I’m a Ronseal Politician

Direct quote from Michael McDowell, the shiny new leader of the PDs on the 6.01 News.
As anyone who read this post will know, I am more fond of Michael McDowell, than I would be of say, Liz O’Donnell or Tom Parlon – and honestly, did they even think they could win the leadership contest?
But what does McDowell mean? He used the line in relation to his straight open, up and down persona he has created. Equally though it could mean that he identifies with the layer of noxious slime that you spend ages rubbing on to bits of wood that protects against wind, rain and liberals.
    

I’m Just A Blogger

I was originally posting this as a comment to my post below but it got too long.

Do I believe that the opposition have policies? Yes.  Do I believe they’ve good policies? Some, I’m sure. Are those policies enough to convince me to vote for them? No.
I apologise to those who expect flawless use of the English language in every sentence I write – it may have been intemperate and fuzzy to say Voting for change is not enough – we must be voting for something, for an approach based on more than “not being the government”. From what I can see Labour/FG have been pulling shapes** about these issues rather than offering constructive alternatives – and in reality there aren’t always alternatives.
And as tedious as it is to repeat myself, I basically meant that MY intertreptation (as far as I can see) from watching Q&A, The Week in Politics and reading the papers like any other average Irish voter is that there seems to be more emphasis on being not-FF/PD than carving out distinct policy identities. That is not to say that they don’t have policies, just that one gets the impression they don’t matter as much when one is urged to “voting for change”. As for copernicus’s assertion that I have not fully engaged with those policies  - depending on his definition, I might not have –– I haven’t sat down and read all their press releases and policy documents. I did attend one of Enda Kenny’s meeting-the-people public meetings and while Enda isn’t all that engaging, I was attentive.
I’m just a blogger, I write this crap because I enjoy it. I don’t pretend I’m Gene Kerrigan or a political philosopher. Correct when I’m wrong, argue with me ‘til the cows come home, but please don’t expect me to know everything about all political parties in Ireland. This is not a cop-out, but how I use my vote is not contigent on indepth knowledge of the footnotes of  Sinn Fein’s economics documents.
As I stated below I’m not voting for change because “I simply do not trust Enda Kenny or  Pat Rabbit to not make any more bad decisions or to improve on what we already have.”

It’s also worth remembering that most people don’t vote in favour of 100% of a party’s policies. In the vast array of issues that political parties form positions on, only a few really matter to each individual. If the candidate or party ticks that particular box, less important issues are ignored. As far as I’m concerned voting for the idea of change is not enough – and if the nebulous concept of change is what matters to some voters, it’ll be interesting to see how exactly Labour/FG/etc will harness that as well as presenting unique identities to the rest of us.

As much as I’d love to stay and discuss this more, I’m off for the next week. In the meantime, buy the Pipette’s new album – they’re good fun or see Stacy Earle and Mark Stuart in Whelans on Sunday. .

Update – a few more bloggers on this – Damien Mulley, Richard Waghorne and Colm@InFactAh.

