Sigh...
LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Tony Blair was roundly mocked as a U.S. poodle on Tuesday after an off-the-cuff chat with President George W. Bush was accidentally broadcast.Bush and Blair enjoyed a gossip over lunch at the Group of Eight summit in St. Petersburg on Monday, unaware that a microphone in front of them was switched on and their words would be relayed around the world.
Breaking with diplomatic formalities, Bush hailed Blair, his closest European ally, with the words "Yo, Blair." His solution to the Middle East crisis was that Syria should press Hizbollah to "stop doing this shit."
Really? Telling Hezbollah to "stop doing this shit" is Bush's solution to the conflict? Because to me it seemed like little more than an off-hand, if on-target, comment.
Nope, no media bias here.
The article continues.
The British media pored over the text of the conversation, saying it cast Blair in a subservient role and showed the unequal nature of Britain's much-vaunted "special relationship" with the United States."Yo, Bush! Start treating our prime minister with respect," the popular tabloid Daily Mirror said, joining others in seeing the U.S. president's greeting as disrespectful.
The broadcast chat "reinforces the damaging public image of Blair as the U.S. president's poodle," it said.
But most damaging to Blair was what commentators saw as his plea -- rebuffed by Bush -- to be allowed to visit the Middle East to try to stop fighting between Israel and Hizbollah guerrillas.
Blair suggested he could prepare the ground for U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, because "if she goes out, she's got to succeed ... whereas I can just go out and talk."
The left-leaning Guardian said Blair "all but offers to carry her (Rice's) bags."
A transcript of the conversation is here. I do not understand how Blair comes off as "Bush's poodle" in all this. To me the conversation just seems like a friendly and informal one taking place between two close friends and allies.
What amazes me is how often the left criticizes leaders like Bush and Blair for their unilateral meddlings in various world events, yet when it becomes clear that Bush and Blair (along, as indicated by the conversation, with Germany's Angela Merkel) are working very closely together those same critics come unglued.
It just doesn't make sense.
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Comments: 7
The only thing about it that seemed rude in any location is talking with his mouth full, and chewing. I knew it when I saw it that he was going to get ripped on it. (I bet Laura scolded him) Same old stuff.........
They also don't care much for the key architect of the illegal war, either. For starters, they actually published the story of the stolen election of 2000, believe it or not, so the British people have long known that Bush was a fraud.