'Deluded': Extraordinary attack on Blair by Cabinet

[bemildred]

Tony Blair will be served notice to quit Downing Street at a meeting of the Cabinet next week when senior ministers plan to confront him over his refusal to commit to a departure timetable.

One described Mr Blair this weekend as "deluded", while another said he was being "self-indulgent". They are among a growing number of cabinet ministers, some formerly loyal to Mr Blair, who have concluded he must leave office sooner rather than later if Labour is to have a chance of winning a fourth term.

"This pantomime has to end or we are going to lose the next election," said one last night.

Another was brutally dismissive of the Prime Minister's attempt to "spray around policy initiatives" ahead of the party's annual conference in Manchester. "Tony is deluding himself if he thinks that anyone is listening to all this stuff."

Independent.UK

[orpupilofnature57]

1. He's been bit by Count Shrubula he's Nos Faratu

[ShortnFiery]

2. It's time for Tony to go. n/t

[Benhurst]

3. Come on, Labour. You can do it.

Flush :hurts: the nasty little turd.

[ananda]

4. about time

This should have happened a year ago.

[sweetheart]

24. indeed

we're all waiting...

[screembloodymurder]

5. With 14 more dead Brits in Afganistan today,

I think Blair will be gone even sooner than expected.

[davsand]

6. Do you suppose the GOP will do the same thing here in the US?

The only way we will ever see an early departure of the current (p)Resident will be if the GOP starts to smell a major defeat coming in the next election cycle. As long as he wasn't a liability they could turn a blind eye to his spending, his invasion of Iraq and all the other unsavory stuff like wiretaps and civil liberties violations.

Lately we've all been seeing the reports from early polling that would indicate that the GOP could get savaged at the polls--that Americans are fed up. Do you suppose that the the GOP is just about ready to divorce their poster boy like Labour is Blair?

They either need a national emergency or else they will need to address the public perceptions that the GOP has protected a major screwup in the WH.

A whole lot could happen here in the US by election day, and not much of it bodes well, I think.


Laura

[WhiteTara]

9. it happened to Nixon. The GOP

got rid of him. Of course, Ford pardoned the criminal. If they get scared enough for their jobs, they may just wake up and see the masses demanding justice.

Difference here is that the Hague could call for him, because not only is he a criminal, he is a war criminal who has committed crimes against humanity.

[davsand]

10. Presidential pardon is absolute INSIDE the US.

What I am unsure about, however, is the ability for other nations to force extradition in the case of war crimes. I have to wonder if that could end up as a situation where you have a person protected from prosecution as long as they stayed within the US--National "House Arrest" so to speak...

Can you imagine living the rest of your life not only with that kind of burden on your soul, but also the fear that somebody would kidnap you and take you to face an international tribunal for trial?

You have to wonder if this crew has ever stopped to consider this scenario.


Laura

[mcscajun]

11. Bush *has* no soul, and no fear (of kidnapping, anyway)

and no desire to ever again leave the U.S. once he is no longer pResident. He is at heart an isolationist, provincial type. He'll be very happy to live out the rest of his days shuttling between a Texas gated community, the Kennebunkport compound, and wherever it is Brother Jeb holes up when his term as Governor of Florida is done.

[WhiteTara]

14. well, Pinochet is a an example

I'm fuzzy on the details, but Spain may have set a precedent. Didn't the Hague drag Milosovic to court? What about citizen's arrest? :shrug:

[davsand]

17. Milosovic's government turned him over.

From what I recall, they gave him up. Similarly, Pinochet was also handed over after several long drawn out court battles, I think...

Legally, I'm not thinking there is any way the US could be forced to hand over somebody they wanted to "protect." I suppose international pressure could come into play--say trade sanctions or UN pressure--but even those are really kind of a reach.

Something that does come to mind, is an international trade restriction on something we can't/don't produce in the US anymore--steel for example. US steel production capabilities are really minimal, currently. I think I remember seeing something a while back that said we import the majority of the steel we use in the the US. Restrictions of strategic trade good like that could be used to force the issue (if it ever came to that.)

I dunno--that is an interesting discussion to be had someday.

As for the idea of a Citizens' Arrest type thing where the people just kind of "booted" the culprit out of the US, there are "local" laws that protect against kidnapping. Those local laws would supersede anything from an international tribunal, I'd think.

It would be one of those cases where the good intentions of the ones making that "Citizen's Arrest" would probably result in international celebration but their local convictions...

I'd like to hear what some of the more intelligent DUers have to say on these issues. I'm afraid I'm not enough of an intellectual heavyweight to go much further!

Regards!

Laura

[krispos42]

19. They might do it after the elections and before inaugeration day

This way they get to remove Bush and Cheney and put Dennis Hastert in the White House BEFORE there is a Democratic Speaker of the House. Then Hastert can simply pardon Bush and serve out the last two years.

Cynicism rating: 9.8

[Tellurian]

12. No, I don't believe the GOP will divorce the CEO of their failed attempt

at high jacking the US into corporate privatization.

I do believe they will not go quietly. We've underestimated the vicious nature residing in these SOBs
and always *lost* the battles because of it. Nope, the situation we're in now is a kill or be killed
mode. Their Trump card is Marshall Law- If they are allowed to go there. I doubt the country will ever
recuperate from the shattering of the American Dream...what we once stood for, what united all of us as Americans.

Someone has to do some serious arm twisting to change the course of the events about to happen. If BUSH 41 has any
conscience left at all, if he can overcome Cheney go around him through the back door. He stands to take the glory
for it all, if in fact, it's not too late.

[InkAddict]

15. Well said! n/t

[Tellurian]

23. thanx, Ink

I really do mean every word I said..

[Delphinus]

7. Back when Clinton was President,

I never would have thought I would be happy to see this. Blair really laid down for the boy king. The moniker "Poodle" suits him well.

[Tellurian]

8. why? It's an affront to poodles..Tony has stripped naked for Bush

and STILL it didn't get him anywhere except "exposed" for his lack of moral character and greed.

[Vidar]

13. Wonderful news. Thank you, Britain.

[Jack Rabbit]

16. He's been self-indugent about Iraq since before the invasion

All his moralizing and posturing couldn't uncover a single WMD or produce an shred of evidence that Iraq was a threat of any kind to anybody.

Deluded? Self-indulgent? Why not ask him why he allowed Mr. Bush to lead him into staining his hands with the blood of innocent Iraqis?

[Rageneau]

18. Blair has a big job waiting for him at the Carlysle Group.

Corner office, nice view of the smouldering ruins of civilization.

[democrank]

20. It`s way past time.

Flush the poodle.

[Gregorian]

21. Wag the tongue.

That's what Bliar will do. In honor of Bush, he'll arrogantly do his typical blabbing routine. And then ignore the request.

I'm not cynical. No, not at all.

[intaglio]

22. IF the reports are accurate

then they will warn him and move to have him removed from the labour leadership at the New Labour Conference.