Willie O’Dea resigns as Minister for Defence
Jim Carroll
Willie’s gone – and just in time for the 9 o’clock news too. We won’t see the likes of that moustache again. The battle to claim the scalp has now begun but, whatever about claims from the Green Party (a day late and a dollar short), Fine Gael, Labour Party and the Limerick Leader in this regard, we can really chalk this one down to Sean O’Rourke and yet another robust interview on the News At One. It must be catching: watch Anne Doyle’s sharp questioning of Sven Gormley here.
Rhetorical question of the day: will Willie top the poll next time out in Limerick East?
Yes he will, and by more.
And people have the neck to complain about politicians and the system. Until the ire is re-directed to the absolute **** who the system has evolved to satisfy then all the hot air in the world is just that.
Course he’ll top the poll.
Another question Jim. Does two resignations in six months mean we’re finally starting to hold people to account? Or is this just the very tip of the iceberg of incompetence that even Ireland won’t tolerate?
Give Eugene O’Regan some credit for deploying the “perjuror” word last week under privilege and helping to ignite the current storm.
The hard issues for Limerick voters are further from resolution than ever and no one cares. Nothing substantial has changed and public life in Ireland is really unaltered.
The Greens are less electable than ever and have less direction, less members on all levels and less of a future. Everything they deserve mind, but they’re clearly confused by handling power. They’ll disappear at the next poll but the hardcore cynical p***ks will still be in place milking the system for personal advantage. Great little circus though this has been it’s utterly depressing at the same time.
Oh my giddy aunt, another one bites the dust…what is going on over there?
Last one out please switch the lights off…
It’s strangely comforting that we won’t have to look at that severe, Alan Partridge-esque hair-parting that almost starts directly over his right ear, that moustache and listen to that horrible voice anymore. Good riddance. Now who’s next! Dan Boyle? Mary Coughlan? John ‘Frosty’ Gormley? Inda Kenny?
Will probably get in alright but don’t think he’ll top the poll. Lot of people in Limerick very pissed off with Willie long before this. The RTE love in last night and their vox pops on the streets of Limerick tell only one side of the story.He has delivered next to nothing at all for Limerick really.
Whats amazing in all this is how long it took the national media to jump on this story. Its been around for months.
Always had a feeling that publicity shot of mad-eyed Willie staring down the barrel of a gun would come back to haunt him. That, and being a lying b***ard obviously.
Anyone got odds on Coughlan to be next?
Andy – it took me a few hours to remember that John O’Donoghue also resigned – that’s the other one you were refering to, right? And sadly, I think it’s more the latter than the former in your summing up of things
Major – you’re right, this doesn’t really change everything. The Greens will crow about this but the truth is they spend Wednesday going around with faces like sour milk on them as they supported O’Dea. That clip of Eamon Ryan talking in the Dail is pure comedy gold – he didn’t have the balls to actually say what he really thought. As for that eejit Dan Boyle, a brave man who used his Twitter account rather than going public with his views or using his position as chairman of the Greens to persuade the party to vote against O’Dea.
127.0.0.1 – it’s been quite an amazing 10 days over here
reds – yeah, the Mail on Sunday had this months ago. I think a lot of this comes down to Senator Eugene O’Regan pursuing it like a dog with a bone in the Seanad – Dan Boyle could take a leaf from his book. As for Limerick East, what about Willie’s fabled constituency machine?
theharro – Coughlan will be moved in the next cabinet reshuffle. There was talk last night of Conor Linehan as the new chief whip which I found astonishing on so many fronts.
Conor Lenihan! Mother of sweet divine Jesus..
Willie will romp home in the next GE, tribalism and all that. The problem with the system is the TDs elected by the eejits in the OTHER constituencies, never your own.
As for J’OD being the ‘other’ resignation, let us not forget that the last Taoiseach also resigned during the term of this government!
Liz – yep, the very man. I think it came up in the course of speculation on TV3 about who might be the new Minister for Defence with Pat Carey taking that gig and Conor L moving into the Chief Whip’s chair. I really think someone was taking the piss with that one.
Joe – Andy refered to two resignations in six months which is why J O’D came to mind.
The feeling is that Brian Lenihan may be taking an enforced rest in March, so I take it that the appointment of his brother (however ludicrous) may be to maintain a watching brief for Brian.
After all, last night’s Primetime appearance by Minister Martin was, if nothing else, jockeying for the soon-vacant leadership of the party. For make no mistake, the real story this week is that Cowen has been further corroded. That is, if it was possible for his stock to fall any lower…
oh i’m sure the people in Limerick East that he helped with medical cards, planning permission and the like will repay him with a vote…but there’s only so many of those…which is why i say he’ll get in but unlikely to top the poll. The death of the Limerick regeneration is bound to hurt him also and will be used a stick to bate him, along with the slow death of Shannon Airport, the Free Zone and the rest of the midwest. All on his watch!
I reckon they have at least another 6 motnhs or so….long enough to guarantee Gormley and Ryan their Ministerial pensions (it is granted after 3 years service isn’t it?)
Labour MP follows Wee Willie Winkie’s lead:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/feb/19/james-purnell-quits-as-mp
Stone the crows! etc.
Dammit, I had a really lengthy post composed but navigated away from the page to check what period Noonan led FG for. But yes, he will, his vote is fucking massive. In fact I’d go so far as to predict that when the next election comes around and FF get their likely kicking O’Dea will outperform his party in terms of holding on to votes.
he’ll top the poll next time out no question about it. i mean, before he ever got into cabinet it was discussed time and time again, without a minister at the table from Limerick we were getting nothing, but as far as i’m concerned, since he’s got in, we’ve got damn all more than normal.
Not that i’m complaining you understand, i don’t think things should be divided out based on which area is represented at cabinet, that’s the source of all the political problems in this country anyway!
It’s often been touted in recent times that our political system should change and the example i’ve most often heard given is the swedish model. Well a few years ago i was in stockholm and on a bored tuesday afternoon i decided to take the free tour of the parliament there. talk about an eye opener! all i can say is if you happen to be over there, go and take it! then comeback and watch 5 minutes of oireachtas report, and wonder to yourselves how things could have been!
Jim, I like the Freudian slip of referring to Conor ‘Linehan’. I always felt he had sth of the pantomime dame / drag queen about him…
CONOR LENIHAN, DOES NOT SURPRISE ME, FF HAS A LONG OLD HISTORY, & THERES A LOT OF OLD COWENS & OLD LENIHANS!!!!
@17- ye sweden really have it sorted, a proportional representation list system (so people are less likely to vote based on personality and clientelism), much stronger local government (meaning more direct democracy) and in the national parliament they dont even sit in party groupings, they sit in constituency groupings.
i suppose it just makes too much sense:P
emer @ 18 – chuckle. That’s next year’s panto season sorted with Dan Boyle as the Wicked Witch tweeting away on his iPhone “oh no, he’s not”
@Jim
Indeed! And… “look behind you! It’s Deirdre in de burkha!”