I HAD to read John Rentoul's toadying feature on 'Superman' Blair to the end to assure myself that irony was not his intention.

While I personally agree wholeheartedly with our PM's stance on this issue, I would like to offer a different perspective than Mr Rentoul's enthusiastic analysis.

In common with other left-wing writers, I have no doubt that Mr Rentoul was initially cautioning against an ill thought out US backlash.

Frustrating Mr. Rentoul's, and others', portrayal of him as an idiot, Bush has assembled around himself an impressive war "cabinet"; powerful and experienced people treated with respect by the President, working together to achieve a considered consensus. This is now interpreted as "dithering".

By contrast, we see President Blair jetting off to N.Y.C. and Washington with his aides and the 'First Lady', giving interviews on the White House, sorry, 10 Downing Street lawn, sidelining his Cabinet colleagues (including the Minister of Defence!), treating Parliament with contempt and generally taking on rather a lot himself.

Mr Rentoul praises his ability to "pre-empt the slower beasts of the jungle". Most others will recognise that this sort of behaviour is absolutely true to form; only the context has changed, in a most frightening way, and the dangers ought to concern even the truly sycophantic like Mr Rentoul.

John Morris

Coniston Road

Blackrod, Bolton PRESIDENTIAL STYLE: Tony Blair