George Lee resigns from Fine Gael and Dail!!!

10000maniacs

dixierip wrote: »

George, Just like his old friend Charlie Bird came soon to the realisation that life outside the bubble of Montrose is hard work. The dangers of believing your own hype. I'm waiting for the ' My 9 months in politics' documentary.

True.
Big fish in a small pool syndrome. They will learn.

jmayo

dixierip wrote: »

George, Just like his old friend Charlie Bird came soon to the realisation that life outside the bubble of Montrose is hard work. The dangers of believing your own hype. I'm waiting for the ' My 9 months in politics' documentary.

I would love to see the two of them when they next meet up as they bitch and moan about all the tough times they went through and how inconsiderate the people they had to work with were to them.
It will be one almighty self–congratulatory slobberfest.

George can substitute Enda for Charlie's Harvey.
Maybe Enda and Harvey should get together and compare notes about the two amigos from RTE that they discovered were almighty pains in the ass ?
Now that would be a program worth watching.

Laminations

The gloves are off for george listening to eoin harris on newstalk. Harris believes this whole debacle will strengthen Kenny too

noblankski

Harris likes the status quo, surprise surprise. I hear loads of people backing him up. the country could be run by 20 poloticians and less than 100 councillors. instead we got over 220 in the dail and senead. a lot of foolish people out there don't see harris for what he is.

Laminations

Dont get me wrong, i think Harris is a dope and i also think we need some serious political reform. But what he was saying on newstalk and what Leo Varadikar said before him about George Lee made a lot of sense. They may have podcasted it

johngalway

I vote FG, heard Harris on the radio. I couldn't disagree with a word he said.

If GL had come out and just said, look this isn't for me, he'd have been more genuine IMO. As for effecting change, it seems he wanted everything handed to him on a plate from FG. Enda promised he'd be a minister, and on the front bench next reshuffle. What the hell more could he do.

If that is how GL acts in opposition, I am happy as a FG supporter that he left the party, if not too delighted about the entire debacle itself.

Don't think Kennys leadership is under threat. A couple of TD's have left the FF ship in the not so distant past, if memory serves me.

GL's independent credibility as a reporter is now very damaged IMO.

paddyismaddy

how long has he been there a month or two :rolleyes:

Happyman42

johngalway

Laminations wrote: »

They may have podcasted it

AFAIK, they are planning to podcast Harris, as there was a landslide of texts in asking for it.

jmayo

Laminations wrote: »

The gloves are off for george listening to eoin harris on newstalk. Harris believes this whole debacle will strengthen Kenny too

I'll bet Kenny is over the moon listening to backing from bertie's champion :rolleyes:
Maybe he knows something that makes him believe Kenny will be in and he is looking for his next Seanad seat reward.

Or mnaybe he is just trying tostir the sh**.

The very noticable thing the otehr night was how two ff linked gents on the FrontLine program tore into Lee.
Jim Glennon is a former ff td and even though he left politics because he felt he couldn't do enough he still had a go at Lee.
Noel Whelan would have ff leanings and he tore strips off Lee.
Politicans of all parties sees the manner of Lee's walk out as bad for the image of Irish politics and now just FG.

To anyone with only passing interest in Irish politics Lee is probably seen as the golden boy who got the economy right, so he is seen as honest trustworthy and a bloomin economic genius.
Thus they take his side in this argument and besides they see all politicans as useless corrupt dishonest expensive chancers.

To anyone with an interest in politics, who might have an idea how things do work or of a cynical disposition about some of our more famous hacks, Lee is now seen as a whinger who couldn't hackit much like his ex partner Charlie Bird.

Both left the comfort of RTE and took on roles in strange surroundings.
Both are running back to home with tails between their legs complaining the natives were unfriendly and didn't come flocking to them with stories or looking for advise.

Looking back something very apt to this saga spring to mind.
Mirriam O'Callaghan when interviewing the two amigoes on radio mentioned how she missed not having George around, since she no longer could always drop in on him when she needed some info on some economic issue.
I don't remeber if she missed Charlie or not
Maybe that was how George thought it was going to be in Leinster Hse ?

Laminations wrote: »

Dont get me wrong, i think Harris is a dope and i also think we need some serious political reform. But what he was saying on newstalk and what Leo Varadikar said before him about George Lee made a lot of sense. They may have podcasted it

I have heard harris once before speaking actual truth, and that was about public sector reform and being overpaid when we now have no money.
IMHO it is very scary when he does actually speak the truth. :eek:
Part of my brain can't beleive it.

InReality

Lee was asked a very good question on the night he resigned and has never given a good answer to it.
I can't figure it out either.

The question was , if he wanted wanted to infulence policy why did he join the opposition party as a TD ?

I'd say there are few enough real policy wonks in any of the parties in Ireland.

If Lee wanted to infulence policy behind the scenes sure all he would need would be to join a party as a backroom officer ( maybe unpaid for a while ) , or try meeting the party leaders on the QT and sussing out a role before resigning from RTE.
As a high profile media commentator he should certainly have been able to get the inital access to try that.
Being a TD is really not necessary at all !

And what is the point of joining the opp party ? Ok they might win an election but would it not be better to try infulencing the govt first ?
Esp if he is so concerned about urgency ?

