Business a la Francaise

Jacques Chirac provides us with a little insight as to how business is done, at least in France. Recently Ron Howard and Brian Grazer, producers of the soon to be DaVinci Code, met with Chirac. Supposedly, a five minute meeting turned into a one-hour favor-asking-fest where Chirac agreed to take care of whatever bureaucracy was encountered at the Louvre, but in return for a couple of favors.

First he wanted his daughter's best friend to play the lead. Second, he wanted to increase another French actor's salary on the set. Ummm, ok. According to director, Ron Howard,

that was hilarious.

Fortunately, the producers were unable to fulfill the demands of the leader of this fine French nation. Can you imagine how ridiculed Bush would be by the media if he did this?