demeter

The last word ;) (aka beating a dead horse) There is no relationship between bridge acumen, skill, and/or talent combined with luck in winning a big bridge event and any statement of for whom (or for not whom) individuals did or did not vote. Which statement is irrelevant to the competition (and the award) at hand. The vote preferences of the Venice Cup team members are their own private business. Nobody cares. These women might be surprised to learn that USA currency (well, not the dollar) isn't as low in the world as they might imagine. As for the CBS video and Jill Levin claiming to have received accolades from (some ) French players in Shanghai, M. Sarkozy has addled a lot of "French minds" recently with his pro USA positions. You all should read some of the contemporary essays of Jean Francois Revel to get a less "monolithic" view of France. As for impeachment of GWB or D. Cheney, even Nancy Pelosi and Hairy (aka Harry) Reid understand the Constitution well enough to know that that dog won't run.

I think it's up to the individual to decide whether or not their moment of glory is "demeaned." Actually, it's not.

The awards ceremony in Shanghai was a completely inappropriate venue for expression of personal or political views. Any personal or political view. It didn't matter what the sign said per se, it could have said "Free Mumia" or "Hillary Rocks" and it would have been equally stupid and offensive. I was reminded of Sally Field's recent unintelligible political ramble when she accepted an award at the Oscars. You don't take your 15 minutes of fame or moment of glory in the spotlight of your profession or your "sport" to make such gestures. You demean the grandeur of your moment in the sun.