As the former PM recommended Mr Bush's policies to 400 millionaire bankers in Las Vegas, former ally Bill Clinton was campaigning in Nevada for his wife Hillary, who hopes to be the Democratic candidate for the White House and is an arch Bush critic.
In a move liable to be interpreted as a stab in the back for Hillary's campaign, Mr Blair – who was paid £125,000 for his 35-minute speech – said: "George Bush is an amazingly strong and steady President...which is what America and the world needs."