American First Lady presented French First Lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy with a practical � and very rock 'n' roll � gift: an acoustic Gibson guitar.

Offered "as a sign of friendship," according to Michelle Obama's spokeswoman, the Gibson "Legend" model may come in handy for Bruni-Sarkozy, a former model-turned-singer who is currently recording her fourth album.

The gift, which Michelle Obama brought to France, was presented to Bruni-Sarkozy following a visit Saturday to Strasbourg's 12th-century cathedral.

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tocqueville

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Sat Jul-18-09 07:34 PM
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4. it doesn't matter

Edited on Sat Jul-18-09 07:37 PM by tocqueville

if an Arabic Sheik gives a full-blood of his own private hara to Carla, the horse is going to end up in the mounted Republican Guard and not on Carla's pastures of some summer house. But it depends of the value of the gift. The slightest suspicion of bribery cannot be permitted. Of course it is not the case with the guitar. But a line must be drawn somewhere and the provenance of the gift (private or state money) isn't the issue.

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MADem

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Sat Jul-18-09 07:43 PM
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5. Are you saying if an unelected person gives Carla Bruni a gift in friendship, the state takes it?

I don't know about the fairness of that!

What if her rich uncle gave her that horse?

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tocqueville

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Sat Jul-18-09 08:18 PM
Response to Reply #5

7. the rules are even worse in Scandinavia

Edited on Sat Jul-18-09 08:26 PM by tocqueville

the problem is to know if the gift is a disguised bribe

if the rich uncle is a horse breeder for leisure and doesn't do anything else, it's a family story. But if he owns a company that sells planes to the Army, he'd better give her a model kit.

on edit

the system of sponsoring (raising money) for for example eligible people in the US is completely illegal in France. The state finances your campaign. Private donations are limited to some 100�. And it's completely illegal for a company or an association to finance a candidate, even a mayor. Same principle.

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Hutzpa

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Sat Jul-18-09 07:43 PM
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6. Now I know why she gets on with the First Lady

very nice, :wow: no wonder they hit it off.....

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tocqueville

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Sat Jul-18-09 09:07 PM
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8. pics from concert

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