good for you anna!

Larry, Richmond, USA

At the height of the Impeach Clinton farce, it was widely said that if every member of the House and Senate who had sex with someone not their wife were impeached, there would only be 3 people left in Congress. The whole thing was always a calculated attempt to reduce Clinton's ability to govern.

Michael, New York, USA

A fellow who is so stupid that he isn't able to keep the secrecy of his sexual relations isn't intelligent enough to run the IMF.

Rolf-Peter, Gammertingen, Germany

Must confess I don't know what simon, amsterdam, Netherlands means by "anglo saxon reader's moral outrage" I must have missed something.

Veronica, Manchester,

to Anna, Wellington : " He is married and is expected to be faithful to his wife - not to be running around with any tramp who crosses his path."

He would be expected, were he American. Mariage has absolutely not the same meaning in continental europe as in the USA. Competence only matters.

Tobias, Dusseldorf, Germany

Oh yeah, that's right Hal. That's why our culture isn't irreversibly saturated with sex. Nope. Nobody having sick sex here. It just doesn't happen. And we DEFINITELY don't flood the internet with it and bilge it out to the rest of the globe. Not us. That's why they all love us the way they do.

Monica, Youporn, California, USA

Oh please. The man had an affair. Blaming the "puritanical US institutions" is ridiculous. There is nothing puritanical about US institutions. US institutions regularly do business with tyrants and dictators. This affair was "leaked" because Strauss-Kahn is seen as a threat to someone.

lee, , USA

His sex life has nothing to do with his ability to perform his job.
Most of the citizens of the planet are having sex outside of the christain concept of marriage.

JIm Wills, Brisbane, Australia

Let's put morale aside please. Having worked for the UN in the past these are practices which happen very frequently and do not surprise me. Favouritism is part of the game across all echellons of international organisations or big corporations.

Haessig, Godalming,

Kate from Orlondo, FL, USA,

Bush is the Worst President ever in history of USA. He on behest of his cronies in Wall street wanted to PRIVITIZE our social security and give control to wall street.
Just imagine if our social security was in wall street at this moment.

Sam, New Jersey,

A leader who has sex is not frustated, and a leader who is not frustated is a good leader because he takes the goods decisions, he is not trying to compensate.
I dont care what american puritans who live in the middle age think. They just are afraid because USA is loosing economical influencie.

Sylvain, Montrouge, France

The importance of the alleged affair between Ms Nagy and Strauss-Kahn illustrates an abuse of position and power by Strauss-Kahn and a reckless irresponsibility. His behaviour could have put him in a position of exploitation. This would have affected the security of millions of people.

Karen, London, UK

According to the Europe standard, if you rape a woman, it's not about a crime, it's about sex. I mean, after all, why do you puritanical Americans get so uptight about sex? There is no immorality or crime if there is sex involved.

martin, westminster, USA

America has destabilised the global financial system, taunts Russia, refuses to sign onto any halting of greenhouse gases etc....and they stand on their high & mighty pedestal preaching of their moral piety and control! Bill Clinton did her..so what!? Kahn did her, so what?! Yanks, get over it.

lionel, NY,

His private life has no bearing on how good he might be at his position. Or are you trying to tell me that Kennedy was a bad president??

G Davidson, Kashiwa, Japan

"dismayed President Sarkozy as he seeks to put a French stamp on a new world financial order."

didn't he do just this?

Morgan, London,

It is hilarious to read these comments that declare moral and cultural relativism. Trust and values make a good leader, not seeing what you can get in selfishness because a woman wants to bed you.

rod , columbus, usa

I thought it was obligatory for French politicians to have extra-marital affaires and only the repressed Anglo-Saxons made a fuss about that sort of thing.

Jacques, Westcott, UK

Simon -
It has to do with ethics. Generally unethical people aren't trusted with powerful and influential matters, and rightly so. Corruption is directly liked to immorality.

Michael, Fortaleza, Brazil

Marc from Lima,
GWB has kept us safe since 9/11 and we had ecomonic growth after the attack. Research and you'll find that the Democrats blocked Republican sponsored bills to regulate Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. They pushed for subprime loans for their constituents. Clinton did nothing to get UBL.

Kate, Orlando, FL, USA

Alot of Americans seem to still get "Worked Up" about Bill Clinton but seem to turn a blind eye to what GWB has done to the USA over the past 8 Years

Marc, Lima , Peru

It's interesting to read the anglo-saxon reader's moral outrage at DSK's marital infidelities, and how they somehow prove he can't be trusted to run a financial institution (as if..).
2 grownups bed each other. Big deal. Happens all the time. Everywhere. Get a life folks!

simon, amsterdam, Netherlands

The issues facing the world's economies are too grave to be side-tracked. Unless it can be absolutely proven by an independent investigation that favorotism actually played a part in Mr. Strauss-Kahn's conduct in this affair, then the whole matter should be left behind.

