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Britain
Celebrities join bid to impeach Blair
2004-11-24
Has-been, second-rate Celebrity anti-war campaigners who belong on the other side will join MPs in Westminster to call for Prime Minister Tony Blair's impeachment. Some 23 MPs have signed a Commons motion calling for the Prime Minister to be thrown out of office for "gross misconduct". Author Iain Banks, playwright Harold Pinter and musician Brian Eno are due to join them for a photocall in Parliament.
Ahah! The Brit equivalents to Barbra Streisand. That'll work well. Can we loan them Michael Moore? How about Whoopi Goldberg?
It is the first attempt in 198 years to impeach a British Prime Minister. The addled group says Blair misled Parliament and the country over the case for war, destroying "the fundamental principle of parliamentary democracy".
That was the vote that got a majority in the Parliament, right?
It is demanding a select committee of MPs be set up to examine the PM's conduct in relation to the war and decide whether there are grounds to impeach him on charges of gross misconduct.
I thought this was settled, why do they need a committee?
Plaid Cymru MP Adam Price, who started the campaign, also wants a Commons debate on the Prime Minister's conduct. "We must make a stand or watch the democracy we have fought so often for against foreign enemies be subverted from within," he said.
But enough about George Galloway!
"The rules of constitutional conduct have been brushed aside. The Cabinet table has been replaced with the sofa, Cabinet minutes with email and the facts replaced with belief. People say politicians do nothing and are all alike. Today we make a stand for parliamentary democracy. We ask our colleagues and the people to help us restore the accountability of the Government to Parliament."
They could start by tossing these guys.
Posted by:God Save The World

#21  The rules of constitutional conduct have been brushed aside.

Um, could somebody please tell me where the UK's Constitution is? Cuz, I was under the impression they didn't have one...
Posted by: Laurence of the Rats   2004-11-24 10:32:38 PM  

#20  Bulldog, Howard, and other respected cousins:
Don't worry there is a cure for Celeburtus-Herroidious! Usually it disappears after the people have an election and firmly reject them. Unforutantely, it will flare up about a year from the next election cycle. While irritating, it will not affect your health over the long term. After the election you will see a flare up of: Politicus-Blamus. Usualy this only affects the LLL but it can be tranfered to selected conservative entities (with little affect).
Posted by: Cyber Sarge   2004-11-24 3:58:33 PM  

#19  Double damn. Banks, writing SF as "Iain M." has one of the more interesting universes going. "The Player of Games" and "Consider Phlebas", for example, or the latest - "Excession".

His other stuff (notably "The Bridge") was, well, mediocre...
Posted by: mojo   2004-11-24 3:42:48 PM  

#18  Fifteen was chosen because he was dumb,
Seven because he was blind:
I got the job because I was so mean,
While somehow appearing so kind.
Drifting about through the cauliflower trees
With a cauliflower ear for the birds,
The squadron assembled what senses they had
And this is the sound that they heard....

(please mentally insert bong noise)

- Brian Eno, Back In Judy's Jungle (from Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy)

With enemies like this how can the man loose?
Posted by: Secret Master   2004-11-24 1:23:59 PM  

#17  Useless arrogant idiots is a good descriptive phrase for the so-called celebs. These celebs (ours and theirs) are a part of the self-annointed crowd who have mistaken the rest of us for someone who really gives a damn about what they have to say. This bunch is still trying to figure out why the Dems lost the election.
Posted by: John Q. Citizen   2004-11-24 1:15:43 PM  

#16  Plaid Cymru
SNORK! (excuse me.)

Completely useless political party. If anyone wants see how bad a political party can get PC wise you need only look at what they are involved in and pushing on others. Left wing bigots with a Welsh face.
Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom   2004-11-24 1:04:15 PM  

#15  Jihadee celebs are like hemorrhoids.

Yea verily, one has the "itch" to give them a swift kick in the place where hemmeroids originate!
Posted by: BigEd   2004-11-24 11:44:46 AM  

#14  This crowd is a slow learner, that's for sure. John Howard won in Australia with an increase in his majority. Dubya won in the States with an increase in his majority. Maybe they should try a new tactic, or even have a new idea for once.
Posted by: Seafarious   2004-11-24 11:43:38 AM  

#13  Can we trade their "Useful Idiots" for ours? They'd still be "idiots" and just as useLESS, but we'd at least get to hear stupidity in a different accent!

I freely admit that this would be a bad idea of Anglo-American relations. Since after 20 minutes of Streisand's nasal twang the Brits would probably declare war on us.
Posted by: Justrand   2004-11-24 11:36:33 AM  

#12  Jack,

Useful idiots is popularly credited to Lenin, but I could not find a definitive atribution.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis   2004-11-24 10:55:20 AM  

#11  ...We must make a stand...

History is made.
Posted by: Jules 187   2004-11-24 10:50:23 AM  

#10  Shades of Rove. The bleatings of celeb idiotarians on both sides of the pond are the best weapon Blair-Bush could ask for.
Posted by: lex   2004-11-24 10:47:41 AM  

#9  I love it! Ambient music finds its voice.

The Daily Telegraph, I believe, coined a phrase for these folks - "Useful Idiots".

But I do believe, Karl Rove must be behind the scenes helping TB. This is exactly the kind of publicity Blair needs to keep his power base motivated.

By the way, that is one of the quid pro quos Bush dealt back to TB - Karl Rove's consultation in 2005.
Posted by: Jack is Back   2004-11-24 10:37:00 AM  

#8  Forgot to add , they are the darlings of al guardian . Says it all really .
Posted by: MacNails   2004-11-24 9:08:48 AM  

#7  Damn - I really like Iain M. Banks (SciFi books). Harold Pinters days have been and gone and as for Plaid Cymru (Welsh Nationalists) involvement! - well, it's a laugh a minute.

And really, what is it about celebrities that make them think people will listen to them on issues that are totally divorced from the reason for their celebrity? (wow, that was convoluted).
Posted by: Tony (UK)   2004-11-24 8:45:47 AM  

#6  Hardly celebs as such . And I agree with BD , these monkeys , and thats all they are , will be more likely to do Blair a favour . They are just after some much needed publicity , seeing as their books , plays , and music have been faltering since their *cough* bestsellers et al grabbed the headlines years ago .
Brian who ?
Posted by: MacNails   2004-11-24 5:40:34 AM  

#5  The word that comes to mind when I think of Iain Banks is - mediocre.
Posted by: phil_b   2004-11-24 4:41:37 AM  

#4  Iain Banks and Brian Eno although geniuses in their respective spheres are also both acid casualties par excellence - bring 'em on - let's hear em burble.. bwahahaha!
Posted by: Howard UK   2004-11-24 4:09:48 AM  

#3  Dunno, Bulldawg, I just am of the opinion that the fcuking celerbrites should MTOB and keep their silly utterances, outshining each other, to their parties.

There were times when actors were considered real lowlifes, not too many a century ago. Seems that kept them in check and they were doing just their job, acting. I miss those times.
Posted by: Conanista   2004-11-24 4:03:51 AM  

#2  I'm not sure it's such a bad thing. This bunch of loonies haven't a hope of succeeding; all they're likely to do is get Blair's actions officially vindicated.
Posted by: Bulldog   2004-11-24 3:09:08 AM  

#1  Jihadee celebs are like hemorrhoids. The affect the same bodily area and flare up every once in a while. I recommend Tony rub Celeb-B-Gone on his bee-hind every so often.
Posted by: Capt America   2004-11-24 2:00:02 AM  

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