The French Were on the Take

Thursday, the French Senate — the one in France, which is that uppity country in Europe — was interrupted by a man who came to debate with no clothes on.

"Naked Man in French Senate," that was the slug. Tends to catch your eye.

"Man, I thought, that's perfect." The naked man was trying to protest the vote on the E.U. Constitution, which we don't really care about. But I'd like to declare this naked man a protest of something else.

Here's what it is and I quote from a note FOX News' Eric Shawn sent to all of us Thursday on one of these fascinating new developments:

"The House Energy and Commerce Committee will reveal that the Iraqi intelligence service tried to target French politicians, including the possibility of supporting a French presidential candidate so they would support Saddam (search) and end sanctions.

Memos show the Iraqis were promised by the spokesman for Chirac's campaign that France would veto any American decision regarding an attack on Iraq."

In English, the French were on the take, they were being bribed by Saddam and they were willing to sell their U.N. Security Council veto to Saddam.

That is why the French were threatening a veto before the Iraq war. Proof, documentation, memos — it wasn't possible to convince the French the war was right because the French were on the take.

Well, gee, that puts a different light on it, doesn't it?

Remember how a few of us were saying the U.N. debate on Iraq smelled distinctly like the fix was in?

Remember during the early Oil-for-Food (search) days when a few of us were saying never mind Saddam stealing oil billions? It's the bribery, stupid, especially when it's bribing France to veto war against Iraq?

Well, there it is: France was bribed. It was going to veto not because France hates war but because Saddam bought off a whole country.

And you know what? It doesn't bother anybody over at the U.N. because that's how things are done.

Where is John Bolton (search)? Is he on the job at the U.N. yet?

That's My Word.

Watch John Gibson weekdays at 5 p.m. ET on "The Big Story" and send your comments to: myword@foxnews.com