After more than ten years in office, the British Prime Minister Tony Blair will step down today. He will be succeeded by the current Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown. There has been speculation that Mr. Blair will become a special envoy in the Middle East for what’s known as the Quartet. The Americans have lobbied strongly in favor of Mr. Blair getting the job. And writing in a British newspaper, President Bush paid tribute to Mr. Blair. James Westin reports from Washington.

“Mr. Bush praised the Prime Minister’s ability to communicate, saying he wished he had his eloquence. The President acknowledged the problems their partnership over Iraq had cost Mr. Blair politically, but he rejected the suggestion that Tony Blair was Bush’s poodle as silly ridicule and background noise. The President said Mr. Blair was much bigger than that. He said their relationship was one of equals, during a time of war they had shared the same view of the enemy and the same determination to succeed. He said history will judge Mr. Blair kindly.”


Words and Expressions:

Quartet: a mediating entity including US, Russia, EU, and UN for the peace process in the Israel-Palestinian confict.
ridicule: unkind laughter or remarks that are intended to make someone or something seem stupid;
  嘲笑
lobby: to try to persuade the government or someone with political power that a law or situation should be changed;
  游说
be sb's poodle: BrE informal if someone is another person's poodle, they always do what the other person tells them to do      
  追随者