It is, to quote Curb Your Enthusiasm, just one big bowl of wrong. But the particularly wrong parts, to my mind, were:

1. That there’s “no debate about the results” of his post-9/11 actions. Sorry, Bushie, but there is. Terrorist attacks around the world increased, and Americans (and its allies) became more of a target, and more hated by the Muslim world, than ever. (And that’s not even taking into account the fact that, despite warnings, 9/11 was able to happen in the first place.)

2. The implied new ‘If you’re against us, you’re with the terrorists’, namely: If you’re against me, you’re against all those selfless patriots who work to defend America. Mind you, Republicans have been using the ‘If you’re against American war, you’re against our troops’ idea for years now.

3. The idea that there is only one take on what is good and what is evil, or what constitutes “freedom”. Because to Bush et al, it’s only worth freeing an oppressed people when it’s in their interests to do so. I don’t remember them caring much about the Iraqi people when Rumsfeld was shaking hands with Saddam Hussein. And I haven’t noticed them condemning Israel’s likely war crimes as “evil”.

4. Finally, and most significantly, I think: the way in which Bush justifies his horrendous, horrific actions in the lawyer-ly (and implicitly religious) way that Tony Blair does, saying: “I’ve always acted with the best interests of our country in mind. I have followed my conscience. And done what I thought was right.”

Hear that, people? You can’t get him. On anything. Because it’s all a matter of opinion, and morals, as far as Bush and Blair are concerned. Forget facts. And results. Bush had “tough decisions” to make and followed his “conscience” when deciding what to do. So screw you if you disagree with him – because you can’t tell him he felt the wrong thing.

Here was Chris Matthews’ analysis of it. And he’s spot-on:

And here was Scott McClellan:

<Puts head in hands>

<Lifts head out of hands and presses ‘play’ button on MSNBC video>

Middle East envoy – oh, and former British Prime Minister – Tony Blair was interviewed by Andrea Mitchell on Nightly News last, erm, night. And actually, it wasn’t as painful as the headline potentially made it out to be. Their main topic of discussion was the problems in the Middle East, and the need for a peace process. Which is fair enough.

Blair, who constantly seems to talk as if he’s addressing a child (remember how Private Eye used to paint him as Reverend ARP Blair?), clearly loves the kudos Mitchell gives him (“You’re the ticket”). But to be fair, the man did help to bring peace to Northern Ireland (along with John Major and Bill Clinton, of course), and those claiming that peace talks and diplomacy don’t work should bear that part of recent history in mind:

Speaking of advice from Tony to Barack: it looks like Obama is following his lead already. Remember how Blair (successfully) schmoozed The Sun?

Joe Klein has written a very interesting article about Obama’s ascent, and his character, for Time. And here’s the quote which made me think of Blair again:

“There has been no grand cathartic moment for him in this campaign, but rather a steady accretion of trust, a growing public sense that he knows what he’s talking about and isn’t going to get crazy on us.”

And that, my American friends, is exactly how Tony Blair won the British election in 1997. So we all know what happens next, right?

Tony Blair was on The Daily Show in America last night. And while the current presidential race wasn’t discussed (shaaaame!), I thought it would be good to share it here – what with it falling into the whole ‘British-American-political-discussion-crossover-thing’ that this site is about.

It certainly made for very interesting viewing – mainly because Jon Stewart didn’t let up. After the dull stuff about faith and globalisation at the beginning (teaching a Yale course in the subject is Blair’s new job, dontcha know), Stewart moved onto the subjects of Tone’s relationship with George Bush (“It seems… what’s the word I’m looking for..? Inexplicable”) and the war in Iraq.

On Bush, Blair said, simply: “I like him”. (Actually, he said: “I like ‘im”. Twice. Well, he was on a comedy talk show, you know). On Iraq, he repeated his mantra that it was what he “believed” was right – which I hate, because it’s so lawyer-esque: you just can’t get him (sorry: ‘get ‘im’) on it – and rather disgracefully, seemed to pretty much wash his hands of the situation he helped to create there. Ugghh.

Anyway: kudos to Stewart for not giving him an easy ride*. Being a devoted Daily Show viewer – in fact, I’d go so far as to say I watch it daily – he certainly treated him just like any other guests he disagrees with. Blair even got a little testy at one point, saying: “None of this is easy!”. Priceless.

Here’s part one -

And here’s part two -

Enjoy. I really liked and admired Jon Stewart before. Now I really, really like and admire Jon Stewart.

*and for the very funny snake gag

No, of course he won’t.

But wouldn’t it be good if he, y’know, did?  And if Tony Blair, y’know, answered? By saying ‘Barack Obama’? That’d really mess with the minds of the Blair-loving American conservatives!

C’mon, Tony! You’re not in power any more! No one cares what you think! Well, no one over here does… But the American people might!