Space Weasel

Great story in the Guardian on how Blair refused to say sorry in his speech yesterday.

This is the true way of the weasel. First of all, brief journalists that you're going to apologise. Then, in your speech, mention the word apology, but don't actually apologise. In fact, refuse to apologise.

And because journalists are inherently sloppy and lazy, for the first few newsbite hours at least, you'll be reported as having apologised (because that's how they were briefed), which will seem magnanimous, but your opponents won't be able to point to an actual form of words. And your thick supporters, bless them, won't be able to tell the difference, so they'll keep saying you apologised (if that's what they wanted to hear) even though you didn't.

Tony Blair freaks me out, appearance-wise. He's got those little teddy bear button eyes, they're like little black dots and don't look remotely human. And his skin and features look oddly inhuman as well. Pressures of office, probably. Mrs Thatch looked weirder as time went on. Blair looks like he stepped off one of whitely Strieber's flying saucers. Half human, half weasel.