Ever seen a French runner?

Apparently not:

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has fallen foul of intellectuals and critics who see his passion for jogging as un-French, right-wing and even a ploy to brainwash his citizens.

Attacks on Mr Sarkozy's pastime, which he has made a symbol of his presidency, began on the internet as soon as he bounded up the steps of the Elysee Palace in shorts when he took office in May. That has become the icon of his hyper-energetic administration. The grumbling has now moved to television and the press.

"Is jogging right-wing?" wondered Liberation, the left-wing newspaper.

Alain Finkelkraut, a celebrated philosopher, begged Mr Sarkozy on France 2, the main state television channel, to abandon his "undignified" pursuit. He should take up walking, like Socrates, the poet Arthur Rimbaud and other great men, Mr Finkelkraut said.

"Western civilisation, in its best sense, was born with the promenade. Walking is a sensitive, spiritual act. Jogging is management of the body. The jogger says I am in control. It has nothing to do with meditation."

Leave it to the fat-frog, cheese-eating-surrender-monkeys -who-would-be-speaking-German-if-it-wasn't-for-us crowd to make jogging something more than it really is. Then again, the French don't run... anywhere.

Gotta hand it to them on mayonaise, though...