Posted on 05/14/2008 12:43:53 PM PDT by marthemaria
The Blairs’ hearts sank when they learnt that George Bush’s victory over Al Gore in 2000 had been ratified and that he was to become President of the United States, Cherie Blair reveals in The Times today.
She tells how she and her husband watched Mr Bush on television and were concerned at his poor grasp of foreign affairs, but Mr Blair was determined to have a strong relationship with the Republican President.
Although they had initial reservations about his political leanings she and her husband learnt to appreciate “a very funny, charming man with a quirky sense of humour”.
Mrs Blair describes Mr Bush’s tendency to “talk Texan” – a trait that he himself has blamed for his bad press – but goes farther, comparing him with Bill Clinton, who is also from the South. She says: “Clinton may talk Southern, [but] he doesn’t think Southern, whereas Bush thinks Texan.”
In her autobiography, Speaking for Myself, serialised this week in The Times, Mrs Blair recalls that her first reaction on hearing about Bill Clinton’s relationship with Monica Lewinsky was: “Oh Bill, how could you?” and that he had been “bloody stupid”.
The Blairs met the Clintons only a few weeks after the story broke. Mrs Blair writes: “If I had been impressed by Hillary before, I was doubly impressed by her now. Dignity is not the word. I could see for myself how angry she was with him. Not just for humiliating her, but for jeopardising their joint project, and I could also see how desperately he was trying to win back her approval.”
She credits the Clintons’ daughter, Chelsea, with keeping the couple together afterwards.
Mrs Blair discussed the scandal with Mrs Clinton. “In her view, the way the right wing relentlessly pursued it was all part of a wider attempt by their enemies to discredit Bill. The most important aspect, she said, was not to let it undermine the presidency. So on a political, strategic level that was the line they took, that this had been politically motivated and stirred up by those who wanted to undermine the Democratic presidency. On a personal level, however, there is no doubt that she was furious and hurt, and rightly.”
Mrs Blair also reveals her affection for the Royal Family in an account of a dinner in 2005 on the day that London won the right to host the 2012 Olympic Games. The Queen thought that it was marvellous news and the Duke of Edinburgh said: “Of course, I’m so old I won’t be here then.”
Mrs Blair says: “Oh, sir, please don’t say that. I certainly hope you will.” She adds in her memoirs: “And I did. I was actually quite fond of the old boy.”
“Well, one needs to be realistic,’ added the Queen. “It’ll be for Charles and the boys, not for us.”
Mrs Blair writes: “I found the idea that the Queen might not be there quite upsetting.”
I love the man, but he mangles our language like no other.
And there is a Texas Embassy in London.....right off Pall Mall
Well, so does Barney Frank, but the motivations are a bit different.
I’ve met a few Brits who didn’t think any more kindly of their elitist snobs than we do ours.
Leni
How does one “Think Texan”?
.....................................Sort of like you sooners you know, Y’all suck so us Texans don’t slip into the Gulf!
Cheri Blair is an air-head bimbo, married to a man who finally found his courage by standing tall with George W.
Nice...good thing I’m not a football fanatic.
wow, Mrs Blair may talk like a b#tch... but bless her heart, she thinks like a b#tch as well.
I guess she's got to make the obligatory Bush bash in order to be invited to the next party with the other libs.
Ta-Ta Cherie, I doubt very seriously that Bush's memoirs will even mention you. What a shallow stupid way of ingratiating herself into the liberal group think.
The Times buried it several clicks in, you mean the SLIMES would do that?
I am in Wilmington NC now. My office was right next to the Obama HQ. The building is owned by a local liberal pol. She decided that she wasn’t going to pay her property taxes because she ran her CC bills up so high buying pretty things.
I was asked by the local news station about how I felt about politicians not paying their taxes. I said (al la Howie Carr) “Who does she think she is? A Kennedy? Taxes are for the little people. Not for uptown liberals!”
Love it here, however, and would never move back!
She reminds me of one of the Pigeon sisters in the Odd Couple movie.
My husband and I vacationed in Wilmington NC last summer when we came up there to pick up our son who was going on post deployment leave at Camp Lejeune. We thoroughly enjoyed the beach and the historic district. We loved the area.
The Brits may have ground troops in Iraq, but they screwed up the security situtation in Basrah big-time. Let the Shiite militias pretty much have free reign. I’d say their contribution to the effort has been less than stellar.
I play hockey with a lot of Marines that come down from Jacksonville. I can say that they are some of the best people I have meet.
Glad you liked your trip here. My wife and I moved here and had never even been here before. Just sold our house and moved.
There is an area called Monkey Junction. I wanted to live there so bad but it didn’t work out. Who wouldn’t want their return address to be in Monkey Junction, NC?
I wonder how much she charges to haunt small cottages?
I think Kill Devil Hill would be another good return address. (Or is that in South Carolina)?
Oh, I don’t know but that is cool!
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.