Sounds more like a gossip column to me.
Posted on 08/27/2004 7:49:05 PM PDT by Pikamax
Bush: Stay away Howard By TREVOR KAVANAGH Political Editor
TORY leader Michael Howard has been barred from the White House and told he will never meet President George Bush, it emerged last night.
The bombshell ban was slapped on Mr Howard after he called for Tony Blair to quit over the Iraq War.
And it was reinforced last month when he said he would have vetoed military action if he had known the full facts about Iraq’s WMD arsenal.
Last night, a spokesman for Mr Howard did not even try to deny the Tory leader had been banned from meeting the President.
He said: “I don’t want to comment on that.”
The wrath of the President was transmitted to Mr Howard’s office in a furious phone call from White House political chief Karl Rove in February.
It followed Mr Howard’s call for Mr Blair to step down as PM.
What particularly upset the White House was Mr Howard’s comment: “If I were Prime Minister I would seriously be considering my position.”
They were also angered when the Tory leader accused the PM of “serious dereliction of duty”.
Mr Rove, who speaks with the President’s full authority, said: “You can forget about meeting the President full stop. Don’t bother coming, you are not meeting him.”
The conversation was relayed to Mr Howard who was unmoved.
Far from backing down, a defiant Mr Howard stepped up his attack over the so-called “dodgy dossier” and the 45-minute warning of attack by Iraqi WMD.
Referring to Tory support for the Commons vote which led to war, he said: “If I knew then what I know now, I could not have voted for the resolution.”
His comment to the Sunday Times was widely seen as an unforced error.
But it now emerges that Mr Howard was accurately reflecting his criticism not just of Mr Blair but of Mr Bush as well.
His stand shook top Tories, including party chairman Liam Fox who is flying to New York in a bid to patch up the rift at the Republican convention.
Anger ... President Bush
And it has deeply damaged the decades-long alliance between the Republicans and the Conservative Party.
Senior US Right-wingers blame Mr Howard for undermining the coalition in Iraq and say they are privately rooting for a Labour victory in the next election.
A Tory source said: “They see Tony Blair as a true ally against terror and the Tories as a bunch of w*****s.”
The stand-off is particularly surprising in view of Mr Howard’s long standing admiration for America.
He set up the Atlantic Partnership, a think-tank which welcomes regular visits from Republican figures.
Senior Tories are amazed that the White House fury has remained a secret for so long.
One said: “I am astonished it hasn’t come out before.”
But Mr Howard’s spokesman insisted he had not been barred from the Republican Convention.
He added: “He never intended to attend the convention.”
The revelations could not have come at a worse time for the Tories.
A new poll showed them still scoring only 34 per cent, the same as Labour, with little prospect of a breakthrough.
Sounds more like a gossip column to me.
DAMN Pikamax beside that what did Michael Howard do to be in Barney doghouse beside that
Calling Blair to quit
OH MAN Dubya is one tick off Texan tonight
Yeah me too, it is a british rag, and the sun at that. I take everything I read from overseas with a grain of salt and lime, and a jigger of tequila in case.
What a load of crap. This is total BS and worthy of page 23 of the Enquirer
Howard may well be under such a ban. But you could bet the farm that Karl Rove didn't make this call.
I would be extremely upset with President Bush if he snuggled up to Tony Blair's enemies! The President is absolutely right about this.
I doubt it was this dramatic, but Howard does deserve punishment.
The man would not be welcome here. If he comes to the convention, he's going to be a pretty lonely guy. We don't agree with Tony Blair's policies in general but the man has been a rock when it comes to doing the right thing.
No it isn't Mike, at least not the part about Howard not supporting the Iraqi war, and telling Blair to step down. He's been a real weenie.
The next UK elections are win-win. The Tories naturally are taking a contrary position vis a vis the Iraq war, in order to callously cash in on the Labour weakness. If Labour abandons Blair, Labour loses, Tories win, conservatives are in charge. Labour follows Blair, Labour clings to a narrow majority, Blair is the US' and Bush' strongest ally. Ticks off the EU.
Not even Kerry has gone this far. I guess Howard likes having his pilots get shot at by scumbag dictators like Hussein.
And you can bet he didn't say "full stop," period. ;-)
But would you trust any "conservative" that got into office on the premise that the Iraqi War should not have been fought?
Sums up my position well.
IMO, Howard and the Tories are behaving no differently than the Dems in our states. They sense the ability to create a wedge issue between the voters and the PM, and have run it. It doesn't matter that we are in a WOT, political opportunism is rearing its ugly head.
I do not favor Labour ideology but the Tories have disgusted me by mirroring Dem strategy. Blair is the only one I have a degree of respect for at this time.
No, I was talking about him being barred from the White House by Karl Rove. Bush would fire Karl Rove in a New York second if he made a call like that
Oh, that part I agree. I seriously doubt Rove would be involved in that. However, I have no doubts that there has been no invitations issued to Mr. Howard.
George W. Bush has more class in his baby finger than all of his detractors combined
Bingo. Labour vs Tory ideological compatibility with the GOP gets trumped by the monumental resolve under pressure of Mr. Tony Blair, whose picture is in the dictionary next to the word "stalwart".
The Tories are off the reservation on this. Bush will and should do all he can to have Labour win as long as Tony is PM. When he chooses to step down, then we will return to the Tories.
Tony has more than earned it.
BTW, when did the word 'wussies' become an unmentionable in British papers -- and in the Sun no less.
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.