It’s All Black and White for Me, Baby*

Simon McGarr at tuppenceworth.ie has written a summons of sorts, a wail into the greyness of Irish politics - he wants to us to vote for change, to vote for the opposition.
The phrase “vote for change” has been forever sullied for me by Puff-Daddy-Diddy-Combs-Sean (or whatever he calls himself), REM, Bright Eyes, and Bruce Springsteen and their musical rabble-rousing in the run up to the last US election. It now just sounds trite and reminds me of John Kerry windsurfing.
That unfortunate association aside, Simon has a point – not one I agree with, but a point nonetheless – “I don’t have any illusions about the opposition but they have a single shining advantage- they represent a change. They can make new decisions, go in new directions. And they can reverse the bad decisions and wrong directions we’ve taken.”
He takes a number of issues that as a 30 year old aware of the temporal power of some political decisions to outlast his lifespan, he feels quite strongly about: MRSA; “officially sanctioned programme of torture”; road deaths; crooked housing developers; Luas/Metro problems; Bertie’s non-existent Bowl; e-voting and Fianna Fail’s tendency to attract megalomanical sorts that are more loyal to the Executive’s wishes rather than the nation’s need.
I’m not exactly happy with all these things either but I think I will be voting for the coalition again – not because I agree with their sometimes bad decisions, but I simply do not trust Enda Kenny or  Pat Rabbit to not make any more bad decisions or to improve on what we already have.
Voting for change is not enough – we must be voting for something, for an approach based on more than “not being the government”. From what I can see Labour/FG have been pulling shapes** about these issues rather than offering constructive alternatives – and in reality there aren’t always alternatives.
Simon rightly expresses his frustration with those who state that changes in “life and death” areas like MRSA infection rates will come slowly. I’m at a loss though to see what else can be done in hospitals that haven’t already been started – hand and hospital hygiene have been major priorities in any hospital that I have worked in. There are definitely many where this must be improved on, but Liz McManus as health minister is going to change anything, except give us higher tax bills – the changes that still need to be instituted can only come from the bottom. In fact, I had to undergo a 3 hour session on hand hygiene (washing your hands is simply not official enough a term) as part of my induction as a non-consultant hospital doctor, this on top of several such sessions as a medical student. MRSA and other such antibiotic resistant infections are an unfortunate side effect of modern antibiotic use – VRE is equally worrying as is VRSA in the emerging resistance fields. C. Dif, the severe diarrhoeal infection that is killing more than MRSA, is literally a side-effect of life-saving antibiotics that kill off other organisms allowing C. Dif to multiply.
I have absolutely no problem with Shannon airport’s use by American troops or with Luas/Metro issues – again I have yet to be convinced that the opposition can offer anything more.
The road deaths issue is an interesting one to leave at the government and Gay Byrne’s feet – Gaybo’s appointment does seem stupid but is this not an issue about personal responsibility? The government can not sit in our cars with us and tut-tut at crazy overtaking – in fact I nearly feel that we have too many gardai pointing their phallic like speed cameras at us from behind bushes. If I was going to vote on road safety, I would vote for the party who would make all straight roads 100kmh zones instead of just looking at where the road goes to give it a ranking. For example the Ring of Kerry is a 100kmh zone. Those who attempt to kamikaze-drive that very scenic part of our landscape at 100kmh deserve the pile-up that’s coming to them. However, the perfectly safe, straight and wide roads of the midlands that lead you from one small hamlet to the next village need not be passed at a measly 80kmh.
No political party is going to come out and say that speed cameras don’t work and we’d be much better depending on well trained drivers with a strong sense of personal responsibility. But personal responsibility and civic duty can’t be solved by the government; they can’t even be learned by example from our public figures.
I’m not going to go through the rest of Simon’s list – I agree with him that these are important problems – but their existence is not enough of an incentive to vote Bertie and co out of office. Simon wants a discussion – let’s do it. But let the basis of the discussion not be the need for a change of votes, but a change of solutions.

[From my recent music listening = *”Black and White” by the Upper Room and **”Pull Shapes” by the Pipettes]

Not If He Opened the Gates of Heaven For Me

would Judge Neilan share a platform with Justice Minister Michael McDowell, according to yesterday’s front page Longford Leader story. (dated tomorrow!)
The story relates to the proposed opening of the renovated Longford Courthouse and the district court judge’s refusal to attend if McDowell was there.
Residents of Longford are used to such bizarre outbursts from our local law keeper – apparently this particular animosity towards the justice minister stems from Judge Neilan’s 2004 statement that he would jail all drunk drivers for 1 week pending sentence. Predictably the justice minister pointed out the illegality of such an act and such comments were dubbed by Neilan as being made to “intimidate and humiliate him”.
Of all the Neilan stories, and there are many, my favourite was his threat to rescind all pub licences in Ballymahon during the foot and mouth disease crisis to help curb the spread of the agrarian disease. Thankfully he didn’t get a chance to try the legality of such an extreme, but no doubt well meaning, measure to protect the agricultural interests of the locality.

