Mr Byers return to the political fray came as Mr Blair backed his beleaguered transport secretary.
If Mr Blair had wanted a quiet life, that's where he would have left it.
But he added that Mr Blair "taught me that pragmatism and openness in politics counts".
But for Mr Blair, it would not be splendid: it would be a reversal.
Mr Blair, the former Labour prime minister, publicly debated religion with Hitchens in November 2010.
Indeed, Mr Blair has taken care to give the mayor relatively weak formal powers.
Unlike Mr Blair, though, Mr Enkhbayar has far from won the battle for his party's soul.
Mr Blair is splendid when he is faced with an enemy to be defeated.
Mr Blair can also expect a healthy pay day from the sale of his memoirs.
France's president, Nicolas Sarkozy, has in the past suggested Mr Blair would make a fine president.
It is harder for Mr Blair to defend the war's strategy than its morality.
Mr Blair, the president's closest ally, has already said that Iraqis will decide Saddam's fate.
Even Mr Blair's half-hearted reforms have been condemned as vandalism by trade union reactionaries.
Mr Blair praised teachers and "dedicated NHS staff" and claimed that health waiting lists were falling.
Mr Blair said Britain's position in Europe had transformed in the past six years.
Mr Blair insisted the intelligence that the UK government had received over Iraq was correct.
Mr Blair pointed to high levels of investment in public services and economic stability under Labour.
Mr Blair said the political crisis in Northern Ireland had not produced a security crisis.
Mr Blair's comments have, however, gone down very well in the UK's major scientific institutions.
And on August 28th, Mr Blair himself appeared before Lord Hutton and gave a strong performance.
For this is precisely the message that Mr Blair is trying to stomp on.
Returning to London midweek, Mr Blair was forced to recognise the seriousness of his position.
Until the middle of last week, this was merely a bit embarrassing for Mr Blair.
Since his first blitzkrieg, Mr Blair has learnt just what a heavyweight his chancellor is.
Mr Blair's office said he was "sorry" the archbishop had decided to pull out.
BBC: Archbishop Tutu refuses platform with Tony Blair over Iraq
Mr Blair will today be steering a very wide berth around any computers he encounters.
In response to Sunday's article, Mr Blair issued a strongly worded defence of his decisions.
BBC: Desmond Tutu calls for Blair and Bush to be tried over Iraq
Mr Blair has, in effect, imposed on Labour the Grimond master-plan for the Liberals.
Earlier, a spokesman for Mr Blair urged patience until the warheads discovery had been assessed.
It has the blessing of the Middle East peace mission headed by Mr Blair.
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