Tony Blair Crossroads

Today is the day, will Tony Blair make a comment that will keep Brown’s baying wolfs from his No 10 Door or is his departure written in the political stars. The day is the return of politics as we who have an interest in politics understand the game, since Tony Blair has come to power, the rules of politics seem to have been frozen, for years it was like Teflon Tony, the Conservatives could never get him, so what would bring Tony Blair down. Would the Prime Minister follow the path of Harold Wilson who surprised the nation with his leaving and did it in a manner of his choosing. Or would he be like Lady Thatcher, not seeing it was time and being forced out by her cabinet and Members of Parliament.

The problems started in 2004 when the Prime Minister stated he would not run for a fourth term, it was only a matter of time before there would be calls for his early retirement. Thus we have this almost Thatcher moment, when he does go, it wont be when wanted to go, by the news leaks and reports it could be after the New Year, but then it has to be asked why he does not go before the Queen’s Speech in November which will introduce the new agenda for Parliament. It will be the agenda of Gordon Brown, so what is the point of causing more friction, the news reports state that Tony Blair will follow the example of Margaret Thatcher and John Major and stay in Parliament, one has to ask why, he never showed much interest in the House of Commons, lets us recall his Chief Whip sent him home before a vote which they lost by one Vote.

Views has not written off Tony Blair yet, today will be interesting, finally British Politics is fun again!!

The Libby Pardon Campaign

Boston Herald Article, Click BostonHerald.com - Opinion & Editorial: Time for Prez to pardon Libby

New York Post, Click here

Weekly Standard, Click here

The Washington Post, In Views view a very fair article, Click here

American and British Politics and Foreign Policy

Once Tony Blair came back from his holiday the chattering classes returned to their favourite sport, when would the Prime Minister decided to go, so the press could have a new story under the Premiership of Gordon Brown. As it has been noted Tony Blair bought this on himself before the last election by stating he would not run for a fourth term, the day after the election it started how long would New Labour have Tony Blair in charge at 10 Downing Street. In recent interviews and news stories, the Prime Minister has stated that he would not get in to the issue of when he was going. This has of course irritated Gordon Brown supporters, who must being to wonder if Brown has the political muscle to tell the Prime Minister that he must go for the good of the Party and the Country. The Terror scare wave at the moment has put Dr Reed, the Home Secretary at the forefront, is Tony Blair waiting for Gordon Brown to fowl up any way as to allow others to challenge him for the leadership later next year. The question has to be asked does the Prime Minister have the time, or will the guys in overalls, this is the Labour Party after all, come calling and say it time the Prime Minister took up the Lecture circuit in the United States. It has been argued that the Labour Party has very complicated rules to get rid of a sitting Prime Minister, but in the end it was the Cabinet that removed Lady Thatcher, will we see a second Cabinet Revolt before the Welsh Assembly and Scottish Parliament elections. Time and Tide wait for no man even if he is Tony Blair.

On the American scene we have the Bush Administration coming out in defence of their Iraq policy before the Mid Term Elections, at the moment according to the Polls the Democrats should take the House of Representatives over the 15 seats they need to take control, the Senate still to close to call. But Views political gut is not sure that will be the result, as a British Prime Minister once stated, ‘ A week is a long time in Politics ‘. An interesting article in the Sunday Times, Friends of Hillary hint she may pull out of presidential race , in essence the article suggests that Hillary R. Clinton the Junior Senator from New York might not run for President and stay in the Senate. It should be noted that the last Senator to win the Presidency was John F. Kennedy. Bob Dole in 1996 and John F. Kerry in 2004 failed to win. In really depends on who the Republican candidate is, if John McCain or Rudy Giuliani; the Sunday Times also has an article on Giuliani; win the nomination it would be very hard for Hillary R. Clinton to win the General Election.

On the international front we have Iran and Afghanistan, Iran has rejected UN demands, the general analytical view is that this crisis is a slow burning one, and one President Bush wont allow to go to the distance, a Nuclear armed Iran. As to Afghanistan, the UK has lost 15 personnel in a week, one soldier through combat and 14 others from different sections of the armed forces from what looks like a technical fault on the plane. Afghanistan worries Views more in some respects that Iraq, the mission has changed, we have only about 800 combat troops in theatre. The Troops need time to relax, from reports they are in constant combat with the Taliban and the planes used to transfer troops and in combat operations are being pressed to their maximum use due to the conditions in both Afghanistan and Iraq. It seems in views eyes we have to but more troops on the ground, 800 combat troops are not enough in an area the size of Wales.

