Britain's Blair says Bush no mental lightweight

Reuters | 5/01/03

[kattracks]

LOS ANGELES, May 1 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Tony Blair, whose closeness to U.S. President George W. Bush earned him praise from Washington and derision at home, says he thinks the American leader's lightweight image is "complete bull."

In an interview with Vanity Fair magazine, Blair said the image was not only "complete bull" but "total nonsense."

He added in the interview with contributing editor David Margolick, "I was about to say, 'He's not someone who will philosophize,' but actually that's not true, because he does. But 'directness' is the best way I can describe it. He has a very, very direct way of stating exactly what he feels about a situation."

Blair added about Bush, "He is highly intelligent, and it's not clotted by so many nuances that the meaning is obscured. The good thing about (Bush) is that once he does really think that an issue has to be tackled he has big reserves of courage for doing it, and he won't really be diverted."

"I trust him, and that is extremely important at our level of politics," Blair, a chief Bush ally in the Iraq war, said.

The British prime minister defended being both friends with Bush and his predecessor, Bill Clinton, saying, "They're very different people, but so what? We all have different friends."

Regarding his and Bush's strong religious beliefs, Blair said, "I can't say it's something we've discussed, but it's something we share." Although Blair denied that he and Bush prayed together, Margolick said that someone close to Blair told him that they probably have.

Blair, who was savaged at home in political cartoons as being Bush's "poodle" for supporting the Iraq war, defended the action. "I think we did the right thing, I think it's going the right way, but I'm now on to the next problem, which is making sure that everything's sorted out in the aftermath."

In the interview Blair called himself a "staunch" supporter of Israel, a minority view in Britain's House of Commons, according to Margolick.

The author then quoted Labour Member of Parliament Tam Dalyell, the longest serving member of the House of Commons, as saying he thought Blair was unduly influenced by a cabal of Jewish advisors. Margolick said Dalyell named Peter Mandelson, a former Blair cabinet member, Lord Levy, Blair's chief fund-raiser and Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, an Anglican who has a Jewish grandparent.

05/01/03 17:11 ET

[alnitak]

In the interview Blair called himself a "staunch" supporter of Israel

That's a distortion. We vote against them or abstain at the UN, and maintain trade sanctions against them. Oh, and we send the suicide bombers too.

[Bigg Red]

Luvya Dubya bump

[GretchenEE]

source linkydink?

[GretchenEE]

FYI

[alisasny]

Looks like Reuters...

Anyway this a a stark constrast from BJC who would say anything and then turn around and do the opposite. No loyalty whatsoever going on there.

[GretchenEE]

Although Blair denied that he and Bush prayed together, Margolick said that someone close to Blair told him that they probably have.

Now THAT'S substantive rumor reporting. < gack >

[Soaring Feather]

Sharp Bush bump!

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Hi, Todd!

[ohioWfan]

Anyone who thinks President Bush is stupid is......well.......STUPID!

[kattracks]

Sorry, Reuters

[NEWwoman]

Are these the same people who thought Reagan was stupid? He sure proved them wrong.

[firewalk]

strategery (-:

[ohioWfan]

These are the same people who think anyone with moral clarity, strength and vision are stupid........and that includes both Reagan and Bush43.

[Redcloak]

"He is highly intelligent, and it's not clotted by so many nuances that the meaning is obscured."

"Is" really does mean "is".

[NEWwoman]

You got it nailed.

[Mo1]

says he thinks the American leader's lightweight image is "complete bull."

I think Blair likes talking Texan ..

Complete Bull with a British accent .. I love it .. *L*

[CyberAnt]

Well ... just because the homicide bomber has a UK passport, that doesn't mean the UK sent them ... it would be ignorant to think that!

[potlatch]

Good to have Blair publicly say this!

[nicmarlo]

good article...thanks for the ping, Gretchen.