We continue to assert that Blair's PR team has new man on board who used to work for the Bush administration...

The bit where people now accept responsibility but not consequences... that's a worldwide infection these days. But we've got all this flip-flop messaging going on, we began the week with attempts to stop the press using words like 'gulag' (because the Coalition of the Willing is only imprisoning and torturing hundreds of people without trial, not millions... see here for an across-the-pond example) and now we have this...

Guardian - Clarke admits 'unacceptable failure' on deportations: "I am not going to go down the blame game here. Both the prison service and the IND failed to carry out their responsibilities in the way they ought to have done," said Mr Clarke.

Minister of State for immigration and citizenship Tony McNulty also used the "blame game" snippet/gambit in his interview on BBC television.

Ring any bells?