How much do you have to fail to get a position of power in the EU? This consistently is the theme for positions of power. Screw up at home but be "important" and you will always have a place in Brussels. Start a war in Iraq and then get a cushy job as a Middle East envoy without ever delivering results and you're a leading candidate. Heck, you can even make millions "consulting" for banksters, but why should that matter? And the other leading candidate? And why should that trifling fact get into such a story during a world economic crisis led by the people that give him millions? That would be the current German Chancellor, so how is she a candidate? That's easy. If she loses her election in the autumn, consider her in the game.
Mr Blair will have spent two years in the Middle East role by July, giving him a legitimate opportunity to claim he has devoted enough time to the job.So now Blair is using his failed efforts and riding on the backs of those who he has done so little to help to base his campaign on for President. And to think that people wonder why the EU remains an impotent and suspect organization. Go figure.
But critics will say Mr Blair has failed to make any significant breakthrough. There is also little chance of progress towards the two-state solution under the new hardline Israeli government led by Binyamin Netanyahu.
In a sign that Mr Blair's mind is on an exit from the Middle East, he said in Brussels: "I think the next six months will be completely critical in determining whether this process will move forward or whether it will slip back. I do believe that if there is not significant progress in the year 2009, the peace process will be in very great jeopardy, because there are decisions that have to be taken."
