maybe if the camel in not seeking salvation - that load that keeps it outside the needle can be optimized for its market value.

It is the arsonist that becomes the paid fire fighter. Maybe an influential admiral who seeks appointment to a full production weapons system producer's board of directors or joins a market capital investor cabal that seeks to own the indefinite quantity service market for medical care and psychological trauma rehabilitation for those returning from the war which he promoted atleast has the odor of the fully loaded camel.

Your knowledge of hip hop is most impressive. Kudos.

Tony Blair? Hmm, isn’t he the sanctimonious prig that used to carry his ‘Christian faith’ around with him on his sleeve? It is fakes like Blair that prefer to talk the talk rather than walking the walk (if your so disposed you can include Bush too) that help feed the world’s growing cynicism about organized religion.

The erroneous and inttentionally deceptive reasons for invading Iraq are a ticking time bomb that will sooner or later go off. We know it happened, we know who did it and it is an imminent threat to world peace and the national security of all nations. Might Makes Right is not a pretty sight!!!

If a comer like Blair wanted personal wealth, he had many choices for better pay at virtually any point in his career. I challenge those who want to help re-distribute Blair's income to name the path they are using to get their money to the needy. Liberals are notoriously stingy givers, relative the the church-goers, which is one of the reasons we keep losing elections.

Whatever his faults and credulity, Blair is a phenom, reaching top office at early age. Brit gov't is a far more demanding career than ours, in terms of education, process and policy. Tony was competent to hold any portfolio in his cabinet, whereas Gov. George W. maybe could have done DOE, or Karl Rove's job, or ambassador to someplace friendly, with coaching.

Pres. Bush never could have held his ground in an open forum, done battle with the opposition the way Sir Tony did weekly with his parliament. Watching Tony face the mob and smash the questions back across the net was high sport.

Blair didn't revolve out of public office into stock-option millions, the way young Rummy and Cheney did. He held onto the top job with the tenacity of an addict, until future PM Brown was demanding promises in writing. Since leaving office, Blair has devoted considerable time in forums cultivating a path out of occupied Palestine for Israel, which was his first-choice foreign policy project in the new century. Not invading and certainly not occupying Iraq.

Sir Tony knows he has sinned. Let's not forget that he had to work with the yank we elected, twice.

WW, being able to think, walk and talk at the same time is a characteristic of the British political class. It may be a marvel here to find a politician who can actually put two coherent English sentences together but in the UK they can often do it in Latin also. Highly articulate speaking laced with classical references and a cutting wit is a trademark of the political discourse in the British Parliament. I only wish we had a robust ‘question time’ in this country.

My beef with Blair is his lap dog approach to relations with the United States. At the time I thought it was pretty despicable that a guy with Blair’s undoubted brains is down on all fours licking the butt of a boob like Bush. Committing his country to a war of asinine proportions based upon fraudulent intelligence ginned up by American right wing nut cases stripped him of both his honor and integrity. He is going to have to set up one hell of a lot of foundations for this and that to make up for that grotesque stupidity.

Tonly Blair should bound over to an internation court and tried for crimes against humanity. Pelican Bay would be a nice place for a war pig like Blair. At least he would be amoung his own.

Mr. Ricks....Who gives a rat shit about his tawdry money deals? Aggesive war and mass murder rank a little higher on the scale of justice than the usual money grubbing of corupt politicians. Please.

Blair holds a Bush provoked role as Middle East Envoy for the UN, EU, US and Russia which could well be one of the thorns in the peace process since his extensive personal interests are anything but Palestinian. I have always regarded him as a dangerous and devious man who should not be allowed any role in global affairs.