Khaled Akkoub, Amman, Jordan

The IMF was reducing it´s staff by 10%.And a growing number of developing countries wants a leading position in international organisations.
It seems logical that several parties trying to discuss the IMF´s traditionally European heading and settle accounts.

Bjoern Werner, Germany, Nuremberg

George from La Rochelle, if you find DSK so sexy (I think you need glasses), why don't you go to bed with him yourself?

Nothing new there. In the 90's, DSK was rumoured to visit 'clubs echangistes' (places where couples swap partners, a bit like in 'Eyes wide shut') in Paris.

Helene, Bristol, Paris,

Yes Aline, that would be very witty indeed, n'est ce pas? One's attitude to one's marriage vows (and to putting pressure on the vows made by others) reflects, to some extent, one's attitude to promises and assurances in general. He has confirmed what we already knew viz. that he cannot be trusted.

Billy Barnett, HK,

Tucson Hal says: "Favoritism falls into play here, not moral standards." And "Americans think sex is wicked unless fundamentalist Chistians are having it."
Chuckle, snort. Is this what passes for logic among the atheistic Left? Favoritism IS a moral standard, and yes, adultery is wrong.

Therealjg, Corvallis, USA

I think this is what is called "the little-big principle" . In other words, "he who can't be trusted in little, can't be trusted with much". If DSK can't even remain honest in his marital relations, how on earth can he be trusted to run a world organization honestly and faithfully?

Andy Valenti, Boston, USA

If one can abandon promises made to loved ones (spouses), what is to prevent the abandonment of promises made to strangers (constituents)? Private behavior means something, and public trust rests partially on private trust.

Jack, Springfield, VA,

It happens Mr Sarkozy, didn't you know?.....
Whoops! course you do.

Kenneth Taylor, Hoywell, Wales

What on earth does his sex life matter provided he does the job he has been chosen for? I just hope DSK will have the wit to answer back: 'So what?'

Aline, Twickenham,

We should applaud Strauss-Khan, the ringing endorsement quoted from Luc Chatel, the government spokesman, says it all: “Dominique Strauss-Kahn has shown throughout this crisis that he was up to the task.”
Bravo!

Steve W, Yokohama, Japan

I thought that moral relativism IS the new world order? So what's everybody complaining about? Welcome to the wave of the future: our leaders do whatever they want, to whomever they want, with no accountability. And Barack Obama is the new role model for this world. Good luck with all of that.

Jeff Roe, Saugerties, NY, USA

Well I for one am very happy for our leaders to be charismatic, sexy alpha males and females blessed with the charm necessary to bed who they want - it should also be one of the perks of the job!

George, La Rochelle, France

He broke a rule of his employment. And then apparently lied about it. Isn't that reason enough for canning him? This 60's mantra of "it doesn't matter" and "it doesn't hurt anybody" has finally been recognized as leading to the moral cesspool that people like Bill Clinton liked to wallow in.

MJ, Orlando, USA

Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely!

Craig, Linton, US

I don't get it. When women's sex lives are revealed, affairs conducted, it propels them into several new career opportunities and higher status. Yet for a man to do so his career is ruined? That makes sense!

Howard, Manchester,

The International Money Fund . Well, if you got the money you can have the FUN oh, I mean FUND............Look this is really a bad idea. Let's give the money from the IMF back to the United States & England where it came from in the first place & let's get on with it. No socialized money.

john smith, Valencia, USA

I know Wolfowitz was run out on a rail--but there should be special rules for Frenchmen. I don't think they have access to high quality zippers like we do in the US, and they have less control over their emotions because of all the beautiful paintings in the Louvre.

Chris Mulcahj, Fort Myers, USA

Actually, it is when you lie about it Hal. U.S. citizens don't care about who you sleep with as long as it doesn't have anything to do with your job. When you lie about something like that to the public, can you really believe them about anything else? You betray your family, you'll betray anyone

renee, elk river, united states

The problem is that these bureaurocrats are largely unaccountable and believe that they can act as though they are spending their own money (although, if it was their own they wouldn't spend it like this). They use their influence to obtain perquisites that we have to pay for - he should be sued

Fred Russell, Dubai., UAE

His personal life shouldn't matter unless he brings it to work. Favoritism falls into play here, not moral standards.

Bob Hal, Tucson Beach,

He is married and is expected to be faithful to his wife - not to be running around with any tramp who crosses his path. Anyway, this shows a serious lack of judgement and a character flaw in this guy. He cannot be trusted and must resign.

anna, wellington , USA

its his personal life it shouldnt matter. he could even lie to the american people and wag his finger and say " i didnt have sex with the woman (fill in the blank) . worked for bill clinton. oh , wait, it didnt work that good.

bob, vero beach,

When you are in the US, it's best not to have any sex at all. Americans think sex is wicked unless fundamentalist Chistians are having it.

Hal, Tucson,