Bush: Blair Was No Poodle
President Says In Newspaper Interview That He And Brit PM Were On Equal Footing
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In this May 17, 2007 file photo President Bush, right, and outgoing British Prime Minister Tony Blair, take part in a joint press conference in the Rose Garden at the White House. (AP Photo)
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Mr. Bush said that he and the outgoing British prime minister had worked together to achieve world peace — and told The Sun that the accusations leveled against Blair were nothing more than "background noise."
"I've heard he's been called Bush's poodle," The Sun quoted Mr. Bush as saying. "He's bigger than that. This is just background noise, a distraction from big things."
Mr. Bush said history would be kind to Blair, and that whatever the public perception, the two dealt with each other on an equal footing.
"Somehow our relationship has been seen as Bush saying to Blair 'jump' and Blair saying 'how high?' but that's just not the way it works," Mr. Bush said. "It's a relationship where we say were both going to jump together."
The often tongue-tied U.S. president also expressed admiration for Blair's rhetorical skills, saying he envied the prime minister's eloquence.
"Tony's great skill, and I wish I had it, is that he's very articulate," the president said. "I wish I was a better speaker. This guy can really ... he can talk."
Mr. Bush said he so admired the prime minister he had asked Blair to stay on through 2008 — the end of Bush's term — but added that he got along well with Blair's successor, Gordon Brown.
"Gordon came (to Washington) and he wasn't the image of the dour Scotsman at all," Mr. Bush said. "He was relaxed. It was a good meeting."
The Sun said the interview took place on May 16. It was part of a collection of interviews about Blair published to mark the prime minister's departure from office after 10 years in power.
© MMVII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.



Yes, I wish they'd both jump...off a cliff...
"...equal footing" ????
The BoyBlunder doesn't think much of Mr. Blair, does he?
Ok then he's Bush's Beagle
I hope you can respect me when I openly say that Blair has honestly been Bush's poodle.
It must have been difficult for Blair, a much more intelligent man than Bush, to be his poodle.
Yeah RIGHT, the two partners in crime shaking hands one last time for the press, Blair was a Bush poodle alright and when Bush said 'bend over Blairy' the poodle bent over and took up rearly.
- That is funny!
-so they had to agree to say jump at the same time, ask, "how high?" at the same time and jump at the same time.
-now that takes incredible coordination.
... in bed.
(Sorry couldn't help it).
...And ya know, he's right! Blair wasn't Bush's poodle. Turns out, he was Cheney's poodle all along!
They aren't in office to protect their friends, they're supposed to be protecting their citizens.
No respect here.
Posted by tbweb at 08:53 AM : Jun 27, 2007
There's a big difference between sticking by your friend and following a Souther Fascist into the bunker! Bush is concidered by the Entire Civilized World, including the Citizens of Britian, to be a very unstable Nazi. Sticking by someone like that isn't to be admired. I like Blair and what he did at home. I believe the citizens of that Country will, someday, forgive him for being Cheney's Poodle because of all the good he did for that Country. Heir Bush? He will not get such a break in that he did NOTHING and I mean NOTHING for his Country except spread fear! Sieg Heil Bush!!
..
__/
From one poodle to another!
I think that history is now written for all the good they do it doesn't make up for the bad!
To which Mr. Blair responded, "Woof!"
There's a big difference between sticking by your friend and following a Souther Fascist into the bunker!
Posted by MCVet at 09:40 AM : Jun 27, 2007
MCVet,,,
There are different kinds of friendship, if you are an MCVet like your handle implies then you should know that! This friendship is obviously a lot deeper than your assumptions and not of a superficial or political nature.
posted by web6242a
Here's a little history for you. Saddam:
1. invaded 2 neighboring countries
2. Killed hundreds of thousands of his own people
3. Supported terrorist activities, including paying the families of suicide bombers
4. Violated the truce that ended the first gulf war
5. Violated 17 U.N. reolutions
6. Violated the terms of the oil for food programs
7. Used weapons of mass destruction on the people of Iraq.
8.By all accounts, had the knowledge and expertise available to him to reconstitute his WMD programs
9. The clinton administration, in 1998, made regime change in Iraq official U.S. policy.
So, your condemnation of allied leadfers and sympathy for a brutal dictator truly shows your stripes.
Posted by wadyaknow
-and stop munching your leash!
Unfortunately, that's pretty much the way Blair describes the relationship. Blair said the importance of their strategic alliance with the U.S. is too important to be set aside over Iraq, and he may be right. But it DOES make him Bush's poodle.
mbcsmith: Here's a little history for YOU: Al-Qaida's 30yr primary purpose was to replace the secular heads of Arab states with religious heads. That painted a bullseye on Saddams forehead and he responded by making Al-Qaida illegal and killing it wherever it was found. Only the Shrub could have so thoroughly screwed up a potent ally in the war on terror, and turned his country into a terrorist training ground.
President Bush, As quoted by The Sun
Did Bush use the word "articulate" in a sentence?
"sit, Tony, sit."
Yeah, Saddam was a bad guy alright. So was King George.
We solved our problem by ourselves - via the revolution.
If the Iraqi's were such a screwed up nation to begin with, they could have solved their problem in the same way.
The United States has neither the moral or practical authority to overthrow every sovereign government whose political system or leaders we don't like.
The United States has neither the moral or practical authority to overthrow every sovereign government whose political system or leaders we don't like.
Posted by briannorwood at 12:43 PM : Jun 27, 2007
Nope. Just the ones who violate truces that end wars. If your comments were true, Chavez would be at the end of a noose right now.
Posted by ubrew12 at 11:37 AM : Jun 27, 2007
WOW! And I bet he contributed to the Red Cross too!
Yep. Right off the cliff.
You tell them Dubya!!! Blair was no poodle...bigger. Okay. Blair was an English Bulldog and Bush was the great big, bungling marmaduke dog (great dane) fumbling and bumbling as he rammed himself continually up the Uk's political bunghole.* That better?
Don't worry Tony, he stayed out of your **** and with his usual ineptness, Bush was mostly fvcking air anyway. LOL
Somehow that doesn't mean much coming from the man who was holding his leash.
"Yo! Blair! Come here!"
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by docpeter-2009
June 28, 2007 10:34 AM PDT
- "Mr. Bush said that he and the outgoing British prime minister had worked together to achieve world peace."
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Reply to this comment
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See all 42 Commentsi.e. so we started a war together
"I've heard he's been called Bush's poodle," The Sun quoted Mr. Bush as saying. "He's bigger than that. This is just background noise, a distraction from big things."
i.e. He's more like a Labrador Retriever, medium large, and compliant.
"Somehow our relationship has been seen as Bush saying to Blair 'jump' and Blair saying 'how high?' but that's just not the way it works," Mr. Bush said. "It's a relationship where we say were both going to jump together."
i.e. sort of like playing double dutch together.