Bush: Why Does Blair Keep Calling Me?

Nervous Bush Starting To Wonder Why Tony Blair Keeps Visiting, Calling Him

George W. Bush is believed to have asked his advisors why British prime
minister Tony Blair keeps calling him and visiting him at the White House.

Spokesman Ari Fleischer said the president was flattered with Mr. Blair's
attention, but that it was difficult to spend time with him: "Obviously he's
rather busy with this whole Afghanistan thing," he told reporters today.
"And lately, yes, he has been wondering why exactly Mr. Blair seems so
keen to talk to him. I guess it's not a very 'guy' thing to do. I would go so far
as to say it's unsettling."

Blair is believed to have called Bush every day for the last four weeks and
has repeatedly suggested meeting and spending time together, and the U.S.
president is said to be becoming increasingly agitated with Blair's persistence.
Some reports have suggested that the president now diverts all his calls from the
U.K. to his answering machine.

Bush: Flattered, but busy

There are conflicting reports of how Blair's latest visit came about, but it is
believed that he arrived at the White House and told staff he was just passing
through and wondered if President Bush was free so they could 'just hang out
together for a while.'

The incident is the latest in along line of apparent attempts by Mr. Blair to
make friends with other world leaders, most of which seem to have failed.

"None of them like him, except for Yasser Arafat," said an anonymous Foreign
Office spokesperson. "They all think he's a bit of a prat, to be honest."

Cherie Blair was unavailable for comment.