Blair backs Annan

The American right has showered praise on British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Some have even compared him to Churchill. This might seem odd on the surface, since Blair's politics are much closer to those of Bill Clinton, who the neo-cons despise, that those of George W. Bush. This might seem odd until you keep in mind that Blair has been wildly loyal in licking Bush's boots, in a way that, say, French President Jacques Chirac has not. That's why Chirac ranks with Saddam and bin Laden on the neo-cons' hate list while they've all but canonized Blair.

So it will be interesting to see how the far right explains this. Blair has given strong backing to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who, like Chirac, is a prominent in the neo-con smear campaign.

There were serious problems in the oil-for-food program that UN was compelled to administer to get around severe economic sanctions that should never have been imposed in such a broad way. As the scandal exploded, Annan ordered an independent investigation. The investigation was critical of how the program was run. Annan suspended two key figures in the program. Additionally, he said he might lift diplomatic immunity from criminal prosecution if further investigation warrants it.

Perhaps what the far right fears is the precedent of accountability the UN is setting. In the UN, when someone screws up badly, they're punished. In the US, when someone screws up badly, they're re-elected. In the Bush administration, when someone screws up badly, they're given the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor an American civilian can be awarded.

Perhaps this is why Blair said of Annan, "I happen to think in that very tough time that he has handled himself with great distinction, with a lot of wisdom and in difficult circumstances has been a tremendous unifier. I know it has not always been easy for him politically or personally but Kofi I wanted to say to you how pleased we are to have you here and how warmly we welcome you and how much we regard your Secretary-Generalship of the United Nations."

I suspect the far right will regard Saint Tony's comments as the ultimate disloyalty. Blair should not take it personally. Extremists of all political stripes equate disagreement with betrayal.