Blair Pays Price for Supporting Iraq War

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

LONDON (AP) - President Bush's state visit to Britain this week, conceived as a display of trans-Atlantic unity, may simply remind Prime Minister Tony Blair of the price he is paying for supporting the war in Iraq.

Blair's approval rating has slumped since committing British troops to the U.S.-led war. Some of his own lawmakers accuse him of being Bush's ``poodle,'' and recent polls suggest a majority of Britons disapprove of their ``special relationship'' with the United States.

Opponents of the war hope to bring out tens of thousands of demonstrators to march against Bush's visit, which begins Tuesday night.

``It is a disgrace that Tony Blair is once again ignoring public opinion to entertain his friend at our expense,'' reads a campaign leaflet printed by the Stop the War Coalition, which has organized a Thursday march through central London.

The timing of Bush's visit, planned 17 months ago, is difficult for Blair.

The past year has been dominated by international affairs, and national elections may be held in 18 months, so the prime minister wants to concentrate on his domestic agenda and calm the unrest sparked in his governing Labor Party by the war.

More: http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-3395479,00.html



Also for those voicing opinions in London: Resources for Non-violent Direct Action and Civil Disobedience

http://www.j-n-v.org/pledge/activists.htm

Good information here.

[opihimoimoi]

1. Too little too late

the Shrub is gonna soil the Queens residence with his presence and he don even know it.

Oh well,

Come, we find some good ale at a pub near Tillbury Docks.

[Jack Rabbit]

4. No, he doesn't know it

Bush is incapable of thinking his could dishonor anything by his presnece. He has the same mentality as the nobleman of days gone by who thought he was honoring a peasant girl by raping her.

[alcuno]

2. So far, the Italians AND the Brits have claimed that they tried to

stop the shrub from invading Iraq. If these are his friends, who are his enemies?

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

5. The Japanese and the South Koreans are backing away as well.

The term "Rats deserting a sinking ship" comes to mind.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

3. Blair gets what he deserves.

:nopity:

[VolcanoJen]

6. Which came first: George Michael, or the Poodle??

Was the George Michael video, depicting Blair as Bush's poodle, that influential? It seems as if everyone uses the "poodle" word to describe Blair these days; did George Michael start it, or did he just pick up the dog and run with it?

Amazing, what those Wham! boys have accomplished. :-)

And, speaking of pop culture controversy, doesn't it seem ridiculously silly that Madonna changed the entire tone of her "American Life" video last spring, out of worry she'd be Dixie-Chicked? What a pity... you know you've got a long way to go when Madonna's freaked out that she might actually offend somebody.

So, what was it? George Michael or the Poodle?

[T_i_B]

7. Prime Minister Foo-Foo

DUers were using the term before George Michael, as was the UK Mirror I belive.