Head of IMF, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, and presidential favorite in Paris’ upcoming elections jailed for attempted sexual assault on a black immigrant hotel worker. Damn! That’s a lot. Would he go to jail? No.

Fast forward to today and he sits in Riker’s Island waiting to appeal yet again to a judge for release from his larger than normal jail cell. The woman in the case, a 32 year old Guinean immigrant was swift in her accusation and has already testified in front of a grand jury and will continue answering questions today. Speculation has already begun to pull eyes away from the rape allegation and to her visa status, whether or not she is HIV+, and if she is doing this for financial gain. After all, she is a single mother working in the service industry. What are the odds she’s poor? But the underlying question is, what are the odds she is lying?

That being said, this is one of the more salacious coverings of a stateside assault allegation in quite some time. Of course, the sexiness of the story hinges on the alleged predator himself, former IMF head Strauss-Kahn and his insatiable appetite for women, his economic brilliance, and his plans to run against France’s current President Nicolas Sarkozy in the upcoming French election. Was he really setup as French citizens are speculating?

One must know the intense media coverage is not simply because he is a foreign diplomat with a habit of philandering but a statement on behalf of America that we stand up for our citizens. This is just as much about posturing ourselves as a nation, despite the sexual impropriety of our many leaders, as a place of equality. Despite our continuing national debate the real rights of immigrants, we stand up for this random 32 year old Guinean immigrant. She matters. Immigrants matter. Bullshit. This is about sticking it to this foreign guy and all of his power. In my opinion, this is more an attack on France, but one would never see the xenophobia because the victim is an “other” as well.