Tempest in the Teapot Blues

The totally unnecessary protest at Minister McDowell’s speech at the Equality Authority’s conference causes EWI to ask the question “The Catholic Church protesting against gays or Law'n'Order? Such a dilemma!” with regard to which side Richard Waghorne will take in this debate (he also describes Richard as an uberCatholic and is on tenderhooks waiting for the answer – if only the rest of us bloggers had such a loyal following!).
Speaking for myself, as a someone who opposes gay marriage, an ordinary practising non-ultra/uber Catholic (and who once held a tendre for Michael McDowell) there is really no such question. There is no dichotomy that pits one against the other.
It’s quite simple - people who throw jugs of water, copies of the constitution and pens at anyone should not be taken seriously and be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Every movement, every ideaology, every issue that inspires activism inspires some form of extremist. The kind of extremist that foams at the mouth everytime their “issue” is mentioned and somehow manages to integrate and relate their seemingly disparate crankologies in to a conversation about the weather. The anti war gang have those who attack airplanes, those who oppose gay marriage have protestors who are not only wrong in their actions, but lack the imagination to do anything else except use whatever was beside them in a conference as projectiles.
According to Suzy, who live blogged the event, it was a combination of Mother and Child and the Ancient Order of Hiberians.
Mother and Child have long been at the fringes of every single issue that they allied themselves to. While they have right to do whatever they want as Catholics and as citizens of a free democracy (even though they’ve yet to grasp the accepted democratic behavioural norms), they speak neither for the Church nor those who agree with them. Youth Defence/Mother and Child/AOH are well organised small groups of people who get a thrill out of being the martyrs persecuted for their views in, what they no doubt describe, as the “so-called liberal Ireland”. To gain the respect of their fellow travellers, no event is too small not to warrant some spotlight grabbing stunt – the more random, aggressive and utterly pointless the better. Results make no difference to this small group of activist-tourists, it’s the fight that counts. And once their little stunts are publicised, they clap each other on the back – they need do no more now. They need not actually educate themselves or anyone else properly. They need not make coherent submissions to the relevant State bodies that investigated whatever the issue of the day is. They need not discuss their concerns rationally with politicians or the media or those that disagee them. Their work is done.
I really hate how these sort of lunatics colour everyone who broadly agrees with them with the same dark shade of crazy red.
Dossing Times wonders if those who normally love to throw stuff at McDowell will stand up for him now that he is being attacked by their opposites.
I normally agree with a lot of what McDowell says – the civil partnership idea is not something that I’m going to excited about. Part of me agrees that certain rights (property, inheritance, next of kin issues etc) should be extended to all couples in long term relationships but I disagree with marriage being anything other than 1 man, 1 woman.
I have yet to throw a jug of water at anyone (I think, I’m trying to remember all the water fights I’ve been in – mainly balloons or hoses) but I doubt the quiet questioning of the many more who don’t want gay marriage will ever be described as how the “Catholic Church” thinks or acts.

(BTW, the post title is also the title of a song by Johnny Irion from his album “Unity Lodge”)

Denis Donaldson, RIP

I meant to post more on the sad murder of Denis Donaldson but I simply haven’t had the time to follow the story, most of which is speculation anyway.
This is mainly due to study.
And a fear of watching the news, just in case I’ll develop lust in my heart for Tommy O’Gorman (after my recent Minister McDowell infatuation, a girl can’t be too careful).
So here are blog(s) that are worth reading....
Slugger O’Toole - The first reports. (100s of comments.) The Republicans did it. The British did it. Shooting touts is always wrong. Gerry Adams.
A unionist perspective – no-one did it.
As you can see, my study break was extended due to the sheer quantity of stuff in these posts. I’ve yet to read yesterday’s papers, let alone today’s.
And the story of another Northern man who died during the week – Michael McGoldrick - Elblogador and Slugger. He was an incredibly impressive man who forgave his son’s LVF killers and asked that those who wanted retribution would “Bury your pride with my son”.

