When was Tony's talk to congress arranged? Was it before Nigergate

[karlschneider]

started heating up? I am smelling a rat here...wondering if he's going to produce some kind of 'smoking gun' about WMDs or some other tidbit to try to absolve Shrub. Maybe I'm just wearing my :tinfoilhat: a little tight today...
:eyes:

[TheBigGuy]

1. yeah..good to know.

But even so, I think Bush needed to sandbag the levee a bit, even with out NigerGate, due to the continuing casulties and hit & run attacks....

,,,so Blairs presence to 'stay the course' would have made sense anway.

But yeah, when was this decsion to address Congress made...if after NigerGate...then it would be very suspect.

[karlschneider]

2. I was trying to recall when I first heard about it (Tony's trip) and it

seems awfully recent. Maybe I can google something up...

[asjr]

3. Blair

Blair will only make things worse. If he tries to make us believe his intelligence is valid he is wasting his time. Is he going to accept his "Medal of Honor?"

[ewagner]

4. If memory serves me....

Arrangements for Tony to receive some kind of medal were announces shortly before the (in)famous carrier landing....

Can somebody confirm this?

btw....maybe I need a tinfoil hat, but I'm also a little edgy about this speech.

[trof]

5. Just heard on CNN

that the trip was planned before the wheels started to come off over here.
I've also read that Blair will not be presented with the congressional gold medal or whatever the hell it is because...um...the paperwork isn't ready?...or some such lame excuse.

[Capt_Nemo]

6. A rat indeed, and a 3 foot one!

I suspect that he will lecture the Democrats in his sanctimonious
tone to stop questioning the WH over Iraq, to stop demanding an
inquiry into intel failures, and get back at being good americans,
waving flags and kissing GWB's butt.

Democratic demands for investigations into the matter will in that
light be portrayed by the media as shameless partisan exploitation.
Democrats having been made look like fools by Blair will be cowed
into submission.

That is what they are preparing and I'm afraid that the Dems are not
ready for this stab in the back.