Posted on 02/15/2006 5:17:12 PM PST by blam
Tories move to heal White House rift
By Alec Russell in Washington and George Jones, Political Editor
(Filed: 16/02/2006)
The Tories will today seek to end an extraordinary rift with their natural allies in the White House with a staunch statement of support for President George W Bush over the need to stop Iran having a nuclear weapon.
At the start of a two-day visit to repair relations, Liam Fox, the Conservative defence spokesman, will tell a Washington think-tank that Britain remains America's "most reliable and effective ally".
Dr Fox: coming to America
In a speech to the Heritage Foundation, he will describe as a "looming crisis" Iran's decision to restart its nuclear programme, which has intensified suspicions that it is seeking to develop a nuclear bomb.
Dr Fox will also reaffirm Tory backing for the deployment of British troops to Afghanistan and their continued presence in Iraq.
But in a clear nod to those who in the party are urging against too close a tie to Mr Bush, he will caution that it will not be unconditional support. He will say: "Our job is to question and ensure that the sacrifices entailed are justified; and that too should be understood".
In the last few years Washington has been difficult terrain for the Tories. To the frustration of Democrats - and some Conservatives in Britain - the Republicans' respect for Tony Blair since the September 11 attacks has rivalled their affection for their more obvious soul-mates, Lady Thatcher and Winston Churchill.
The nadir of the Tories' standing in Washington came in 2004 when Karl Rove, President George W Bush's chief adviser, made clear Michael Howard would not be welcome in the White House after he attacked Mr Blair over Iraq.
Today, however, comes the rapprochement. First William Hague, the shadow foreign secretary, George Osborne, the shadow chancellor, and Dr Fox meet Mr Rove, known by wags as "Bush's brain".
Then they fan out across Washington to meet senior government officials and politicians from both parties.
Nile Gardiner, of the Heritage Foundation, said the visit was a signal that the Tories were "back in business after years in the wilderness".
He added: "There was lots of bad blood but there is a growing recognition in the White House that Blair's days are numbered. This symbolises the beginning of the end of the Blair era of dominance in Washington."
It would be wrong to suggest that the recent changes on the British political landscape are on everyone's lips. In the heartland Mr Blair remains a colossus. The doors to several of Washington's most important offices will not be swinging open. An attempt on the Oval Office has been left for David Cameron to try in due course.
The vice-president, Dick Cheney, and the defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, are not on the agenda. Yet there will be many Tories who will be delighted that the visitors are not seeing Mr Bush's two senior hawks, given their dismal reputation in Britain.
The core of the Republican Party is far to the Right of the Tories, a difference which will be rammed home today when Mr Hague calls for more US leadership on climate change, an issue dearer to British than American hearts.
John O' Sullivan, a former editor of the National Review, one of America's foremost conservative magazines, said some Republicans remained sceptical of Mr Cameron's policies.
"Republicans are not necessarily going to come down on Cameron's side," he said.
"Blair will make Republicans willing to give Gordon Brown a chance on the issues they care about."
He added, however, that the old Republican/Conservative ties had always kept going and that Republicans had picked up on the buzz that David Cameron looked like a winner.
There is a long tradition of British Conservatives coming to America to glean political tactics and ideas. William Kristol, the editor of the Weekly Standard, the influential neo-conservative magazine, said the Tories might be pleasantly surprised to find this time it would be a "two-way exchange."
He added: "The Republicans are in a rough patch and need some fresh thoughts. They have in common a need for new thinking especially in domestic policy. It is not as if conservatives are agreed on what the solution is. There is a fair amount of interest in what the Tories are doing."
"Fair amount of interest" is about as good as it gets in this town - for anyone who is not thinking of running for the White House.
Pip, Pip! Cheerio! Awfully decent of you! Jolly good!! But where have you been for the last 3 years, you *&#($*@&(#$&!
They were busy inspecting hospitals so they could run on a cleaner hospital platform. Meanwhile they missed gay marriage entirely, and it was just dumped on the British.
I think I'd still trust Blair more than these folks.
They need somebody to do a little house cleaning in Tehran, so now they're our friends again.
I'm really tired of western Europe, and more tired of our military being at their service.
I'll take the socialist that took a principled and right stand on Iraq, stood for re-election and didn't waver, over this current crop of Tories. When they decide to start returning to Thatcher or Churchill, then I'll re-consider.
In the last few years Washington has been difficult terrain for the Tories. To the frustration of Democrats - and some Conservatives in Britain - the Republicans' respect for Tony Blair since the September 11 attacks has rivalled their affection for their more obvious soul-mates, Lady Thatcher and Winston Churchill.
I know why it ticks Democrats off that conservatives are better allies of Blair than they are, but if "conservatives" in Britain are so uptight they need to catch a clue that the modern Tories are not our soulmates.
And the person is right, conservatives will be more willing to give Brown a shot because of Blair than they will be willing to "come home" to traditional alliances once Blair is gone. Mainly because Tories blew it with Iraq and their treatment of Bush. Old grievances do not go away over night, especially when still fresh. Despite harper's election, or merkel, I'm still not exactly warm to either of their countries yet. Now while Brown is not Blair by any means, the relationship oddly enough is better than with anyone the Tories front. Meanwhile this Cameron guy is sounding a lot like Clinton from what I've read, but to be fair, just because he sounds slick doesn't mean he is. I'm reliant on press accounts to a degree, so maybe he'll be good I don't know, we'll see.
The Tories are DOA and SOL.
When it comes to Britain, hardly a one-way street, surely? What about the current major British deployment in Afghanistan (taking over from US units), not to mention Iraq?
If you'd heard Liam Fox speak, you'd know that the 1920s Bertie Wooster slang is more than a trifle wide of the mark.. But hey, we all love to cherish our stereotypes....
Not fair. Britain put troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The rest of western Europe is another matter...
"Mainly because Tories blew it with Iraq"
A much greater proportion of the Conservative Party voted in favour of the invasion of Iraq than of the Labour Party.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.