Sligo Today Editorial
The tail has wagged the dog.........The old adage of 'a week is along time in politics' has well and truly been gazumped by 'a day is a long time in politics'. The Green lapdog finally turned on it's master a bit hard. Well, if you ill-treat a pet and continuously humiliate it for long enough, it will either run away or snap. Running away will ensure that the trough of goodies, which the lapdog loves to slaver over, is gone forever.
Snapping back at one's master may incur a swift reprimand, or a trip to the vet to have certain appendages removed, or even a lethal injection. What fate now awaits the turbulent Greens.
Having already voted positively to support the embattled former Defence Minister, the rudderless Greens did an about turn (no change there then) that any Sergeant Major would have been proud of, and plunged the knife into the vertically challenged minister's back and sealed his fate. They have consigned his derričre to the backbenches for forever and a day, where he can languish with Bertie et al, and enjoy a six-figure 'hardship bonus' to ease the pain of the resignation, plus an overly generous ministerial pension, lots of unvouched expenses and a very healthy salary.
No doubt he will chair some dithering committees which will further fatten his stuffed wallet. Not a bad life for sorting out a few Limerick medical cards and housing waiting lists. Will he, at some time in the future, make a Mandelsonlike recovery to again adorn the cabinet table and avail of Merc, driver and all the trappings of ministerial wealth. Word from inside the tent is filled with phrases like..snowball's chance...in your dreams....hell freezing over and suchlike. The loyalty for a fallen comrade is truly overwhelming!
It certainly has been an eventful few weeks starting with George Lee jumping from the Fine Gael boat of hope. Has George had a glimpse through some mystical portal and seen a future not so rosy as Kenny fights for his leadership?
Enda’s newly found animated screaming sessions, like a demented banshee, have further alienated him from FG Parliamentary lackeys. Storm clouds are building, and through the political mist and mire, certain personalities are jockeying for position. Some like ‘Bruton the Younger’ have already declared their intentions, but watch out for some surprises as the FG camp becomes more divided. The FG leader (for now) would be well advised to take heed of some of Shakespeare’s lines in Julius Caesar. 'Beware the Ides of March' and 'Et tu Brut..on'.
By the way the 'Ides' is believed to be the 15th. Now why would that matter?
DeBruen from the Greens through her toys out of the pram because she couldn't go on holidays to Brussels and play with the big boys and girls. The Irish electorate, a finicky but wise lot, told her earlier in the year to stop dreaming. Did she listen..no. In her childish way, she tried to get into the fun party through the back door. But party planner Geoghan-Quinn was having none of it and told her to stay put with the other political babies. And so the tantrums started. Another one bit the dust.
So now the country can relax for a while, no further political upheavals expected.
Afraid not, the next big kafuffle is about to explode. The target this time, is the Donegal-based ‘gaffe-prone’ Tánaiste.
Coughlan has ‘upset the appletart’ (Bertieism) too many times.
Her record, has been described by a member of the Fianna Fail National Executive, Jerry Beades, as appalling. He has called for the Taoiseach to sack her from her elevated position.
There is a significant amount of disquiet in the FF party over her abject failure on the jobs front. Her dismal expedition, along with O’Dea, on their ill-fated trip to the States, to secure the future of the Dell employees will not be forgotten.
Her steadfast reluctance to tackle Cadbury’s new owners and even attempt to save some of the ‘earmarked for downsizing’ jobs has not endeared her to some of her own cabinet colleagues.
The latest spat with Ryanair’s O’Leary showed that not only is she is not in control of her portfolio, but that she allowed her personal animosity towards him to cloud her judgement and thus created a debacle that has already lost hundreds of much needed jobs and is set to lose hundreds more.
Her fate was sealed when attending the much-hyped meeting with O’Leary when she further displayed her contempt for him by turning up fifteen minutes late.
When she falls from grace, the junior coalition partners will not take the credit, no this time the knife will come from within her own ranks.
From an extremely high level.
Who said, there's no excitement in this country anymore?
Ciaran McCarthy
Editor
Your comments, good or bad, are welcome to editor@sligotoday.ie
Posted on 20/02/10 : 12:12:18