Blair: 'I will remain shoulder to shoulder with George Bush'

[muriel_volestrangler]

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.jsp?story=521085

In his first interview since the crisis over the mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners caused speculation that he might stand down, the beleaguered Prime Minister told The Independent he was "frustrated" that Iraq was overshadowing what he called the Government's significant achievements on the economy, jobs and public services. He slapped down calls for him to "put some light" between Britain and the US, insisting that it would be exactly the wrong time to do so.
...
Mr Blair also rejected pressure from Labour MPs for him to show tangible gains from his close relationship with President Bush. He said that he would not "get into the business of seeing the relationship with America as a list of gains you have made. That is not the way I look at it."

He insisted the US was still committed to the "road map" for the Middle East peace process and raised the prospect of an American-backed aid plan for Africa being approved when Britain holds the chairmanship of the G8 nations next year.

Compare with yesterday's story:
Diplomats start to panic over Britain's support for Bush
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.jsp?story=520734
In an echo of the letter last month by 52 former diplomats protesting at support for US policy in the Middle East, some senior diplomats have privately urged the Foreign Office to distance the British Government from the Bush administration over the abuse of prisoners by US soldiers in Iraq.

A senior Foreign Office official said: "There are telegrams coming in. The diplomats are panicking a bit. Downing Street is determined to hold the line. We can't afford to panic now. To capitulate now would be disaster."

Tony Blair also faced demands by his most senior Labour backbenchers at a private meeting yesterday for the Prime Minister to distance himself from President Bush.

Labour backbenchers said Mr Blair should use the hard evidence of US abuse of prisoners documented in the report of the Red Cross in Iraq to force a shift of policy by President Bush.

Does this puppy love know no bounds?

[roguevalley]

1. No. I think he's emulating Kipling's Thousandth man:

One man in a thousand, Solomon says,
Will stand more close than a brother.
But the thousandth man will stand by
your side to the gallows foot and
after.

He's too stupid to change.

[Rocket Science]

27. More Like Kipling's "White Man's Burden"

Take up the White Man's burden--
Send forth the best ye breed--
Go bind your sons to exile
To serve your captives' need;
To wait in heavy harness,
On fluttered folk and wild--
Your new-caught, sullen peoples,
Half-devil and half-child.

...

Take up the White Man's burden--
No tawdry rule of kings,
But toil of serf and sweeper--
The tale of common things.
The ports ye shall not enter,
The roads ye shall not tread,
Go mark them with your living,
And mark them with your dead.

...

"The White Man's Burden" in 1899, an appeal to the United States to assume the task of taking control of the Philippines, recently won in the Spanish-American War.

[movonne]

2. Me thinks they have something big on Blair..why else go down

with the ship.

[Sandpiper]

5. Nah, Tony's just making sure

That his seat at Carlyle is safe once he gets the boot as prime minister

[saigon68]

35. THE POODLE IS ON A LEASH TO HIS MASTER

Too Bad we don't have Lynnde in a picture with a leash on POODLE BLAIR LOL

[northernsoul]

3. shoulder to shoulder isn't the anatomical connection I'm seeing

I think kneepads are required for their relationship

[Mikimouse]

4. You beat me to it by a minute...

but it's the thought that counts.

[northernsoul]

8. heh! I knew that one was going to be a race!

:evilgrin:

no offense to those of you who enjoy voluntarily doing things that involve kneepads!

[snippy]

17. Could be post copulation cuddling.

[liarliartieonfire]

33. Oh My GOD!! They're DOIN' IT !!!

HHHHHHHAaaaaaaaaahhhhhaaaaaaaa..
What a precious photo!! Won't the Fundies be proud of their boy!

Ha..Wrap your big old arms around THAT.

No way was george alone all those months he spent at the ranch.

[MrSlayer]

6. I used to think Blair was a smart guy.

But apparently he's a puppet and a fool. I do enjoy watching Prime Minister's questions on C-Span though. I'd love to have that type of thing here. Can you imagine Chimpy trying to field questions like that? It would be hilarious.

[Generator]

23. What most people don't know is Blair is a born-again

It's all about religious do-gooders. That's why he stands with Bush. Because they both BELIEVE in saving the world.

It proves that yes, religion is the glare that fogs the minds of men. It doesn't matter if you're smart or dumb, it's the same ball o'wax.

[dolo amber]

24. It would be hilarious

Excruciating, but hilarious. x( :D

[Spinzonner]

7. Will they be handcuffed together

at the Hague ?

[AP]

9. When Blair talks about the things he wants to do next year...

...he's clearly imagining doing them shoulder-to-shoulder with John Kerry.

[devilgrrl]

10. I don't know about you but I'm picturing thousands of Britains...

vomiting all over the White Cliffs of Dover. :puke:

[Bullshot]

11. Tony Blair wouldn't know enough to wipe his ass

unless Bush was there to tell him.

He's obviously trying to suck his way to a position with the Carlyle Group when he's through as PM of Great Britain, just like John Major.

