Outside the New York courthouse where the rich and powerful French politician was being arraigned on charges he attempted to rape a hotel maid, uniformed hotel workers lined up and chanted, “Shame on you.”

Meanwhile in France women activists declared they’ve had it with the cultural sexist norm and the sexual harassment that is a pattern for some French men. No more winks for men who think any woman is up for grabs.

Meanwhile, California’s former first lady pursued a possible $100 million divorce from former Governor Groper who snuck around with their housekeeper and fathered a son.

Meanwhile the daughter of a man who wanted to become president stood rigidly next to her father as he insisted he didn’t use campaign money to cover up his affair and the child he fathered while his wife was dying of cancer.

Meanwhile Nancy Pelosi said to Anthony Weiner – “stupid, stupid, stupid.” Actually, I’m only guessing what Pelosi said to Weiner in addition to the reported part about her being “deeply disappointed and saddened” and then calling for an ethics investigation into his conduct.

You read about one more guy accused of some slimy sexual stunt or worse and you want to slap them on the head and say, “What were you thinking?” Some reporter did yell out that question to the remorseful Weiner at the press inquisition this week. And the congressman answered he didn’t know what he was thinking. But he was ashamed and he was sorry and he loved his wife.. and all that.

I know what I was thinking. What a jerk.

The same thing I thought with Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Arnold Schwarzenegger, John Edwards and the mighty who fell before them. You would throw away your career, your reputation, your family, your leadership talents and the positive things you might have done for your country because you suddenly had this irresistible urging?

Are you so turned on by yourself that you think every woman is, too? Empowered by the public revulsion over the Strauss-Kahn incident, French women have called for an end to French machismo. To which I say “bonne chance.” We’ve been hoping for an end to American macho madness for as long as the idea of “God’s gift to women” has been around.

Years ago, during the Bill Clinton sex mess, I interviewed people who consider themselves sexaholics. One member of a 12-step sex addict group explained that sex-a-holics feel they’re special.

“We are the ones who walk into the room and everyone looks,” said the sex addict. “We have chemistry. And we think we can have anyone who takes our fancy.”

Another said he was so obsessed by sex he thought about it all the time. He took sexual risks on a regular basis and would do or say whatever was needed to not to get caught.

Is this something in the DNA or, in the case of politicos, a possible affliction that sets in with public office? Perhaps they come to believe in their own chemistry. And then become arrogant, greedy and reckless. And then lie and try to squirm out of it when busted.

What a big waste. I was talking to a friend about Anthony Weiner, who I’ve been calling Tweedle-Dumb. I told her he was a real scrapper for liberal causes, pushing for health care reform and becoming the champion of New York firefighters, the first responders on 911, so they could get their medical benefits.

“Hmm,” she said. “I never heard of him before this. But I don’t like him.”