Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair wants people to know he's not responsible for tossing Iraq into chaos, even though he eagerly signed on for George W. Bush's crusade against Saddam Hussein and fellow evil-doers, who apparently hoarded weapons of mass destruction and somehow were involved in the 9/11 terror attacks.
It was only strong-armed Saddam that held the fractious country drawn up by Blair's predecessors together. The predominantly US occupation served as referee to prevent Sunnis and Shiites, sects feuding since the 7th Century death of Muhammad, from slitting each others' throats.
With the US exit, Holy War is the core of the current debacle. President Obama is right not to jump into the mess with US guns blazing.
Blair's whiny defense of his Iraq policy, which ridicules "the claim that but for the removal of Saddam, we would not have a crisis" is rubbish. Out of office for the past seven years, Blair keeps busy advising pariah states like Kazakhstan and its human rights abuser leader Nursultan Nazarbayev.
As Blair's biographer, Philip Stephens, wrote in the Financial Times, the ex-PM is "paid handsomely in lending a cloak of respectability to a Central Asian tyrant." In joining the US invasion of Iraq, Tony provided a similar diplomatic cloak to Dubya. Warning: Blair is only 61. He’ll be spouting for some time.
And along comes Al Gore, whom I deeply respect for his strong performance on the vital global warming issue. Gore has a heavy think piece in the Rolling Stone that hits newsstands tomorrow. Get ready for pushback.
Al is telling supporters of his Climate Reality project that his piece is a "must-read." The former VP write despite news of irreversible melting ice sheets and other environmental disasters, he's "extremely hopeful for future of our great planet"
Al's problem is that he comes across as a know-it-all. It's up to readers of his "The Turning Point" piece to decide whether it is indeed a must-read.
Gore may have figured out the solution to fixing climate change. It's a shame he couldn’t figure out the importance of fighting for the vote in Florida during the 2000 election, which gave the presidency to Bush, who eventually teamed with Blair to give the world the mess in Iraq.
Way to go, Al.
Husch Blackwell Strategies has added FleishmanHillard alum Michael Slatin as a principal in its public affairs group.
Rory Cooper, a veteran Republican operative and policy specialist, has joined Teneo’s Washington office as senior managing director in its strategy & communications practice.
Brian Fallon, who served as national press secretary for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential run, is signing on next month as Vice President’s Kamala Harris’ campaign communications director.
TikTok is nothing more than a Chinese propaganda tool that poses “a grave threat to America’s national security and, in particular, impressionable children and young adults,” say two Congressmen who want the platform registered as a foreign agent.
Public Strategies Washington has added Abbie Sorrendino, a former aide to now Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
Have a comment? Send it to 
No comments have been submitted for this story yet.