U.S. defence contractor Northrop Grumman and its European partner EADS withdrew on Monday from a renewed competition to supply tankers to the U.S. Air Force, saying the rules favoured rival bidder Boeing, the top U.S. exporter.

Boeing is now the sole known bidder for the contract.

Asked what he thought of the issue during a joint press conference with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Sarkozy delivered a scathing attack on how the United States had handled the tender.

"I did not appreciate this decision ... This is not the right way to behave," Sarkozy said.

"Such methods by the United States are not good for its European allies, and such methods are not good for the United States, a great, leading nation with which we are on close and friendly terms," he said.

"If they want to be heard in the fight against protectionism, they should not set the example of protectionism."

I wonder what this says about the European understanding of American politics?

An alleged 200,000 Germans heard Obama's Brandenberg Gate speech, designed to evoke symbolism of a renewed and repaired relationship between Europe and the U.S. Every U.S. election, Europeans cross their fingers and hope a Democrat wins the Presidency, and it always, always bites them in the ass.

Democrats have been beating the protections drums as soon as Al Gore's defeat made it safe to do so. How could any of this come as a surprise?

Idiots.