# Tony Blair Refuses to Accept US Medal **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 23, 2004, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tony-blair-refuses-to-accept-us-medal/261144 "2004-08-23T21:18:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![WoodCM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7bcc69/32.png) [@WoodCM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WoodCM)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tony-blair-refuses-to-accept-us-medal/261144/21 "2004-08-24T00:11:37Z")
Blair is an evil person. For him to refuse the above-mentioned ‘honour’ is just a sign that he is not so stupid. It would destroy too much his carefully crafted propaganda about himself. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tony-blair-refuses-to-accept-us-medal/261144/22 "2004-08-24T05:03:23Z")
> [@pravnik](#): > > Actually, I don’t believe the gold medal was being awarded for Mr. Blair’s political beliefs or support of U.S. policy, but rather for his stellar perfomance in the International Head of State Judo Competition, which I understand the U.S. recently hosted on board the carrier U.S.S. Harry S. Truman. > > Personally, I don’t believe he would have made it as far as he did had Ayatollah Ali Hoseini Khameni of Iran not dropped out. And damn NBC for not televising it. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tony-blair-refuses-to-accept-us-medal/261144/23 "2004-08-24T06:07:48Z")
Don’t be silly! America is the focus of the world’s admiration and affection, most especially in Europe, where Yurpeens often pause in thier daily routines to speak glowingly to each other about President Pooosh (aren’t they cute?). All Yurpeen leaders envy Blair’s special status as Bush’s bit… loyal and forthright ally. He would like nothing better than an opportunity to be seen standing next to The Leader of the Free World again, and send his home approval rating soaring! As would any Yurpeen leader seeking to endear himself to his electorate. Even I, in my capacity as Queen of Romania… ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tony-blair-refuses-to-accept-us-medal/261144/24 "2004-08-24T06:35:29Z")
Bush should not be giving Blair a medal. Especially not while hostilities are on, and probably not ever. I’ve never liked the practice of politicians giving each other medals, and in this case it seems clearly exploitative. Blair was right to refuse it. I’m dredging a faint memory here. Wasn’t there a ‘Congressional Medal of Honor’ that was distinct from the Medal of Honor? I seem to recall that at some point Congress decided that it should give out its own version of the MoH, but eventually opposition to the idea stopped it. Or did I dream it? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tony-blair-refuses-to-accept-us-medal/261144/25 "2004-08-24T06:41:44Z")
“…and J-Lo was advancing towards me, naked, smiling, carrying a plate of freedom fries and some mayonaisse, and that Congregational Medal of Honor, and then Anne Murray started to sing and I woke up screaming…” ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tony-blair-refuses-to-accept-us-medal/261144/26 "2004-08-24T06:54:47Z")
It could be worse. It could be Anne Murray walking towards me naked and J-Lo singing. ---
**Author:** ![SentientMeat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@SentientMeat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SentientMeat)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tony-blair-refuses-to-accept-us-medal/261144/27 "2004-08-24T11:06:45Z")
The British are exceptionally wary of anything which could even be _construed_ as interfering with a US election. I suspect Bush must have ouright _ignored_ his senior diplomats who would have told him so repeatedly. (Which, of course, would not surprise me one bit.) There was talk of the EU instituting tariffs on products from important battleground states (_eg._ Florida orange juice) to punish Bush for his illegal 2-year steel scam - I suspect Blair spoke up against this also. Blair is beginning to call in all kinds of favours from Bush in many different international negotiations. Should Bush return to office he might find himself having to emerge from the pit he’s dug by eating a lot of dirt. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tony-blair-refuses-to-accept-us-medal/261144/28 "2004-08-24T15:17:46Z")
> [@Sam Stone](#): > > It could be worse. It could be Anne Murray walking towards me naked and J-Lo singing. …the horror…the horror… ---
**Author:** ![duality72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duality72/32/3910_2.png) [@duality72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duality72)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tony-blair-refuses-to-accept-us-medal/261144/29 "2004-08-24T17:11:04Z")
> [@Sam Stone](#): > > I’m dredging a faint memory here. Wasn’t there a ‘Congressional Medal of Honor’ that was distinct from the Medal of Honor? I seem to recall that at some point Congress decided that it should give out its own version of the MoH, but eventually opposition to the idea stopped it. Or did I dream it? The [Congressional Medal of Honor](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medal_of_honor#Congressional_Medal_of_Honor) is simply an MoH awarded by Congress rather than the chain of command. ---
**Author:** ![Planet\_of\_the\_Shapes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Planet\_of\_the\_Shapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Planet_of_the_Shapes)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tony-blair-refuses-to-accept-us-medal/261144/30 "2004-08-24T18:46:10Z")
> [@SentientMeat](#): > > Blair is beginning to call in all kinds of favours from Bush in many different international negotiations. Eh? You got any examples of this? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tony-blair-refuses-to-accept-us-medal/261144.md?page=1)