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Candidate John Kerry, on the road to the Democratic nomination for president of the United States, openly proclaims his love for France, much to the distaste of many U.S. Republicans. (France Today, 2/09/04)

An avid reader of Gide and the French philosophers, the candidate for Democratic nominee makes no secret of his affection for the culture and cuisine of the Hexagon. His speech is often peppered with French phrases and expressions, to the delight of his wife Teresa, widow of ketchup mogul John Heinz and herself a passionate polyglot who learned French.

Not surprisingly, the French appreciate the elegant style of Senator Kerry, who would seem the ideal "son-in-law" for a healthier era in Franco-American relations! But while transatlantic tensions persist, these influences are ammunition for adversaries who seek to delegitimize his program and even compare him to French President Jacques Chirac. France and its cultural values, a point of pride for Kerry and those close to him, become a shameful vice in the eyes of his detractors.

To learn more about the candidate's French roots -- his childhood, family and region in Brittany -- as well as the latest attacks by his anti-French adversaries, stay tuned to for fresh installments of the story of John Kerry and his Francophile world.