Thursday's London Times is reporting that President Bush routinely ignored UK Prime Minister Tony Blair's efforts to influence US policy.
Blair must realize this already. Certainly the average Brit has known it for years.
This wasn't really a secret, but I think it was unspoken until now. It must be quite a slap in the face to Tony Blair.
Dr. Kendall Myers, an analyst at the State Department was speaking at a forum in DC on Tuesday. While answering a question from a London Times reporter, Dr. Myers made statements such as:
It was a done deal from the beginning, it was a onesided relationship that was entered into with open eyes . . . there was nothing. There was no payback, no sense of reciprocity.
And,
We typically ignore them and take no notice — it’s a sad business.
Dr. Myers added that "Britain’s role as a bridge between America and Europe is now "disappearing before our eyes"." And that he "felt "a little ashamed" at Mr Bush’s treatment of the Prime Minister, who had invested so much of his political capital in standing shoulder to shoulder with America after 9/11."
Blair will soon lose his position as PM as a result of playing Bush's lapdog and going along with the Iraq War sham. Prior to that, Blair was a well-respected figure in the UK and internationally. Bush has basically brought the man down -- caused him to lose his job and his reputation and for nothing in return.
In 2005, Blair seemed to think that as the Chair of the G8 and as a "personal friend" of Bush he would be able to get Bush to go along and at least agree to something on Climate Change. But Bush wouldn't give an inch -- he told Blair not to expect any "special favors". Bush snubbed him again last July when he wouldn't meet with him to make any Climate Change concessions and so Blair ended up meeting with a Governor (Schwarzenegger) instead.
In fact, a July 4, 2005 article in the London Times reports that:
Mr Bush went on to remind Britain that he feels no obligation to repay Tony Blair's support in the War on Terror with any concession to his more humanitarian plans.
"I really don’t view our relationship as one of quid pro quo," he said.
"Tony Blair made decisions on what he thought was best for keeping the peace and winning the War on Terror, as I did. So I go to the G8 not really trying to make him look bad or good, but I go to the G8 with an agenda that I think is best for our country."
Tony Blair must feel like quite the fool. He trusted Bush. Sort of like all those voters who trusted him in 2000 and 2004 and who have been let down as he has ruined our economy, caused the needless deaths of thousands of American troops and tens of thoughs of Iraqis, and disgraced our Country.
Hopefully Blair will tell the truth in a tell-all about the Iraq war -- he could explain how Bush was going in regardless of WMD and how they were apparently egging Saddam on by bombing at the borders before the war.