Kerry has been meeting with Tony Blair's opposition.

[madfloridian]

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.jsp?story=491464

SNIP...."John Kerry, the frontrunner to challenge George Bush for the US
presidency this autumn, has held a series of private meetings with Gordon
Brown. The Senator set to win the Democratic nomination has links with the
Chancellor stretching back over a decade.

Mr Kerry once even offered to send a private plane to ferry the Chancellor
to a meeting with him in the US, The Independent on Sunday has learnt.
Friends of Mr Brown last night admitted that the close relationship between
the pair was likely to discomfort Downing Street.

"Having a British cabinet minister close to the main challenger to a US
President is potentially a bit embarrassing," said one.

Tony Blair last week said that he had "learned enough... not to interfere in
the American presidential election".END SNIP

I was not sure of this Gordon Brown, but I asked someone. We have neighbors
from London. This was part of their explanation:

"A meeting between Kerry and Brown would cause concern for Blair, who is not
doing well in the polls and is perceived as Bush's poodle.....Blair could
see this as an attempt to challenge him for the leader of the Labour
Party...and the attitude within the Party ....rank and file right now would
jump behind someone as high up as Brown challenging Blair...

In fact, Brown not challenging Blair and offering support is the only thing
keeping Blair in power free of challenge...

More about it: "Gordon Brown is the most likely successor to Blair should
the Labour Party dump him as leader and PM before the next election. Brown's
prestige increases because of his connections to the possible next President
of the US......"

Neighbor was quite shocked at the fact that a candidate would be this involved with UK politics.

[Eloriel]

1. I think it's pretty shocking myself

But then what do I know? I thought it was shocking what Bush did after the election and before he was even the pResident-Select, let alone not yet inaugurated.

[madfloridian]

3. It seems presumptive.

Don't you think? Our neighbors were livid, but I won't use their words when they read the article.

[madfloridian]

2. More on this from Reuters. Planning ahead?

Kerry win may spell trouble for U.S. ally Blair

SNIP..."Bill Clinton's re-election as a Democratic U.S. president in 1996 gave a massive boost to Tony Blair's successful bid to lead his own centre-left Labour Party to power in Britain a year later.

Blair was seen riding a global trend, his aides collaborated with Clinton's in both men's election triumphs, and the pair became close friends as their parties fraternised.

So two election cycles later on both sides of the Atlantic, the prospect of Democratic front-runner John Kerry toppling George W. Bush's right-wing Republican administration in November is cheering Blair as he mulls a 2005 election, right?

Wrong. At least in the short-term......"

SNIP...."One anti-Blair UK newspaper has already hailed a Brown-Kerry "secret alliance". And right-wing commentator Peter Oborne predicted: "As the age of spin draws towards a close, Brown and Kerry look like the future."END SNIP

Guess it is all over but the election.
:shrug:

[MsDemeander]

4. This can backfire on the electable hero

Let's hope he has the right stuff to back it up.

[AP]

5. Brown has been very loyal to Blair. Headline made it sound like Kerry was

meeting with the Tories.

Brown is more friendly with business than Blair, by the way, and less charismatic than Kerry. He also has a brother who lives in Boston.

[roguevalley]

6. Given how xenophobic some people are, I hope this isn't spun by the

dorkwads as some kind of sinister alliance with "old Europe".

[AP]

8. Don't worry. The story is meant to hurt Blair. Americans won't care.

It's supposed to make it look like Kerry is circumventing Blair.

Brown is so uncharismatic and dour, the Tories think their best hope of taking power is bringing forward the date when Brown becomes PM and then they'll get a no confindence vote on him.

[madfloridian]

10. Americans really don't care, you are right.

I don't know Gordon Brown, but I am bothered that a candidate who is not yet declared the nominee is being written up as that involved.

Sounds presumptive to me.

[madfloridian]

7. As I said, I was quoting two people from Britain.

They seemed familiar with the situation. I am not.

[T_i_B]

15. For once we agree AP

VERY misleading headline. Brown is in no way whatsoever Blair's opposition.

Brown and his supporters are generally understood to be close with Kerry, but I don't see that as a bad thing. :-)

[JI7]

9. Kerry has always met with foreign officials

this makes it sound as if kerry is involved in some plan to get rid of blair or some other thing. but kerry has always met with foreign officials. even in this it says kerry has known this guy for years.

[LSdemocrat]

11. VERY misleading thread title

Gordon Brown is NOT Tony Blair's opposition. He is Tony Blair's chancellor and one of his allies, especially when Blair needs him. Gordon Brown will NEVER openly challenge Blair and will wait for the Labour Party leadership until Tony Blair steps down.

[madfloridian]

12. I don't claim to be sure. Quoting neighbors.

The 2nd article I posted seems to bear out the idea though.

I have no love lost for Blair or Bush who lies are responsible for this war.

[madfloridian]

14. Too late to change the subject line, I tried to change.

BUT the article itself seems to say they are opponents. Our neighbors seem to think so. Not trying to be unfair.
I just feel like it is already assumed about Kerry, and I guess I am a little naive thinking my vote mattered.

[madfloridian]

13. Question: can someone with a subscription to Independent archives.....

access this article?

The paragraph that shows could be very misleading. Sounds like *our* Democrats went to London to work on choosing the man to beat Bush. Odd.

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.jsp?story=490036
The caucus comes to town: Democrats meet in London,
UK, to choose their man
By Marie Woolf
11 February 2004


In a Bloombsury hotel on a chilly February night, elegant women carrying New York public library bags mixed with city types in power suits and younger folk in chinos and loafers. They had one thing on their mind: getting rid of President George Bush and finding the Democrat candidate to deliver them that result.


Article Length: 1873 words (approx.)