Blair's offer: I will go in a year Brown: that's not good enough

[cal04]

Chancellor demands a timetable, a public declaration and for his Blairite critics to be muzzled
Gordon Brown made clear yesterday that Tony Blair's coded offer to leave Downing Street within the next 12 months was not good enough.

Allies of the chancellor said that Mr Brown was demanding that the prime minister set a timetable for his departure and make the details public.

Mr Brown also wants Mr Blair to rein in the chancellor's critics, such as Stephen Byers and Alan Milburn, who have been making speeches and writing newspaper articles arguing that Blairite reforms be continued after he has stepped down.

Mr Brown's unhappiness at the way No 10 is trying to engineer Mr Blair's departure became clear during a day of high drama at Westminster, in which No 10 gave vital ground by openly backing a statement from the cabinet minister David Miliband that Mr Blair would be gone within a year.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/frontpage/story/0,,1865759,00.html

[Tom Joad]

1. Now Blair, is now good for you? It's good for the world.

You too Bush.

[Benhurst]

2. It's time to

flush :hurts: the nasty little turd NOW!

[Stuckinthebush]

3. Blair is a fascinating case study

What happened to him?

He was a strong partner to Clinton and could have been an amazing force against Bush. However, he chose to not just align himself to Bush, but to become subservient to Bush. Surely he saw long ago that the road Bush was traveling would be disastrous to him and his nation. Surely he saw that Bush is a half-wit at best with no goodwill toward the rest of the world. Surely!

Did he get so bogged down with this cabal that he had no way out? Did they have something on him? Did George I promise him a seat on the Carlisle Board? Did he really believe all of the bull that the neo-cons were throwing around?

What happened?