Mr Sarkozy's constant taunting of the president, unthinkable were Mr Chirac not so weak, seems only to cement his popularity among voters fed up after ten years of rule by la chiraquie.
The fact that he will publicly flaunt his disdain for paying taxes in a country that even his manager acknowledges has been very good to him (all but three of his professional fights in the last ten years have taken place in the United States where he enjoys enormous popularity) is just irritating.
Pernetti enjoys some popularity among Rutgers alumni and donors, especially after he helped the school move to the Big Ten Conference, which means millions in additional revenue from TV contracts and more national exposure, especially in football.