Closeness to Bush taints reputation in America

[cal04]

Tony Blair is departing the stage to a more muted ovation than he might have once expected from this side of the Atlantic.

Although most Americans will always remember his offer to stand “shoulder-to-shoulder” with them after the 9/11 terror attacks in 2001, it is that same steadfastness of support since then – particularly for President Bush – that has tainted his reputation among many of them.

Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic Speaker of the House of Representatives, told The Times this week: “He is still held in high regard here – despite Iraq.” A senior Democratic figure could afford to be less diplomatic when speaking off the record, saying: “He is like Colin Powell (the US Secretary of State at the time of the Iraq invasion). Both of them were huge, but both have been ruined by Bush.”

(snip)
Many Democrats remain puzzled about why a seemingly like-minded figure such as Mr Blair chose to bind his fortunes so tightly to Mr Bush. Derek Chollett, one of the party’s foreign policy experts, said: “Tony Blair is seen as more tragic than radioactive. A lot of us admire what he has achieved domestically and also on issues like Africa and climate change. But on Iraq, the view is he made a calculation that was he was better off siding with Bush. It was a big bet. He lost.”

Mr Armitage said that after those attacks, there was a time when America would “collectively hold its breath when Blair spoke – partly because he was so articulate compared with our President”. But he conceded his legacy “all comes down to Iraq”. While predicting that “the antipathy towards Blair will mellow” eventually, Mr Armitage suggested that unpopularity at home had become too much.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/the_blair_years/article1774792.ece

[Faygo Kid]

1. Tony Blair chose his legacy: Bush's poodle.

How very strange that given all the good he did, as in Ireland, he consciously chose to tie his legacy to the worst president in U.S. history. Sorry, Tony. You lose.