Cliff Stearns: “the decision of British Prime Minister Tony Blair to resign on June 27th marks the end of an era in U.S.-British…”

“the decision of British Prime Minister Tony Blair to resign on June 27th marks the end of an era in U.S.-British relationships. Blair's extraordinarily close alliance with President Bush has been a major force on the world stage since the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001. The Prime Minister has been an eloquent and passionate leader in confronting global terrorism. He deserves credit for his central role in the global war on terrorism and for having the courage to act on his convictions in the face of tremendous opposition within his own party and from other European governments. His steadfast support for the United States in the 4 years since 2001 and his key role in building the international coalition of the willing demonstrated principled leadership as well as vision. The strong U.S.-British relationship will certainly endure under Blair's successor. However, there is no doubt that this relationship was made better because of Tony Blair.”