I think there may be a difference in culture here by the looks of the posts. I think most in this country if reading an article in the NYTimes that purports that President Bush is gay would 1) laugh outrageously (knowing the newspaper really stepped in it this time) and 2) wait for the bomb to drop knowing that the paper and the journalist would be sued for libel eventually.

Now if an article appeared where the journalist wrote that a or many previous acquaintances of President Bush were acusing him of some type of misconduct in the past, then it would be taken a little more seriously. That could actually occur if the journalist had sources and interviews to back it up. That is not to say that an investigation would not totally debunk the story and cast suspicion on the President regardless, but it could happen. I think most Americans would hold judgement until the investigation was over (well, most did during the Whitewater investigation I think although many had their own suspicions).

Now if that were to happen in Brazil, I don't know how the public would react exactly. By the posts here, I suspect the reactions would be as myriad as they typically are from Americans.

>>Now let's think (I am journalist).. If I go to the powerfull New york Times and write 'Mr. George W. Bush is gay..' I'll not only talk about a man, I will talk about 'the institution president of a country'
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>If so, the columnist can be charged with libel, but this is not because Bush is President, it is because libel is against the law. Whether the target of the claim is the President of the US or the guy who mows the lawn at the White House doesn't matter. They are treated exactly the same.
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>In the eyes of justice, all men are created equal. There are not two sides to that coin. Think about it.