Dennis Donaldson shot dead in Glenties

Just breaking news on Sky/RTE. He's a former Sinn Fein worker who was outed as a British spy before Christmas.
I really hope this isn't IRA related.

Michael McDowell

Disclaimer – there are no political, social, cultural, electoral insights in this post. What I am about to share might alienate many people, confuse more and send others reaching for a strait jacket to restrain me.

I think I fancy Michael McDowell.

The incidents of the last few days has crystallised this for me (check out Sarah Carey and Potato) all of whom provide proper political analysis and debunking (Dossing) of the McDowell-Bruton standoff.

Minister McDowell, while old enough to be my father, is not as old as my father (always a good thing). He is married and has teenage children. He is not as classically handsome as say, Matthew McConaughey, but for some unfathomable reason, I kinda fancy him.
Perhaps this inexplicable springing of wishful ardour is the result of days of exam study punctuated with news clips of the quivering McDowell, resplendent in conservative suits. Maybe the chemical imbalances which have sustained my subacutely unstable condition to date have finally tipped over into chaos, resulting in wanton fancying of any man who appears on the SixOne (I’m immune to Brian Dobson’s sombre charms at this stage). It could be that the only men I see in real life (outside the News) are sleep deprived doctors who are too short for me or men who are sick (literally, not figuratively – or maybe both).

I never understood the outpouring of female attraction for Donald Rumsfeld after 9/11. He’s just too old.

But My Darling McDowell (pass the drugs, quick) is easy to imagine as an impassioned young L&H debater, charming the socks of the ladies and chopping the tops off the opposition’s points (traitor – how you can forget the Colours?).

And more importantly he wears wire rimmed glasses. While that appears rather low down the checklist for the hunky, bodice-ripper alpha male hero, it works on him (or for me). I like my law orderly and my order lawly. I like the odd bit of name calling and political rambunctiousness. I like men who know their way around a ladder. I like men who win arguments. I like men who don’t like taxes (but he could improve on that one). I like men who don’t like Sinn Fein. I like men who like capitalism.

And there is a simmering passion under the staid politician appearance that seems ready to burst at any minute into a motor-biking rebel who will spout off some Edmund Burke while turning a particularly tight Dublin 6 bend at high speed.

I have some friends who canvassed for McDowell in the last election, and can see myself trekking the muddy byways of South Dublin in an attempt to return McDowell to the Dail (that is if the barring order is rescinded by then).

I only hope that I do not develop full blown erotomania. And that when my hormones re-equilibrate I can also see myself going back to my favourite Simon Coveney crush (if only Fine Gael were like they were in the old days) or moving into the stranger terrority of Gordon Brown (he looked very nice today with his little lunch budget box and blue tie). Even though I don’t like him as much as do as Tony Blair (This is not a clash between civilisations, it is a clash about civilisation.)

My dear readers, as I’m sure you will agree that this blogger needs a reality check more urgently than a severe asthmatic needs oxygen.

Leonard Cohen once sang “There's nothing pure enough to be a cure for love”, but as bitter experience has taught me, crushes pass, 50something barristers-turned-arrogant-but-delightfully-so-justice-ministers lose their sex appeal, and after many tubs of Ben and Jerrys, I will return to a nearly normal and practically sane woman.
And who knows, I might even find a nice boy to settle down with in Dublin 6 and vote for Michael.


Updated reason to fancy McDowell (this could on for quite a while, the drugs do take a while to kick in) is covered excellently in this Slugger post on that McD speech on journalism.

The Sundays on The Riot

I haven’t been out yet, but this is the Sunday papers coverage online -
Sunday Times – from what I can see, the British version focused on the other march of yesterday – the Oxford pro-vivisection march, organised by a brave and passionate 16 year old, Laurie Pycroft.
The Irish version has substantial coverage –
The Planning - THE text messages were sent out to republicans and sympathisers early yesterday: get to the GPO at 10am, they said. Between 150 and 200 people responded to the call, but they did not congregate so as to avoid coming to the attention of gardai.
The Rest of O’Connell Street
The Authorities, and The Blame
The Reactions
The Editorial McDowell must discover whether complacency and poor planning lay at the heart of the riots, but Irish republicans of all shades must ask themselves whether they have the capacity to understand a people who share their island, but not their beliefs.
The Charlie Bird (AKA Greatest Reporter Ever) Like Potato, the ST wonders how Charlie Bird manages to become the story.
The Loyalists
They also have an article on informers and the security services.

