French election update: Segolene pulls a Cheney

Nicolas Sarkozy is in the lead over Segolene Royal 54.5% to 44.5%. Segolene is warning (or threatening) that violence will occur if she loses.

"Choosing Nicolas Sarkozy would be a dangerous choice," Royal told the radio station RTL.

"It is my responsibility today to warn people of the risk of his candidacy concerning the violence and brutality that would be unleashed in the country," she said, suggesting that unrest was especially likely in the volatile suburbs that were the site of rioting in 2005.

Classy. It's sort of a French version of Dick Cheney's charge that giving the Democrats control of Congress would lead to another terrorist attack in the US. Sarkozy's response:

"She's not in a good mood this morning," he told Europe 1 ratio. "It must be the opinion polls."