[AP]

13. Yeah. Obviously.

[AP]

12. By the way, I find it odd that the shoulder-to-shoulder quote is nowhere

in the text of the article. I think it's probably unusual for a news story to put a quote in the headlines but not give you the context for it.

I wonder why they do that.

[chelsea0011]

14. What the fu*k is it about Bush?

You could be on a lifeboat with this clown, see land, and still decide to dehydrate to death or drown? Is Blair out-of-his-mind? Why can't he cut the Crooked One loose?

[AP]

15. If you read the article...

...especially that part about what he's doing next year, I think there's an implication that he's imagining a world in which Bush has been cut loose.

[Bullshot]

16. See response #12.

It's all about greed and power. I got mine. You get yours, chump!

[northofdenali]

18. Shoulder to shoulder is the easiest way

to dig a grave.

Bye, Poodle-boy, stand shoulder to shoulder straight to impeachment!

[Devils Advocate NZ]

19. When will people realise that Blair WANTS to DESTROY the Labour Party?

He is NOT stupid, nor is he a lap dog - he is a right wing plant whose job it is to enact right wing policies under a left wing cover. Once that cover is blown, he is to take down the Labour party to ensure it can not recover for years.

This is a standard WTO/World Bank plan.

[AP]

22. Do you know how Blair started his career?

He was one of the few Labour politicians elected to Parliament in '83. He realized the Party was 6 months from disappearing from British politics forever.

He got the plank out of the labor platform which stated they wanted the governmen to own the means of production (which was one of the reasons that even actual labourers wouldn't vote for labour in '83) and then pretty much on his own reversed Labour's big weakness: softness on crime by spending 15 years repeating the mantra that Labour was hard on crime, but harder on the CAUSES of crime (ie, bad jobs, poverty, poor social services and misery).

You may have problems with those messages, but without them, labour would have disappeared and Labour would have be in power in perpitude.

If Blair wanted to destroy Labour he would have switched to the Tory party in '83 and let Labour continue to dig their grave, lie down in it, and shovel the dirt over their heads, which is what they were doing up until Blair came along.

[Devils Advocate NZ]

38. No, you miss the point - destroying Labour is the fallback position

The goal was not to destroy Labour but to use it, and use it he has. NOW that he has been exposed as the right wing shill he is, he is carrying out the final act - destroy Labour.

You don't have to believe me AP, just wait and watch - you'll see.

[happynewyear]

20. Blair is a goner no doubt

Blair has become a liability to the Labour Party. He can be tossed out for this easy enough by English law.

You are a fool Tony Blair. You should have backed out a long time ago while you had the chance. Too late now is it? Run and hide Tony IF you can!

[Jack Rabbit]

21. Shoulder to shoulder . . . on the docket at The Hague

The Palace of Peace
The Hague
Home of the International Criminal Court

Photo from http://qin.laya.com/gallery/2002_Europe/Pages/Image32.html

[Politicub]

25. Does Bush have blackmail on Blair or something?

I really wonder. Blair's Bush rimjob doesn't seem to be going over well in the foreign press.

He must have some juicy photos of Tony doing the nasty with Dame Edna or something.

[Stuckinthebush]

26. Blair is finished

When he cast his lot with Bush, he made a pact with the devil. He can't get out now.

[primavera]

28. Good. May they stand together in the unemployment line.

The world, and God knows Britain, will be better off without him.

[0007]

29. Blair is as delusional as Rumsfeld

with strongly held false beliefs in spite of invalidating evidence, especially as a symptom of mental illness.

[liarliartieonfire]

30. A duet of George & Tony..

as they take their final swan dive, side by side, off the Titanic.

Special buddies.

"You compliment me George".
"Ya, Tony we're like them two bees in a pod, huh, me an you."
"I Lubya Dubya"
"I heart you Tony..and,..and you heart me to, right Tony?"

[Emillereid]

31. I will ask again -- what do the Bushits hold over Tony?

His behavior is not rational. You would think he would find some small crumb with which to throw those in his own party and others who would like some semblance of 'independence' from Bush and his insane policies -- but no, he defiantly 'stays the course with crazy George.'

I know I read something about the Bushits visiting Blair after the 2000 election apparently to have a little talk with him about the importance of his allegiance (they didn't like the fact that he had sided with Gore). Anybody out there know what I read?

[bigtime]

32. "I will remain lips to sphincter behind junior"

he sez

[Spirochete]

34. Siamese twins from hell

maybe they can be hanged shoulder to shoulder once we get them out of power.

[samsingh]

36. blair must mean his face to bush's ass

[David Zephyr]

"Shoulder to Shoulder" March the Two Ass-Hole Buddies.

Blair has damaged Britain's reputation as much as Bush has America's.

[DU GrovelBot]

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[truthisfreedom]

39. when your leash is wrapped around your master's legs

neither of you can move for fear of falling.

[DFWJock]

40. Shoulder to Shoulder

with Chimpy, good move, what could possibly go wrong there?