New book to show just how well trained Tony Blair was as Bush's lapdog.

Tony Blair failed to stand up to George Bush over the invasion of Iraq, the former US secretary of state Colin Powell has claimed.

The damaging disclosure by an influential participant in the build-up to the war will undermine claims by Mr Blair's allies that he acted as a restraining influence on the president.
The observation is made in Blair Unbound, a new book about the former prime minister by the political biographer Anthony Seldon. Mr Powell recalled how he and Jack Straw, the former foreign secretary, attempted to find ways of restraining the two leaders.

At one point Mr Straw even flew to the US by Concorde to hold secret talks with his American ally.

But Mr Powell told Dr Seldon: "In the end Blair would always support the president. I found this very surprising. I never really understood why Blair seemed to be in such harmony with Bush. I thought, well, the Brits haven't been attacked on 9/11. How did he reach the point that he sees Saddam as such a threat? Jack and I would get him all pumped up about an issue. And he'd be ready to say, 'Look here, George'. But as soon as he saw the president he would lose all his steam."

Why? Why do people, Tony Blair is not alone in this, succumb to the will of George Bush?

Does he have some kind of overwhelming charm? It certainly does not translate onto television.

Is he extremely intelligent and articulate while making his argument? I certainly have never seen that!

I just do not understand how anybody could be convinced by anything that George Bush says, especially concerning such a monumental disaster.

I must give a hat tip to AMERICAblog for this story.