Posted on 07/07/2005 7:39:43 PM PDT by kristinn
Edited on 07/08/2005 4:45:38 PM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
LONDON, July 7 - It is said, usually as a kind of joke, that a day is a long time in politics. Rarely has that been so true - and so bloodily so - as in the past 24 hours of Prime Minister Tony's Blair's roller coaster ride from triumph to tragedy.
SNIP
Then, toward midday, the doubts were over: London had been struck by terrorists. Mr. Blair flew back to London, somber and shaken.
Perhaps the crudest lesson to be drawn was that, in adopting the stance he took after the Sept. 11 attacks, Mr. Blair had finally reaped the bitter harvest of the war on terrorism - so often forecast but never quite seeming real until the explosions boomed across London.
The war in Iraq has been increasingly unpopular here, with taunts that Mr. Blair had become President Bush's poodle. The anger about Iraq led to Mr. Blair's shaky showing in the May elections: a third term with a severely reduced majority. Now, as long predicted and feared, his support of the war appears to have cost British lives at home. Thursday was a day of rallying behind the leader, but there were indications that the bombing could take a political toll.
No mainstream politician would say so out loud, but George Galloway, the maverick, onetime Labor legislator who had met with Saddam Hussein before the Iraq war, had no hesitation. "We argued, as did the security services in this country, that the attacks on Afghanistan and Iraq would increase the threat of terrorist attack in Britain," he said. "Tragically, Londoners have now paid the price of the government ignoring such warnings."
SNIP
In other words, has Iraq and his alliance with President Bush returned yet again to haunt him, as it did in the elections?
***Mod note: The New York Times has changed the title of this article to Blair's Rising Star Runs Into a Treacherous Future.
Blair is in his final term of office- no need to worry about voters anymore.
neville chamberlin lives
This is scary I don't know how were ever going to win.
The terrorists thought they were maximizing the impact by doing this during the G8 summit, but in fact, that was a stupid idea.
The photo of Blair standing in front of Bush and Chirac, and the other leaders was a pretty defiant scene.
Only a thug could frame this situation that way.
I think He and the Brits did fantastic today, and we the Americans stand with them. It's so blatantly obvious that this isn't journalism so much as a wish.
its still an open question as to which way the British people will go. I know that sounds pessimistic, but I believe it. after an intial period of "stand tall" that will follow this attack, the daily drumbeat of this message in the media will have an effect on UK public opinion.
Time to show it.
Correct , the timing of this is way off. it is going to have the opposite effect that they wanted , time two.....
And they're trying to give up already, for the British?
Perhaps, they do better to volunteer their services to Paris...
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This is not a joke. He loves emails and feedback. Look at the pic of him in Saddam's throne too! Also check out the picture with Col. North!
www.attackproof.com
Trust the NY Times to bend over for the bombers. Now's not the time to get all weepy. Now you start talking defiance. Now you rise up and start punching back. But not the NY Times.
I thought that group shot of the G8 gang looked like a bunched of kicked in the teeth cowed wimps. I heard no strong rhetoric confirming that the usual suspect muslim mad dogs would be hunted down and drowned. No determination, just lots of feelings and compassion and aint it just a pity so many innocents had to die, wah wah.
Well at least they issued the usual non-statements and pc rhetoric--too bad the appeasing frenchy surrender monkeys were not out front to invoke a really inspired and resolute confidence in these airbags.
More of the same group lets look the other way guys!
I think the left wing reporters are in desperation spin mode to keep as much of the spin from getting too much pro-good guys.
They are basically trying to stop a ground swell of support along the lines of a post 9/11 kick ass-ing.
The left wing reporters fear more victories of the west.
Today the NY Times blames Blair. Tomorrow or the next day, they will revert to their old selves and will go back to blaming Bush for everything.
Isn't Galloway the guy implicated in funnelling money to the terrorists?
New hero for the left.
Along with the suicide bombers who allow them to lecture Blair.
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