Blair stands by Clinton during torrid media grilling

For 45 torrid minutes, the two leaders were brothers-in-arms as the American media, joined by their British brethren, tried to get Clinton to talk about the sex scandal. Of the 16 questions – eight from each side – ten related to the Lewinsky affair. Clinton maintained that he was honour-bound by the legal system not to answer them, even as he and Blair tried to divert the subject to more profound topics like war, peace and prosperity. But Iraq and everything else was adistant second.

Clinton also pointedly snubbed the American TV networks, not calling any of the heavyweight network correspondents to question, and instead singling out lesser known radio reporters. But the British media was equally interested in the sex scandal, devoting four of their questions to the subject.

The two men warded off the inquisition with a mix of humour and dodge, leaving an impudent press fulminating. Blair was the ideal foil, smiling calmly through the grilling and at one point, asking a lugubrious Clinton “Do you want me to come back in now?” to deflect a question.

In his remarks, the British Prime Minister made no bones of his affection for Clinton, saying after sharing the heights of world leadership with Clinton for nine months, he found in the president “someone I could trust, someone I could rely upon, someone I am proud to call not just a colleague but a friend.”

At one point when a reporter asked if Clinton appreciated Blair’s support, the President grabbed hold of hislectern with two hands, paused for effect, and sarcastically said “Do I appreciate it? No, I . . . ” Then lightened up and said “(what do you expect) that he should have come here and jumped all over me?”

From Churchill and Roosevelt to Thatcher and Reagan, British and US leaders have traditionally got along famously, but this was a unique love fest. The two men are of the same baby boomer generation and have many common interests and traits, from rock music to political ideology. Both brought their parties back to power by moving them from left to center and both have smart, thinking wives whose inputs they seem to value.

Both men lectured the press a couple of times. Once, Blair gently chided the newsmen saying “It just could be that sometimes you guys in the media are not in exactly the same pace as a lot of public opinion in terms of the priorities people have.” Pressed about his reported admission in his Paula Jones deposition about his affair with Gennifer Flowers, Clinton said he had toldthe American people all they needed to know at this point.

But gentle humour and laughter was more the order of the day even amid the reticence to talk too much about the sex scandal. CNN’s Wolf Blitzer pulled a fast one and stood up to ask a question when a radio reporter behind him was called. What did the President have to say to Monica Lewinsky now that her life has been changed forever? Blitzer asked.

“That’s good,” the President replied, and paused for a long time chewing on whether he was going to say more. Then he repeated: “That’s good. But at this minute I’m going to stick with my position: I’m not commenting.”