OUR FRIENDS THE FRENCH

From the London Telegraph:

The French government said yesterday that it would seek a "new alliance" with whomever won the US presidential election next week. A diplomatic chill has characterized exchanges between Paris and Washington over the past two years as a result of French opposition to the war in Iraq. But the French foreign minister, Michel Barnier, said that the two countries needed to forge a new alliance. This alliance "must be based on mutual respect, which is not allegiance", he said.

Mr Barnier declined to express a preference between President George W Bush and his Democrat rival, Senator John Kerry. His brief remarks on French television indicated both the importance Paris attached to building a better understanding with America, and the likely limitations of any immediate improvement.

I'm reminded of a line from the excellent Civil War movie "Glory", when the character played by Morgan Freeman is awarded the rank of Sergeant-Major he tells his CO, Colonel Shaw (played by Mathew Broderick), "I'm not sure I'm wantin' this Colonel"