PD's to meet this afternoon to discuss Bertie's money

gandalf

I don't think Herr Flick gave a timescale and listening to Bertie on Newstalk at one o'clock he said he would address it before the election but didn't sound convincing tbh.......

Stephen

Wasn't Bertie due to make some kind of statement today at 15.00? Its 10 minutes past now...

Dandesav

The PDs are trying to have it both ways.
They were supposed to be the watchdog for Fianna Fáil and now they have had two opportunities to show a bit of integrity and collapse the government but they haven't taken either. They are still in the government but then they're kind of not. They have given Bertie an 'ultimatum', but haven't said what they'll do if he doesn't give the statement- I mean does he have a week to do it or they will collapse it then or what? They say they'll let the people decide- how will they know what the people have decided?

Dandesav

Stephen wrote:

Wasn't Bertie due to make some kind of statement today at 15.00? Its 10 minutes past now...

Newstalk have a sports programme on now, but they said that if Bertie shows up at the press conference they'll cover it...

Wishbone Ash

Dandesav wrote:

Newstalk have a sports programme on now, but they said that if Bertie shows up at the press conference they'll cover it...

They've just said he won't be turning up!

Dandesav

Just said he won't be turning up- he's at mass apparently. Probably at confession...

Stephen

They're talking about Bertie on Newstalk now, waffling about how his diary is clear for tomorrow, no canvassing planned etc.

edit: "no public statement today" but there is supposed to be a press conference in the works.

gilroyb

Cowan is leading the usual press conference at the moment. Bertie is in mass. So say Newstalk.

stepbar

What did I say about the 2% party? No backbone.....

Voipjunkie

The PDs seem to be split between the Dublin TDs and the TDs and candidates outside of Dublin.
Tom Parlon basically said on RTE that the PDs were never going to pull out and that the media reports were "bullsh*t" Charlie bird said that when Liz Mary and Micheal met yesterday they decided to pull out but Parlon and co are dependent on FF transfers to have any chance of getting re elected and are happy to stay in.
It shows that the PD claims to be a moral watchdog are complete BS when it boils down to it looking after there own positions is most important.

wow sierra

Voipjunkie wrote:

The PDs seem to be split between the Dublin TDs and the TDs and candidates outside of Dublin.
Tom Parlon basically said on RTE that the PDs were never going to pull out and that the media reports were "bullsh*t" Charlie bird said that when Liz Mary and Micheal met yesterday they decided to pull out but Parlon and co are dependent on FF transfers to have any chance of getting re elected and are happy to stay in.
It shows that the PD claims to be a moral watchdog are complete BS when it boils down to it looking after there own positions is most important.

That seems to be the only explanation for this PD fiasco - Tom Parlon said now on TV3 that he had great respect for Bertie and felt he was being blackguarded. Given that the worst negative publicity aimed towards Bertie in the last few days was coming directly from Mc Dowell its seems like a split to me.
Will there be the demise of the PD's after the election with the likes of Parlon moving to Fianna Fail.

Dandesav

Voipjunkie wrote:

It shows that the PD claims to be a moral watchdog are complete BS when it boils down to it looking after there own positions is most important.

I agree- if the PDs ever had any intention of keeping their promise of watching over FF they would have left in October, and if they didn't, they DEFINITELY would have gone today. They are the ones who will suffer the most for this. When people vote FF they know they are getting corruption and dishonesty, but everybody expects more from the PDs!:D

wow sierra

People who vote for Fianna Fail vote for a party they feel are capable of getting the job done - they find the corruption issue to be a side issue that gets too much exaggerated publicity. Just my opinion.

Opposition, everywhere in life, as well as in Government is much easier than actually doing anything - like the famous hurler on the ditch.

Voipjunkie

wow sierra wrote:

That seems to be the only explanation for this PD fiasco - Tom Parlon said now on TV3 that he had great respect for Bertie and felt he was being blackguarded. Given that the worst negative publicity aimed towards Bertie in the last few days was coming directly from Mc Dowell its seems like a split to me.
Will there be the demise of the PD's after the election with the likes of Parlon moving to Fianna Fail.

It shows the downside of the PDs going for these "celebrity" candidates these people like Parlon have no interest in the PDs and what they "stand" for he was negotiating with FG up to 2 weeks before he signed up with the PDs and he only joined them on the basis that he would get a Junior job.
Also the ridiculousness of a many whose whole career up to that point was based around getting as large a subsidy as possible for farmers joining a party who are opposed to subsidies as part of their ideology is bizarre.

Hopefully there will not be enough of them around after the election to have a split.

Voipjunkie

Dandesav wrote:

I agree- if the PDs ever had any intention of keeping their promise of watching over FF they would have left in October, and if they didn't, they DEFINITELY would have gone today. They are the ones who will suffer the most for this. When people vote FF they know they are getting corruption and dishonesty, but everybody expects more from the PDs!:D

I agree they have sold themselves as moral watchdogs especially at the last election but when it boils down to it they let FF walk all over them as they are more interested in power and position than standing up for their supposed principles.
FF will hopefully lose some of the floating vote and transfers but their core vote will remain if Lawlor,Burke and Haughey did not put them off then Berties indiscretions with money are unlikely to put them off either.

Our man in Havana

Voipjunkie wrote:

It shows the downside of the PDs going for these "celebrity" candidates these people like Parlon have no interest in the PDs and what they "stand" for he was negotiating with FG up to 2 weeks before he signed up with the PDs and he only joined them on the basis that he would get a Junior job.
Also the ridiculousness of a many whose whole career up to that point was based around getting as large a subsidy as possible for farmers joining a party who are opposed to subsidies as part of their ideology is bizarre.

