As Dubya so eloquently put it, “This guy can really . . . he can talk.” A nice scene in Parliament here this morning, one that Bush himself won’t be receiving in any guise, I expect. He’s already tendered his resignation to the Queen; Gordon Brown will be sworn in shortly. Click the image to watch.

He did say a word about Iraq before leaving:

Blair opened his comments by expressing condolences to the families of fallen soldiers, but said soldiers in Iraq are fighting for “the security of this country and the wider world.” And he described British troops as “the bravest and the best.”

A report issued yesterday by a think thank pointed to the British strategy in Basra as what not to do in transitioning Iraq from occupation to self-rule.

Here are a few of his greatest hits, assembled back in May when he set the date for his resignation. FYI, his appointment as lead Middle East envoy for “the Quartet” is almost a done deal. Exit question: He’s got a silver tongue and plenty of experience in peace negotiations thanks to his work in Northern Ireland, but is Tony Blair really a guy who’s going to inspire conciliation in Arabs right now?

Update: According to Bertie Ahern, Blair’s already accepted the position as envoy.