The long goodbye

Tony Blair has finally announced he will be leaving office, and he's chosen June 27th as the day to hand his resignation to the Queen. Of course, she'll be a little preoccupied that day celebrating my birthday. (Tony, Liz and I will call you on the cell between bars. Or meet us in the wig department at Harrods.)

For anyone who doubts America's reputation in the world, consider this critique in which "American" and "schmaltzy" are analogous.

He ended the speech with an assertion that Britain is “a blessed nation…the greatest country on earth”. Most Oxford-trained lawyers with an interest in international politics would find that too schmaltzy, too American. -- The Economist, May 10th, 2007

Full article: http://www.economist.com/daily/news/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9142360&top_story=1