Twin monumental lack of judgments

The Labour Party has recently raised funds for itself by auctioning a copy of the Hutton report signed by Cherie Blair: the report whitewashed over the “suicide” of the government scientist Dr David Kelly who's strangely timely death was intimately linked to those Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) that Tony (that’s Cherie’s husband) promised us were the reason for the Iraq war. A Tory MP has complained that the auction was a "monumental lack of judgment" which makes me wonder where that leaves WMD and the war on Iraq. Grossly insensitive certainly, but at least it’s a refreshing change of direction from auctioning honours.

Meanwhile in America they are commemorating abject failure in foreign policy too. They have named a new assault ship the USS New York which includes 24 tons of steel from the twin towers – that prequel to Iraq and as attractive as calling it the USS Bermuda Triangle. But surely they missed an opportunity to be even more crass by not giving the name to an aircraft carrier. It might make approaching pilots and their passengers a bit nervous but on the other hand they might be reassured on the basis that lightening tends not to strike twice - unless you count those twin towers.

So if naming things is now the new way to say “I’m sorry” how about Tony following suit with a HMS Kelly, or is a HMS Hutton already on the books?