Elite Cheese Fans Decry Last-Minute Bush Order

President George W. Bush has been out of office for a week, but he is still somehow enraging people -- specifically, French cheese-eating people. Via Counter Intelligence, comes the story from the Washington Post:

In its final days, the Bush administration imposed a 300 percent duty on Roquefort, in effect closing off the U.S. market. Americans, it declared, will no longer get to taste the creamy concoction that, in its authentic, most glorious form, comes with an odor of wet sheep and veins of blue mold that go perfectly with rye bread and coarse red wine.

The measure, announced Jan. 13 by U.S. Trade Representative Susan C. Schwab as she headed out the door, was designed as retaliation for a European Union ban on imports of U.S. beef containing hormones. Tit for tat, and all perfectly legal under World Trade Organization rules, U.S. officials explained.

Besides, they said, Roquefort is only one of dozens of European luxury products that were attacked with high tariffs. The list includes, among other things, French truffles, Irish oatmeal, Italian sparkling water and "fatty livers of ducks and geese," which apparently is how Washington trade bureaucrats say foie gras.

In other words: ya burnt, elite foodies! Bush's move has started the clock ticking on the end of America's supply of Roquefort cheese.

Now, for my money, I prefer to see this move by Bush, perhaps unfairly, as one "dick move" in a tradition of Presidential transition "dick moves." If you recall, back in 2001, with a month to go in office, Bill Clinton finally decided to affix one of Washington, DC's "No Taxation Without Representation" licence plates to the presidential limousine. Since the plates had been available since 2000, I sort of saw Clinton's decision, perhaps unfairly, as a "dick move," in that it practically forced George W. Bush into making a political statement, whether he kept the plates or not. (Bush ultimately decided to have them removed.) Similarly, President Obama could decide to reverse the duty on Roquefort importation, but if he did, we'd get a full day of posts from National Review's "The Corner," with arugula recipes.

So, anyway, American Presidents: hilariously petty, masters in the dark arts of Dick Moves.

Comments

[Grubstreet]

We Brits find it difficult to admit that the French are in the right about anything, but I have to commend them on protecting the quality of their meat supply. They were right to shun British beef over BSE (aka 'mad cow disease') and they're still on the right track over hormones.

And on the subject of BSE, I get the impression that America is utterly determined not to find this disease in its beef, with the emphasis on the word FIND. The agribusiness lobby is as keen on finding evidence of BSE in US cattle as the Soviet Union was on finding evidence of drugs cheats among its athletes.

Yves_Papa: your daughter is fortunate to have at least one cultured parent, but excuse me in questioning Stilton as a Roquefort substitute. Now don't get me wrong. Stilton comes from just a few miles from where I was born, and I'm proud that my county is associated with this fine cheese. Please do eat and enjoy! It's just that Roquefort is another kettle of mould entirely.

Is this punitive US tariff directed at Roquefort specifically? If so, I suggest you keep an eye out for some Saint Agur. Even before punitive taxes are factored in, it's less expensive than its more famous cousin and, though noticeably less salty, shares many of its characteristics. Bon appetit!

[ConfuciusSay-]

So the US gets to keep its hormone laden beef, and the French get to keep their moldy Roquefort.
Hmmm.
Who's better off?

[kellygrrrl]

maybe they should rename it Freedom Cheese and put it right next to the American Cheese

see, Problem Solved, W style

[Yves Papa]

Sacrebleu! If faut bannir le boeuf aux hormones, pas le fromage qui pue!

Anyway, my daughter "graduated" to Stilton. (But she is still too young for the port well)

[whatevahs]

You know what? Phukk the frogs! They wouldn't even exist if it weren't for the U.S. during WWII!

[RecessMonkeys]

The American Revolution would have failed if the French hadn't sided with the colonies.

[ConfuciusSay-]

As your hero might say,
"So?"

[kellygrrrl]

Viva le Cheesy Revolucion!

[kellygrrrl]

oh oh! I know some people who are not going to be happy

[cynara]

Yea, me for one.... I love Roquefort cheese. :(

[ynp7]

Bush stopped people from eating something that smells like wet sheep and is filled with blue mold? Possibly the first thing he's ever done right.

[naviline]

You know, I'm not a big fan of Roquefort, but the reasoning behind the ban is just criminal. Hormone-injected cattle is a crime against the planet and food supply for so many reasons, it's just sickening. Hopefully France will stick to its values.

[Barometer]

Bush probably thought the greenish-blue streaks were broccoli.

Not to worry if you love bleu: Cambazola from Deutschland is more fun, anyway.

[gevan]

Noooo, not the Irish oatmeal! We'll have to eat ENGLISH muffins.

[Lerrin]

Relax- no need to go back to the pastries of the motherland.

Just seek out 'steel cut oats'- essentially the same thing, just domestic.

So mainstream nowadays that even Quaker offers them.
http://quakeroats.elsstore.com/view/product/?id=25069&cid=203

[LisaMarieC]

No, really! I eat McCanns oatmeal just about daily for breakfast. It's expensive enough as it is. I'm totally bummed. It's always the little guy that gets it.

[ImpalaSuperSport]

Roquefort is pretty nasty tasting anyway.

[quindy]

Wrong. It is DELICIOUS.