Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Tony Blair follows his Master's Voice
Two More British Soldiers died in Iraq
It is ironic that Britain's Tony Blair is described by some as Bush's poodle. An eloquent speaker and intellectually far above the American president, Blair decided to throw in his lot with George W. Bush. And, like President Bush, Tony Blair is paying a price for his role in the misadventure. Interesting to think about how history will judge them. A report in the Post stated that Tony Blair substantially revised a speech he gave on May 26th to appease his friend (master?) G.W. Bush. "LONDON, May 29 -- Prime Minister Tony Blair caved in to White House pressure by sharpening language on Iran and softening it on global warming in a speech he delivered Friday at Georgetown University, according to a British press report Sunday that Blair's office immediately denied."
- According to the Sunday Telegraph, Blair made "significant" last-minute changes to his major foreign policy address and "objections by President George W. Bush's inner circle played a key role in the alterations." An official at Blair's 10 Downing Street office, speaking on condition of anonymity as is standard practice here, said it was "categorically untrue that any White House objective played any part" in the speech.
- Blair is frequently criticized in Britain for his close relationship with Bush, who is extremely unpopular among Britons. The prime minister is particularly faulted for his alliance with Bush in the Iraq war. Critics have complained that Blair seems too eager to please Bush in what many here view as a lopsided relationship that has benefited Bush far more than Britain.
