'Early Show' Follows Other Nets with Blair 'Bush's Poodle' Line

The three major networks covered news of British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s resignation with the left-wing "Bush’s poodle" line. On "Good Morning America," ABC’s David Wright demonstrated the most bias stating, "Bill Clinton’s sidekick became George Bush’s poodle, or so they see it here." On "Today" NBC’s Dawna Freisen noted, "he became, of course, America’s closest ally but that came at a price here at home. He was eventually derided here as America’s poodle."

The May 10 edition of "The Early Show" was no exception as CBS’s Sheila MacVicar stated: "But at home, Blair has been labeled Bush's poodle, at too willing ally who led his country into Iraq." In their generally negative story "The Early Show" relied on the expertise of Simon Hoggart of The Guardian, a left wing British publication and hardly an objective source.

Simon Hoggart ran the paraphrased left wing talking point, "Blair lied, people died!"

MACVICAR: But at home, Blair has been labeled Bush's poodle, at too willing ally who led his country into Iraq.

HOGGART: It's Iraq that's really going to be his legacy. The information, the intelligence, it was all gussied up, it was all tweaked. We were misled, frankly.

The entire transcript is below

HARRY SMITH: A change at the top in Britain. After ten years, Prime Minister Tony Blair is stepping down. CBS News correspondent Sheila MacVicar is live in London with the latest. Sheila, good morning.

SHEILA MACVICAR: Good morning, Harry. Well, it's a big day for Tony Blair and a big day for Britain. Tony Blair announcing just a few moments ago that he will stand down as Labor party leader and, thus, the country's prime minister on the 27th of June, about seven weeks from now. Today marks the beginning of what will be a long good-bye.

BRITISH PRIME MINISTER TONY BLAIR: The day I announce my decision to stand down from the leadership of the Labor party, the party will now select a new leader. On the 27th of June, I will tender my resignation from the office of prime minister to the queen.

MACVICAR: Britain's prime minister traveled to his northern constituency this morning to make the long-awaited announcement. What a difference a decade makes. When Tony Blair became prime minister ten years ago, he was elected with a huge popular mandate.

BLAIR: We are now, today, the people's party.

MACVICAR: What began with such promise is ending under the shadow of the deeply unpopular war in Iraq.

SIMON HOGGART, THE GUARDIAN: He was incredibly popular at first. He had a 93 percent approval rating. It's very different now. It's a feeling he's had his day, it's been long enough, and Iraq was a big, big misjudgment.

MACVICAR: He ends his career as prime minister with 63 percent of voters thinking he was mediocre to disastrous. In interviews, it is on Iraq that he takes a hammering.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Given the number of people who have died since the conflict, you never seem to be sorry about it.

BLAIR: Hang on a minute. Of course I'm -- I am devastated by the numbers of people who have died in Iraq.

MACVICAR: It's now a fixture of parliamentary life that Blair mark the death of every British service person killed in Iraq or Afghanistan. What has added to the damage is a close relationship between Blair and President Bush.

PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: He's a friend of mine. I trust his judgment, and I appreciate his wisdom.

MACVICAR: But at home, Blair has been labeled Bush's poodle, at too willing ally who led his country into Iraq.

HOGGART: It's Iraq that's really going to be his legacy. The information, the intelligence, it was all gussied up, it was all tweaked. We were misled, frankly.

MACVICAR: Iraq threatens to overshadow everything else the Blair government accomplished. He helped make peace in Northern Ireland. He leaves behind a thriving economy.

DAVID CAMERON, CONSERVATIVE PARTY LEADER: This is the government of the living dead!

BLAIR: This is a government that has run the strongest economy this country has seen in ten years. Come a general election, it's policy that counts and on policy, we win and he loses!

MACVICAR: Blair, with his young family and high-flying lawyer wife, brought new energy to Downing Street. Although he was allegedly not the queen's favorite prime minister of the ten she has dealt with, he has been the second longest serving. In the next seven weeks, the Labor party will choose a new leader, very likely going to be Gordon Brown who most handedly lives right next door at number 11, and he will become Britain's next prime minister.