Sunday Business Post –
Short News Report
I think that’s it from them. And that’s pretty pathetic.

Sunday Independent –
Blame the Gardai
How an ugly and organised mob fought for the city – the report
A triumph for thugs and bigots – the editorial
Thirteen charged after day of mayhem – the charged. One was from Georgia – didn’t know the Rah were active there.
How gangs of thugs took control of the city centre – the timeline
Fireworks and rocks rain on unprotected gardai as cars burn and marchers flee well-organised terror
Crazed thugs beat 'Orange b****rd’ Bird – apparently he may have a hairline fracture in his cheek.  
Men of violence chose their city battleground well - But my God the idiocy of allowing any kind of march to take place on O'Connell Street yesterday. What were the authorities thinking?
Sectarians are the 'syphilis of our passions' – by Eoghan Harris (who else? ;- ) )
Unionists are not allowed to show they too have suffered – Maurice Hayes -  What has happened in O'Connell St (and it is still unfolding as I write) is a refusal to allow any other version of events in the North than that created by republican militants and monitored and censored by them. There was only one set of victims, one oppressor, no other option but armed struggle and terror, one lot totally in the right, the other irremediably in the wrong, the one entitled to celebrate success in song and story, the other a shameful history not allowed to breathe its name.
In case anyone had forgotten, violence is what republicans do – Brendan O’Connor - And let's not scurry to blame the people who've been repaving O'Connell Street for what seems like a decade now. Let's not blame the people who left that street like a building site, or a rioter's dream. We can't stop leaving building blocks lying around in case someone might pick them up and throw them at the cops. Should we ban glass bottles as well? They are the kind of precautions you need to take in a mad house.

Sticks, Stones and Scumbags

The riots today, a 10 minutes walk from my apartment, were missed in their entirety by this blogger, who was sick in bed all day.
My opinions on a United Ireland are at best tepid. I’m perfectly happy with the way things are at the moment and like most Irish people, a United Ireland wouldn’t make all that much difference to me.  Today’s riots just show how out of touch so-called Irish nationalists are with the rest of us. I know Sinn Fein will tell us they had absolutely nothing to do with today’s shameful behaviour, but all those involved in leaving O’Connell St like a war torn ghost town, probably have voted for Sinn Fein. And Sinn Fein will have to answer for that element of their party.

Irish bloggers are all over this one – Dossing Times providing excellent coverage.

Slugger has picked up loads of comments and Dick at BackStreet Drivers was there with his camera. Planet Potato injects some realism.   Kevin at Disillusioned Lefty, a Northside boy, remained on the Southside. (Even worse, all their drunken running made me spill some of my coffee on my arm. The bastards.)

Check out – Free Stater (who has some videos up); Gpshewan; Metroblogging; Georgiasm (2,3,4); dpup; redmum.

The Nationalist bloggers all condemn the riots. Balrog (they left their barstools to free Ireland!), ElBlogador (Those who engaged in violence are not Republicans. Nor are they Nationalists. They are scum.) and 2; United Irelander (O'Connell Street, to me, epitomises Dublin and today's scenes insult Dubliners, and indeed Irish people, everywhere.)

Flickr has loads of photos – at these tags (Dublinriots, loveulster) and these users (johnnew; phibsboro; O6scura; dickobrien)

Sicilian Notes attempts to find meaning in it all.

