The arrest of Mr. Strauss-Kahn, 62 years old, comes at a pivotal time for the fund. John Lipsky, Mr. Strauss-Kahn''s deputy, said last week that he is resigning in August. Mr Lipsky, the Deputy Managing Director, helped Mr Strauss-Kahn usher the fund through the global financial crisis. He has agreed to stay on as a consultant through November.

Mr. Strauss-Kahn has shepherded the IMF through a period of expanding supervisory heft and power following the global economic crisis. In the past year, the fund has played a central role in the bailouts of ailing euro-zone nations Greece, Ireland and Portugal.

For some time, Mr Strauss-Kahn has been seen as harboring ambitions to the French presidency and was considered a leading contender in France's Socialist Party. He was dispatched to the helm of the IMF in Washington, some French political insiders day, because he was seen as a rival to President Nicholas Sarkozy. Mr. Strauss-Kahn hasn't declared his intentions regarding the presidential race, but if planning a run, he must register his candidacy in France before mid-July.

This one sounds like something from Law and Order. The head of the International Monetary Fund allegedly assaulted and sodomized a cleaning woman, then released her and went to the airport and boarded his plane back to Paris. She reported it to coworkers and then to the police, who boarded the flight, arrested his ass, and hauled him out of the First Class cabin in handcuffs. Whole thing happened this afternoon.

Somehow running the IMF and running for political office as a socialist seem contradictory to me

Somehow running the IMF and running for political office as a socialist seem contradictory to me

The Socialist Party in France is not particularly socialist. It's something like the Democratic Party here in its political positions.

The Socialist Party in France is not particularly socialist. It's something like the Democratic Party here in its political positions.

Some info for my American friends:

The French Presidential Election is one year away.

There are three bigger parties and a lot of smaller parties who will send their candidates into the race:

The UMP - "Union for the Presidential Majority" (conservatives)
The Socialists
The FN (Front National / RightWind or even fascist)

Candidat for the UMP will be President Sarkozy. He suffers a great impopularity - less than 20 percent of the French have declared to intend to vote for him.

The Socialists will hold primaries this Summer / Fall. Only card-holding members of the party can vote. Most popular of the three main candidates (until now) was Strauss-Kahn.
Second comes Francois Hollande, the former longtime partner of Segolene Royal (Father of her children and something like a Common Law Spouse http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%A9gol%C3%A8ne_Royal ) He was First Secretary of the Socialist Party for a long time.
Third comes Martine Aubry, mayor of Lille and First Secretary now.

Candidat for the FN is Martine LePen, daughter of the eternal boss and candidate http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Marie_Le_Pen.

The Predential Elections are direct elections. Because of the many candidates the votes are very split. This can have dire consequences:

in the elections 9 years ago the left was so split that their main candidate came third after Chirac and LePen. None had fifty percent, so there was a "second tour" one week later, where only the two first took part. The left "held their noses" and voted Chirac. This time Sarko may end third. I doubt that the conservative voters will vote a left leaning socialist (they would have voted Strauss-Kahn), so Marine LePen may end as French President because of Strauss-Kahns testosterone.

His wife was on the plane with him when he was arrested. Where was she when the alleged assault occurred?

I couldn't find reference to that fact anywhere. Where did you see it? She did issue a statement hours after the news that she believes the charges are false.

He apparently had an arrangement with Air France allowing him to board whenever he wanted, and fly first-class.

The victim has been identified as an African immigrant.

He has been accused of attempted rape in the past, and has also had a history of behavioral problems with women in general, including an affair he had with an IMF employee.

This will be a long, drawn-out, sensational court case.

I didn't find a mention of the wife on the plane anywhere either. I did read (either at the NYT or MSNBC.com) that he is claiming he was at lunch with his daughter at the time of the alleged assault. I guess he didn't notice his missing cell phone at lunch. Also, MSNBC.com does say he was staying in a $3,000/night suite at the Hotel Sofitel.

If he really claims he was at lunch, I guess the victim got lucky when she ID'd him in the line-up. And she somehow found a way to get his DNA under her fingernails. And knew what suite he stayed in despite being part of the cleaning staff. And knew of his past record of attempted rapes and sexual harassment. Must have been an elaborate set-up, basically.

DSK charged
. . .

You are applying for the Presidency of the French Republic and the polls gave you favorite. But for some time now, your attitude toward money bothered the world; Ryad Morocco, luxury cars, apartments in Paris's most elegant neighborhoods, and this attitude of "bling bling" tarnished image.

He was known to many that you had unbridled sexual attitudes in France, Belgium. Things are known, participants in these parts boasted fine, but France is tolerant, too tolerant. Many friends had told you, it seems, you need to calm down and some thought you understood. An alert in the U.S. you had virtually disqualified even if your wife has forgiven you, to mourn the cottages.

Now that you are arrested in the United States for sexual abuse, shame. You knew that France was tolerant and wrongly left out privacy policy. Mitterrand and his two wives, two lives reflected. Although the state has paid a lot for the illegitimate family for 14 years, thousands of euros have been spent to house and support them.

But enough is enough, you have humiliated France! You have ridiculed.

The dude is 62 years old. He was in a $3,000 a night suite.

The head of the International Monetary Fund is supposed to be able to exercise some financial judgment.

Suggestion: Stay in a $500 a night suite, and find yourself a $2,500 ho, yesno ouinon?