Hopefully there will not be enough of them around after the election to have a split.

I have to disagree with you there. Tom Parlon has been a tireless fighter for the people of Laois/Offaly. He does sterling work for his constituents. I can remember when I had some trouble with a govt dept he called personally to my home go give me a letter he had received from a minister. I think he is a very capable TD.

trao

I reckon this 'Bertie dosh' matter is this election campaign's equivalent to Michael McDowall's climbing of the poles in election 2002. They ain't going to walk from government at this point unless somebody has a picture of Bertie been handed a brown paper envelope stuffed with a couple of grand by some dodgy builder. What we have is constant publicity for the PDs.

Now whatever happened to all that mundane chatter about stamp duty?!

Voipjunkie

Bond-007 wrote:

I have to disagree with you there. Tom Parlon has been a tireless fighter for the people of Laois/Offaly. He does sterling work for his constituents. I can remember when I had some trouble with a govt dept he called personally to my home go give me a letter he had received from a minister. I think he is a very capable TD.

How is that disagreeing with me I never said he was not an able politician nor did I say that he was not a hard worker but his natural home is not with the PDs he is there because he is an opportunist and the PDs gave him a bigger opportunity his natural home is with FF but he would have been a small fish in a big pond there if they would even have stood him

miju

trao wrote:

They ain't going to walk from government at this point unless somebody has a picture of Bertie been handed a brown paper envelope stuffed with a couple of grand by some dodgy builder. What we have is constant publicity for the PDs.

well they've recently come out with a press statement saying that despite the senior members of the party being of the opinion that they should resign in protest they will see the current government through to the election and they strongly feel that Mr Ahern should give the public a full explanation

or to sum it all up in three words "we've no backbone"

Jonny Arson

InFront wrote:

If I were a conspiracy theorist, after reading McDowell's statement, I'd probably start thinking that the PD's resignation was never in question, that they were deliberately exaggerating Jody Corcoran's information because the increased concern and publicity suits their faltering campaign, gives them unrivalled media attention, and attempts to remind people that they are supposedly the watchdogs of Fianna Fail.

Friday would not have been the best time to pull such a media stunt, but it might not be altogether impossible that this was all that was going on here.

That's what I believe it is aswell.... no I'm certain it is that. We all know how utterly desperate the PDs are in this election and IMO they have pulled off an incredible publicity stunt. They have got attention, they are trying to say to the electorate that ''we are relevent'' and they may just extend their 15 minutes of fame.

I am laughing at the fact people actually thought the PDs would pull the plug on the government just before the election. The only thing the PDs have going for them in this election are FF transfers. If the PDs did bail out today most of those transfers would be gone and that would concievably mean PDs ending up with only 1 or at best 2 seats. I don't fall for the Dublin/County split some people are talking up. Harney and O'Donnell already have a battle on their hands to hold their seats with FF transfers, them minus FF transfers = gone - there is no way the trio of McDowell, Harney and O'Donnell would ever have bailed out unless they wanted to lose their seats.

PDs are just like FF, no standards and hungry for power. End of.

murphaph

Bond-007 wrote:

I have to disagree with you there. Tom Parlon has been a tireless fighter for the people of Laois/Offaly. He does sterling work for his constituents. I can remember when I had some trouble with a govt dept he called personally to my home go give me a letter he had received from a minister. I think he is a very capable TD.

Unfortunately this sort of carry on is all too often perceived as "good politics". TDs are elected to Dail Eireann primarily to do one thing..........legislate. They are not there to 'get planning permission' or 'get medical cards' for people. That's banana republic behaviour and we should be beyond that by now. There are ombudsmen in place to deal with crappy service from govt departments. A minister of state or even a TD should not be doing this sort of stuff.

Wishbone Ash

trao wrote:

What we have is constant publicity for the PDs.

Yes, it's sickening to see McDowell and his tiny party on the media morning, noon, and night.:(

Wishbone Ash

McDowell appears to be rattled under tough questioning on "The Week in Politics" (RTE 1 now).

ArthurDent

Wishbone Ash wrote:

McDowell appears to be rattled under tough questioning on "The Week in Politics" (RTE 1 now).

looks like he wants to thump someone

gandalf

Just turned onto this after Lost, McDowell looks shaken and was quite neutral when asked about Enda Kenny, is he going to make overtures to FG now he has shat all over FF's lawn?

brianthebard

I don't think he came across as neutral on Kenny, it was quite clear that he doubts Kenny's experience and qualities as a leader. I've never seen someone ride a fence as hard before though.

ArthurDent

gandalf wrote:

Just turned onto this after Lost, McDowell looks shaken and was quite neutral when asked about Enda Kenny, is he going to make overtures to FG now he has shat all over FF's lawn?

he has to get re-elected to do this - anyone taking a bet on this being certain?

Dirk Gently

brianthebard wrote:

I don't think he came across as neutral on Kenny, it was quite clear that he doubts Kenny's experience and qualities as a leader.

Not as clear as Michéal Martin was

gandalf

Sorry neutral was probably the wrong word, toothless would have been more appropriate. He gave Enda a damn good gumming LOL.

InFront

clown bag wrote:

Not as clear as Michéal Martin was

I can never understand why anyone in Fianna Fail thinks it's a good idea to put that guy on the television.