More =
Slugger on RTE reporter Charlie Bird getting a beating for being an “Orange Bastard” (huh?)
Richard Delevan raises the point about the lack of RTE coverage all afternoon – while Newstalk suspended sports coverage, RTE kept going – he asks the question If RTE 1 had gone away from sport for the afternoon, might some people have turned their cars around and stayed home today? Didn't RTE have a responsibility to fulfill its remit here? Wasn't the most serious riot in the capital in a generation newsworthy enough?
Piaras Kelly on the PR implications - The events seem to portray us as a nation that cannot forget its past, whereas in actual fact the average Irishman doesn’t even think twice about the North. Armchair republicans that were determined to cause trouble on the day have shamed the nation.
United Irelander on how 3 of those up in court this evening are not Irish – who are they so?Richard Delevan has a blow by blow account of what he saw of the riots and the "stock clearance".    

Also =
Ann, an American in Dublin, provides her eyewitness report and a few pictures.
Via Disillusioned Lefty, a video of some thugs overturning a car on Nassau St and chanting “IRA”.

The things that prevent articles writtten on Sinn Fein

Anne Applebaum (author of the excellent "Gulag") in today's Washington Post on how, despite many reasons to write about Sinn Fein, she ended up discussing how Susan Estrich is bad for women.

In a ranting, raving series of e-mails last month, all of which were leaked, naturally, Estrich accused Kinsley of failing to print enough articles by women, most notably herself, and of resorting instead to the use of articles by men, as well as by women who don't count as women because they don't write with "women's voices."............
But now, thanks to Estrich, every woman who gets her article accepted will have to wonder whether it was her knowledge of Irish politics, her willingness to court controversy or just her gender that won the editor over.
This is a storm in the media teacup, but it has echoes in universities, corporations and beyond. I am told, for example, that there is pressure at Harvard Law School, and at other law schools, to ensure that at least half the students chosen for the law review are women. Quite frankly, it's hard to think of anything that would do more damage to aspiring female lawyers. Neither they nor their prospective employers will ever know whether they got there as part of a quota or on their own merits. There's nothing wrong with a general conversation about how women can be helped to succeed in law school or taught not to fear having strong opinions. But trust me, in none of these contexts do you want to start calculating percentages

A whole new definition of lobbying

From the FT via Slugger O'Toole on Sinn Fein
"It is difficult to share power with people when you do not know whether remarks such as 'I really don't think you should pass this bill' should be interpreted as useful political input or a threat to your kneecaps."

American punditry on the North

Some articles on Northern Ireland from National Review - "Sicily without Sunshine" by John Cullinan and David Frum

2 posts on their blog, The Corner are also interesting -
"RE: IRA [Shannen Coffin]
Ok, that's the second anti-Sinatra slur of the morning. It's an epidemic. On a more serious note, it is heartening to many Americans of Irish ancestry -- including this one -- that Gerry Adams got the boot this week from the White House. The legitimization of terrorist organizations like the IRA and the PLO over the last decade was one of the more detestable aspects of U.S. foreign policy. But as Mark Steyn properly pointed out in his syndicated column this morning, the Brits are as much to blame for that legitimization as anyone. But it is high time that we stopped glamorizing the thugs in Ireland simply because they supposedly practice the same religion as many of us in America. The days when Michael Collins tactics were thought necessary are long since gone, and the IRA should go with them."

"IRELAND'S YASSER ARAFAT [John Derbyshire]
The depravity of the so-called Irish Republican Army is now so apparent that even Ted Kennedy has noticed it!
Oh, it gets better -- I just read further: Even Rep. Peter King has noticed it!!!
Where were they when Gerry and his lads were blowing up Irish Protestants and London shoppers? Rattling the tin cup for Irish terrorists, that's where.
(Notice, by the way, that Rep. King still can't let go of his weasel words about Europe's most vicious and amoral terrorist gang. He says: "the IRA [have] made a series of poor decisions that had sparked anger in Irish-American circles." Translation: They are not bad people, just bad politicians. Rep. King is to the international terrorist movement what Frank Sinatra was to the Mafia.)"

McGuinness refuses to comment on Groogan revelation

From BreakingNews.ie: "Sinn Fein chief negotiator Martin McGuinness said today he didn't care who was in Magennis's bar the night Robert McCartney was murdered as long as they gave information to the authorities."

