McDowell apologises over 'Nazi' jibe

swiss

http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/0321/mcdowellm.html

The Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell, this morning apologised for likening Fine Gael's Richard Bruton to a Nazi.

Labour and Fine Gael are expected to question the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, today on the Government's record on crime.

It comes after Mr McDowell dismissed as misleading figures from his department released by Mr Bruton which showed that the number of gardaí in Dublin increased by just two last year...

I found this story interesting. Perhaps because this is the real-life™ equivalent of Goodwins law, but also because McDowell actually apologised to the man. For someone as - shall we say uncompromising - as McDowell, this apology was either an admission that what he said was unacceptable or an attempt to mitigate political fallout. I'm prepared to accept it was the former, but I think it is more in his line to answer the question as to garda numbers than use 'smoke and mirrors' style Nazi slurs.

Also, I found the image accompanying this article very amusing in the context of McDowells 'Nazi' jibe: http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=9&si=1584065&issue_id=13826

He definitely has a temper alright and it seemed to me he went overboard in articulating what he thought was Bruton wrongly cherry picking statistics.

Bruton was of course cherry picking statistics. Garda numbers is a story alright but its a non story when you cherry pick a statistic in a non subtle way.
I'd say Kenny and crew are livid this morning at the oxygen being taken out of this one, they've had so little in the way of issues lately.But they will still try to flog a dead horse with it probably.

What they dont realise though is that,Gaffes arent a uniquely pd or FF thing, so if they keep this up, they are opening the door to themselves getting the same treatment but dangerously further down the road and closer to an election.
They are not perfect as is no politician and now they've almost imposed the need for perfection which is a banana skin waiting to happen in my opinion.

It would have been an excelent gaffe/tool for an election campaign had this happened next year.

pete

Earthman wrote:

They are not perfect as is no politician and now they've almost imposed the need for perfection which is a banana skin waiting to happen in my opinion.

Hardly.

Mr Bruton later said he "absolutely" accepted the apology. "The minister must have had a bad day," he said. "As far as I'm concerned that's the end of the matter."

http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2006/0321/breaking15.htm

BuffyBot

FG could hardly make a song or dance about gaffes - especially considering Enda's big one a couple of years back...

pete

also

Labour Party leader Pat Rabbitte welcomed the apology, saying Mr McDowell's remarks were "completely over the top". More importantly, he said, they "diverted attention from the serious issues being raised".

exactiv

From the front page of the Irish Times
mcdowell.jpg

He's an angry man.

mike65

Non story really, apart from McDowells fulsome appology. Not that its stopped RTE banging on about all day.

Mike.

EireRoadUser

Michael McDuel

lostexpectation

Question is whether this was real anger or put on outrage that McDowell does, I thnk he was actually pissed this time.

The_Minister

I think he was under stress (garda reserve etc) and snapped. He was in the right on the facts so he wasn't trying to bluster. I'd say that he snapped.

monument

Is McDowell trying to stop people from calling him Goebbels?

axer

EireRoadUser wrote:

Michael McDuel

I think more like Michael McDoogle. The guy is the biggest eejit I have ever heard/seen - I would vote fianna fail if they'd promise never to let people like him in government with them again.

EireRoadUser

I think brian cowen will be the saviour of fina fail, I think cowen and bertie are good as a team.

I wouldn't like to see anyone else in government but the current government is a load of blarney stone.

Dave!

Does anyone have the actual quote of him referring to Goebbels? It hasn't actually been referenced on the news or anythin.

John_C

I don't have the exact quote but it went something like: "He's the Goebbels of progaganda." which I tought was funny because Goebbels was also involved in a bit of propeganda.

LostinBlanch

But in truth over the last 24 hours McDowell has been more Herr Flick than Goebbells.

lostexpectation

he should have said comical ali or something for spouting rubbish, we need new references, or perhpas he should have said that was very john bruten thing to do, and then Ill ever say that was a very McDowell thing to do...