Pardon Campaign on the Move

An interesting article in the today’s Wall Street Journal, Fess Up, Mr. Armitage, it notes that Mr Armitage has not publicly admitted that he leaked the name of Valerie Plame and states that the President should think about giving Mr Libby a Pardon. As the charges are an extension of the main charge. It seems if you agree with the Main Stream Media about the reason for the Iraq war and the present condition of the Iraq then you can get way with leaking confidential information due to a mistake, while minor matter of forgetting information due to pressure of work gets you on trial. This is where Presidential leadership come to the for, the President should make it known through the Press if the charges are not dropped by the start of the New Year then he will use his Presidential Prerogative to Pardon Mr Libby and appoint him back to the administration. If those pardon under the Bush 41 can come back and work for the administration then those that have served the President and Vice President should be able to come back to work in a role that does not require Congressional Approval.

In fact this debate could be used to get the political base out, we have had years of conspiracy theories about how the Bush White House was out to destroy Mr Wilson due to his critical review of Bush Policy on Iraq, well its time to take the fight to the Liberals. The Attorney General should ask for an investigation of the New York Times for its release of Secret Information, it should drag in the Reporters who wrote the Stories about the National Security Agency following the money of Terrorists and its checking of calls to mine for more information. This is a time of War, can you imagine Roosevelt or Churchill putting up with this during World War Two. If the New York Times had reports about the Manhattan Project it would have been on the front pages years before it was develop. This is a different type of WAR, it uses all polices of government, military, intelligence, economic, culture, all are important. A wise Supreme Court Justice once stated that the Bill of Rights was not an automatic right to suicide, there are limits, the government needs to protect its people, that is it main aim. The impression one gets from very Liberal Democrats, that as long as there rights are protected they don’t care about the War on Terror, as they tend to very rich Liberals and live in California, that is a very liberal view of Liberals. In today’s world, any one any place is a target, 9/11 and 7/7 should be a wake up call to those who seem more interested in civil liberties than in one liberty above all, the right to live an happy life not under the threat of terror. The government needs to use all its assets; the first priority of any government is to protect its citizens.

Thus the role of the President is to protect the people, but this can also mean to stop injustice, lets start a positive campaign to Pardon Mr Libby.

The Campaign to Pardon Mr Libby

It is reported today in the New York Times (Register Required) and on CNN, that Richard Armitage, Deputy Secretary of State in the First Term of George W. Bush leaked the name of Valerie Plame to Robert Novak. As usual the Times shows how biased it is in coverage of the Bush administration, the article stresses that the leak was a mistake, even shows how it happened. As Mr Armitage is seen as a moderate, he will be given a pass by the MSM, Main Stream Media. I would guess if the name was Karl Rove one would be hearing calls for an Independent Council and what did the President learn the information and when did he forget. One can hear the Liberal Bloggers now stressing that it was a mistake and it does not matter that the real case is the one that will take place next year for Mr Libby. A charge by the way that has nothing to do with the first point of the investigation. It is about time for Conservatives to ask the President to Pardon Mr Libby. It would save the American Tax Payers and would follow the example of George H.W. Bush when he gave a pardon to those involved in the Iran – Contra Affair.

The Plamegate Incident

An interesting article by Newsweek’s Michael Isikoff, on the release of Valerie Plame’s name by Robert Novak. After the entire guess work it seems it was Richard Armitage who released the name by mistake during a chat with Novak and then before that with famed Watergate Reporter Bob Woodward. While on Meet the Press Today, Novak stated that his source should out himself. The story in one way would be finished, the all the players would be known, we would then just have the trial of Mr Libby at the start of next year.

For the benefit of Views Readers

At the time of the Incident, as Secretary of State we have Colin Powell, former Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, and National Security Advisor to Ronald Reagan. As his Deputy, Richard Armitage, a moderate within the Administration and a critic of the Bush policy on Iraq.

The Neo Cons in the Administration, Vice President Dick Cheney, former Defence Secretary under Bush 41. Member of the House of Representatives, Chief of Staff to President Ford.

Afghanistan

UK Soldier killed in Afghanistan, as the BBC reports eight this month.