Posted 5:53 PM by Blah blah

War Aside, Bush and Blair Diverge on Key Issues (LA Times). This article lays it out well, Raven. Blair's worldviews are much more similar to Clinton's:
______________________
Blair has made it clear that his priorities in international affairs -- even his basic framework for organizing relations among the world's countries -- often depart starkly from Bush's.

Those differences reflect an underlying political distance that is even greater on domestic than international issues: Blair leads a left-of-center party that takes positions broadly similar to former President Clinton's "New Democratic" synthesis, while Bush has pursued an aggressive conservative agenda at home and abroad.

Blair and Bush diverge on the necessity of global cooperation in meeting environmental, economic and security challenges, and the proper role for the United States within such an international system.

Much like Democratic presidential contenders Sens. John F. Kerry of Massachusetts and Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut, Blair argues that the best way to confront such issues -- and for the U.S. to minimize resentment of its preponderant power -- is to bind the nation to the world through strengthened alliances and invigorated international institutions.

"The countries and the people of the world today are more interdependent than ever," Blair said last year. "That calls for an integrated approach."

Bush, by contrast, has rejected international treaties on issues from global warming to a war crime tribunal and placed much greater priority on maximizing U.S. freedom of action.

Those differences were apparent during the long struggle at the U.N. over Iraq; Blair always appeared more willing than Bush to make concessions, and to extend the negotiations, in the hope of winning broader international support for military action.

On other international issues beyond Iraq and the Middle East, the same instinct divides Blair and Bush. Bush has renounced the Kyoto treaty to reduce emissions of the gases associated with global warming; in late February, Blair not only reaffirmed his support for the pact but called it "not radical enough" and pledged to achieve massive additional reductions.
______________________
Would the real George Bush please stand down (The Guardian). Bush supporters, please DON'T read this. The rest of ya, enjoy with glee! It's a riot. :D