Tony Blair? Unemployed on Friday or Not?

Tony's goes up for reelection on Thursday and there is some question whether the Brits will allow George's Poodle to return for another term. Of course, some find his major opponent to be rather polarizing as well.

At first, in light of 9/11, I respected Blair for trying to help us even if I thought - and yes, I think I believe even more strongly today - that the Bush reaction to 9/11 was knee-jerk and would only make us more hated in the world. Turns out I was right. Blair had been a good partner with Clinton, and he's in the unenviable position of trying to keep England relevant considering how far it's fallen as a world power just in the past century and trying to serve as a counter balance between the EU and The Empire Strike Everyone (that would be us, the US).

But the more I learned that Blair had been involved in cooking intelligence on Iraq to justify Mr. Bush's war, my respect wore mighty thin. That's OK, though. My family haven't been British citizens for close to 400 years so Mr. Blair does not need to worry about my vote.

Yet - and I know this is sick but - I watch CSPAN's coverage of British Parliament (it's fascinating, especially when they talk about those miserable sods across the Atlantic, which is also us), and I can't despise Blair because he does what Mr. Bush would never do: behave like he's accountable and has to explain his position.

I suspect Blair will be returned for another term but on a much narrower vote than he might have otherwise. Bush has hung the Brits out to dry any number of times so I can understand why Brit citizens would be angry at Bush and want to punish Blair for his participation in The Empire According to a Dick. I wonder, however, if the PM will be as quick to join on Georgie's NeoCon bandwagon after all this.