Washington Times

Culture Briefs

Excerpts and quotes from the cultural war of words in publications around the nation.

Tennis, anyone?

"Ex-prez Bill Clinton continues to escape abroad and create scenes wherever he goes. On Wednesday, he was in Paris, attending the French Open. Acting as if he were still president, Clinton was more than a half-hour late for the quarterfinal match between American Andre Agassi and Frenchman Sebastien Grosjean.

"Agassi had easily won the first set 6-1 and appeared on his way to an easy victory. But then Clinton arrived. Instead of quietly taking his seat, he entered waving to the crowd and encouraging the cheers from onlookers as Agassi prepared to play the second set.

"'Clinton insisted on sitting on Agassi´s side in the first row,´ says an American reporter in Paris covering the match. 'It was distracting to Agassi. The crowd was getting rowdy with Clinton there waving and smiling and shaking hands during the match.´

After being swept in the final three sets by the unknown Frenchman, Agassi refused to blame his defeat on Clinton´s distracting behavior. But reporters couldn´t help but notice that the American tennis star openly seethed when Clinton entered the players-only area and told reporters he was sad to see Agassi lose, but that Grosjean just appeared to be the better player.

"'I thought when Agassi heard that, he was going to take a racket to Clinton,´ says the reporter. 'It was the most thoughtless comment Clinton could have uttered.´"

--The Washington Prowler, writing on "Match Light," in the American Spectator Online (www.spectator.org), posted June 7

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2001

Answers

'It was the most thoughtless comment Clinton could have uttered.´"

Oh no, there are definitely more thoughtless comments he could have made.

"Guess he's getting too old for this."

"Agassi needs some of my Viagra."

etc etc

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2001

Clinton has been driving people crazy with his lateness for years, one reason (of a great many) why he's a total asshole IMHO.

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2001