This is almost devolving into a tragi-comedy.
A few months back, the UK held a series of elections for various posts, including that of representation to the European Union. Tony Blair is the titular head of the Labour Party. Labour had its ass handed to it in the elections -- it was a defeat of the magnitude that Tony Blair had to go before parliament and apologize to his party.
And now, the Bush administration is wondering why Tony Blair doesn't want to be seen within three thousand miles of George W. Bush. Gee...difficult to figure out, Karl?
Note to BushCo: BUY A CLUE.
Outside the immediate borders of the United States, George W. Bush is a pariah of the first order. There is not a foreign politician going who wants to be caught reaping praise from the Chimpster. Anyway, here's the story. Bush wants to present his lead poodle with the Congressional Medal of Honor for Britannia support of his failed endeavor in Iraq. Prime Minister Poodle is understandably reluctant to accept:
"There has been a lot of telephone traffic between the White House and Downing Street over the medal in recent week," the Sunday Mirror quoted a senior government source as saying.I'll tell ya, the Brits have a way with dry humor. Tony Blair is single digits away from less than 20% support in Great Britain. If he so much as calls Bush on the phone, and it gets reported in the Daily Mirror, Blair will be run out of 10 Downing Street at the end of a pitchfork.
"George Bush wants the prime minister to come to Washington and pick up the medal, which is the highest honour America can bestow on a foreigner.
"But he has refused for more than a year now and for good reason. He cannot possibly accept an award for the Iraq war when British and American troops continue to risk their lives there."
Blair is concerned also that a trip to the United States now would effectively be giving a boost to Bush ahead of November's presidential elections.
And that's the rest of the story.
(Funny, again I had to go to the foreign press to find this story...)