Okay Martin we're with you there...but Cora Grogan's own solicitor is hardly the "authorities" is it???
Sinn Fein have obviously never been given advice on what do when you're in a hole......you know something to with do leaving down the shovel and stop digging.

Sinn Fein candidate in McCartney murder bar

Sinn Fein candidate Cora Grogan was in Magennis's bar on the night of Robert McCartney's murder - she gave her statement to her solicitor - how big of her.
U2's Sunday Bloody Sunday rings particularly true in this situation - how long, how long must we sing this song.
Have Sinn Fein learnt nothing from the events of the last few months???

"Catherine McCartney today said she was astonished to learn that a Sinn Fein candidate had been present on the night her brother Robert was killed.
"She says she has given a statement to a solicitor but I would challenge her to give a statement to the police or the Police Ombudsman" Catherine McCartney said.
"Giving statements to solicitors is not really what is needed. The statement should be given to people with the proper investigative skills who can help to bring those responsible to court."

Support from SF grown among women

From Slugger O'Toole
I have been struck by the feminine steel shown by the McCartney sisters over the last few weeks and again by the quiet force and strength in the women interviewed on RTE's Prime Time last night - even though I don't buy the feminist political line that all women think the same about politics I would hope that the example set by these courageous women will resound with many.

Some rather bitter comments left on the slugger thread - I don't actually personally know any women who'd support Sinn Fein but I really hope they don't fit into either category described -
"There are two types of women who vote Sinn Fein, the 'little women' who always do what they ae told by their menfolk and the second kind who want to be their menfolk. The second kind can be seen at any Sinn Fein rally or event, dressed in combat gear, with shaven head, one earring and a scowl. There was plenty of the first kind at the Ard Feis this year, all dressed in nice suits and proper dresses trying to look as if they understood what was being said by the men.
I personally blame Gerry Adams, God be with the days when Maire Drumm ran Mna Na HEireann and women were content to bang dustbin lids. "

Squeezing them where it hurts

From Slugger - not only are SF MPs at risk of losing their allowances/expense account but SF MEPs are under a similar threat.
I don't know the full history of why SF can get away with not taking an oath to the Queen i.e. not serving as full members of Commons but still get an office/expenses.
It seems that SF continued to line their pockets without ever having to face the duplicity of a democratic mandate that is not materialised in actual democratic representation. This is perhaps a long overdue sacrifice for their politics of sectarianism.

America on the IRA

The Belmont Club's take on the Rah - excellent.

Some bitter comments though -
I find it hard to believe that the IRA contributors here in suburban Boston would go along with anything President Bush wanted, regardless of how wise it might be. They are solid Kerry/Kennedy supporters.
Hopefully the Irish-American Boston Democrat community are a little more intelligent than that.

One poster links to this article from National Review Online 2002 entitled IRA+PLO=Terror. Recent revelations about al Qaeda training methods has been also identified as carrying some of the IRA's trademarks. If the EU and the Bush administration would unify their terrorist lists with "global reach" to include all terrorist organizations — including the IRA, Hezbollah, all Palestinian terror organizations, and the ELN — we might then have a better chance to win the war on terrorism.

Here's hoping that the axis of evil loses its Belfast cell.

Eoghan Harris on McCabe Killers in Sindo

Eoghan Harris is well worth a read - a farily comprehensive analysis of the Garda Gerry McCabe's killers release and IRA appeasement.

Gerry's Hair colour...

....is going to start resembling that of Grandpa Simpson if things get much more dire for him and his party. Not only is he faced with a grassroots rebellion in his stronghold of west Belfast over the murder of Robert McCartney, yesterday UTV carried a report of the family of a Mr McGinley who was murdered by Republicans in similar circumstances. The McCartney and McGinley families were expressing solidarity last night at a vigil in Derry. If all the stories of IRA thuggery begin to be told, the Republican stranglehold on these areas will be broken. God speed.