"I didn’t approve of it then and I still don’t approve of it,” were the words that came out of French President Jacque Chirac’s mouth just a day after he was sucking up to President Bush at the G8 summit in France. While Bush was man enough to pay a courtesy call on Chirac before the summit and try to move things along so that the animosity between the two leaders fostered during the Iraqi conflict could fall to the wayside, Chirac, the mealy mouthed creature that he is, just couldn’t leave well enough alone. Of course, this was after Bush left.

Repeating his opinion that the action taken in Iraq was "illegitimate and illegal”, Chirac extolled his arrogance during a press conference given a day after President Bush left for a summit in Jordan that would kick-start the Middle East peace process. What everyone shouldn’t be amazed at is the fact Chirac is displaying his uncanny ability to say one thing and do another, an art form that he has brought to new heights in his quest for the ultimate hypocrisy.

Chirac is a frustrated but committed socialist, the economic and cultural turmoil in his own country stands as testimony to that failed ideal. It is no secret his vision for France is to be the counter-balance to American influence in Europe and throughout the world. It is for this very reason that he spearheaded the campaign to sidetrack the American led initiative to confront Saddam Hussein, that, and to cover-up the fact that his administration had been illegally doing business with the brutal dictator’s regime despite UN sanctions forbidding it. His sentiment is devoutly anti-American while his resolve is weak. He allows himself to be viewed by the world as a leader who only stands on the soapbox of opinion while no one of influence is in his proximity.

Now, during the G8 conferences, he has shown how much of a master he is at displaying two faces on one head. While on the first day of the conferences he sat by President Bush in a show that would have led people to believe France and the United States continued to stand as allies and that the fuss that was recorded earlier in the year was simply a "family” argument, on the second it was quite the different story. As Bush left to address an issue that could affect the peace and well being of the entire world, Chirac once again took to his soapbox of hypocrisy and lashed out at the American leader, his vision and his actions, all after the target of his smugness was out of earshot.

The French people could do better than Chirac, not that they care for us any more than he does. Jacque Chirac has led them down a narcissistic avenue full of unrealistic dreams, false alliances and hollow, pliable promise. As President Bush works earnestly to further the peace process in the Middle East it becomes more than apparent why the need for Saddam Hussein’s demise was so required. It also becomes apparent why the War on Terror is so vitally important to the peace around the world. This is the kind of vision, a vision toward a future that holds peace for the world, which is wasted on Chirac. He is a leader who would rather involve himself, and his country, in a game of self-importance and ego. His ability to say one thing and commit his actions to the opposite serves as a disservice to his people and his country especially on the world stage. The French people would be better served if Chirac joined Yasser Arafat on the sidelines along with other former world leaders who have spent usefulness (hear that Bill and Jimmy?).

This is a moment in time when the French people must stand for what is best not only for their nation but for the world. They must take the initiative to convey to their leader that employing two-faced politics in the age of 24-hour news networks and the Internet is to commit political suicide. This time it isn’t just about how the world views Mr. Chirac, this time the world will judge the French people as well. The last time the world did this the quandary was about their affection for Jerry Lewis. I hope they do something about the current tragedy before it festers out of control.

Frank Salvato is a political media consultant and the managing editor for The New Media Journal.us. He is a contributing writer for The Washington Dispatch, GOPUSA, OpinionEditorials, Men’s News Daily, Canada Free Press & AmericanDaily. His pieces are regularly featured in Townhall.com. He has appeared as a guest on The O’Reilly Factor, The Kevin Matthews Radio Show (Chicago) and The Brad Messer Radio Show (San Antonio). His pieces have been recognized by the Japan Center for Conflict Prevention and are occasionally featured in The Washington Times and The London Morning Paper as well as other national and international publications.