LONDON--Tony Blair has been having a rough time of it recently: Leaked memos, accusations of being more concerned with his image than his government, poor poll showings, bickering between cabinet ministers, heckling at his speeches and worst of all, his teenage son found passed out in his own vomit in central London.

Vice-President Al Gore '69 hasn't had it much better. The press is ignoring him, the polls are against him and even if he achieves a big "bounce" from the upcoming convention, his chosen VP can still upstage him.

There is no doubt that Blair would like things to continue as they are between the U.S. and the U.K. The famous Clinton-Blair constellation has shone brightly in both countries, making Blair seem privileged in America's favors, Clinton seem more cultured. In the interest of preserving this mutual "most favored nation" friendship Blair might be spending less time worrying about "eye-catching initiatives" and more time trying to boost his future co-world-leader's spirits.

This is what a leaked memo from the Blair camp to the Gore camp might look like:

FROM: TB

TO: Al

RE: Campaign 2000

Cheer up old boy, it's not as bad as it looks. Sure, you're down in the polls, so am I. But don't buy into doom-and-gloom politics. It's all about putting a positive spin on things.