‘Leadership’ takes its toll

Watching the televised reports of the news conferences given yesterday by Blair in London and Dubya in Washington, I was struck by how the strain is showing in the British Prime Minister’s demeanour. He was wide-eyed (and sometimes wild-eyed) and pale; his hair was sticking up; and there were times when he appeared to be stammering, lost for words.

He looked, to be honest, like a guy who was losing it.

Dubya, in contrast, was tanned, smiling and relaxed.