World Notes Argentina

Love him or hate him, President Carlos Saul Menem is never dull. Since taking office in 1989, he has been embroiled in enough scandals to sink a boatload of American politicians.

Eyebrows went up when he accepted a $100,000 Ferrari Testarossa from Italian businessmen, then balked at suggestions that the gift was improper. Bowing to public pressure, Menem has auctioned off the red roadster and donated the proceeds to charity.

Then a close presidential adviser took a leave of absence after it was disclosed that he owned a company that distributed powdered milk in a state welfare program. Conflict of interest? Yes. But read on: the milk contained dangerous levels of bacteria and was reported to be radioactive.

Nevertheless, Menem's Teflon presidency appears unchipped. An opinion poll this month gave him a 45% approval rating, up 14 points from last April, largely based on his success at taming the country's hyperinflation.