Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair submitted his resignation to the Queen in a twenty-five minute closed door meeting today and then drove to his constituency in Northern England to resign as a lawmaker and is expected to take up his post with the Quartet of Mideast Peace Mediators.

Mr. Blair has been a very good and loyal friend to the United States and I, for one, will miss him.

He is expected to be replaced by Treasury chief Gordon Brown. I hope he’s as good a friend to us as Tony Blair.