Do I have this right ?

johngalway

InReality wrote: »

The question was , if he wanted wanted to infulence policy why did he join the opposition party as a TD ?

Because joining FF is like jumping out of the lifeboat and back onto the Titanic.

I would ask, why did he not make himself heard more forceably in FG if that's what he wanted. In a crowd or forum you need to make yourself heard, you need persistence. I simply don't think GL had what it takes to be a politician, which is a rough job when you think of all that's involved.

Laminations

jmayo wrote: »

The very noticable thing the otehr night was how two ff linked gents on the FrontLine program tore into Lee.
Jim Glennon is a former ff td and even though he left politics because he felt he couldn't do enough he still had a go at Lee.
Noel Whelan would have ff leanings and he tore strips off Lee.
Politicans of all parties sees the manner of Lee's walk out as bad for the image of Irish politics and not just FG.

Thats exactly it, George is attacking the political system. Its not a FG specific thing, he would've had the same experience in any party. If he didn't expect this from politics he was naive, I wish he had stuck with it....and actually produced some policy documents. Varadikar was very scathing about him on this point 'Not much evidence of any policies or any principles'.

jmayo wrote: »

To anyone with an interest in politics, who might have an idea how things do work or of a cynical disposition about some of our more famous hacks, Lee is now seen as a whinger who couldn't hackit much like his ex partner Charlie Bird.

Eoin Harris ripped up George Lee with mention to Charlie Bird. It was quite funny him mentioning how pathetic it is for Charlie to be courting sympathy with the 'I'm soooo lonely' game. 400,000+ people are on the dole. George Lee showed no courage and took no risks entering politics leaving the RTE door open behind him (which I didn't realise he had done and therefore earlier suggested he had integrity).

Laminations

johngalway wrote: »

Because joining FF is like jumping out of the lifeboat and back onto the Titanic.

I would ask, why did he not make himself heard more forceably in FG if that's what he wanted. In a crowd or forum you need to make yourself heard, you need persistence. I simply don't think GL had what it takes to be a politician, which is a rough job when you think of all that's involved.

True about FF. Its like saying to a starving man, if you are really that hungry why dont you eat **** off the ground - there are just some levels that are too low and degrading to stoop to in order to fulfil your aim.

I would ask, where is the evidence of any policy ideas he had?? Why did he not even privately publish any papers on economic policy?

Laminations

Eoin Harris Newstalk podcast

Guy:Incognito

jmayo wrote: »

I'll bet Kenny is over the moon listening to backing from bertie's champion :rolleyes:.

Leo Varadkar had plenty to say too, is he also Berties right hand man?


One of Varadkars points was that Lee never actually came up with any policies. The closest he came , without putting anything on paper was apparently wanting to make it compulsory for all Irish pension funds to be invested within Ireland, despite this being illegal. good to see Lee did his reasearch on such simple issues as laws, or did he think they don't apply to him?:)

His only other bit of input according to Varadkar was to spend our way out of recession. Varadkar rightly pointed to Greece to show what happens there.




Whats the chances the whole things was an undercover political expose for RTE?

jmayo

Stekelly wrote: »

Leo Varadkar had plenty to say too, is he also Berties right hand man?

Please read my posts to check my views.
And Harris was bertie's champion :rolleyes:

Stekelly wrote: »

One of Varadkars points was that Lee never actually came up with any policies. The closest he came , without putting anything on paper was apparently wanting to make it compulsory for all Irish pension funds to be invested within Ireland, despite this being illegal. good to see Lee did his reasearch on such simple issues as laws, or did he think they don't apply to him?:)

His only other bit of input according to Varadkar was to spend our way out of recession. Varadkar rightly pointed to Greece to show what happens there.

Whats the chances the whole things was an undercover political expose for RTE?

I am bloody damm glad that he didn't get any power if that was his best idea.
My pension took a big enough hit without it all having been invested in worthless Irish bank shares, which were the primary shares on the irish stock market - famous for it's tough stance on insider dealing.
Even better still wouldn't be wonderful if your pension fund was being handled through some brokers in Goodbodys :rolleyes:
Fupping muppet Lee.

BTW RTE aren't that bright me thinks.
Although since they are becoming more and more controlled by ff relatives you never know :eek:

mike65

Its Eoghan Harris btw.

Dermot Illogical

George hears that Charlie Bird is coming back to RTE...gets in first

johngalway

RT66 wrote: »

George hears that Charlie Bird is coming back to RTE...gets in first

I hear that GL is looking for the Washington Correspondent job. Whether it's true or not I can't say. I know May was the end of his leave of absence.

Laminations

Just an interesting aside, this George Lee thread is the most viewed and commented on thread in the politics forum here. With all the crap thats going on in this country I'm amazed a journalist turned politician with no apparent policies leaving the Dail is the most important thing to be discussing.

Red_Marauder

Laminations wrote: »

Just an interesting aside, this George Lee thread is the most viewed and commented on thread in the politics forum here. With all the crap thats going on in this country I'm amazed a journalist turned politician with no apparent policies leaving the Dail is the most important thing to be discussing.

It's a very specific issue with (essentially) one thread, if you add up all the seperate economic posts they would obviously far outnumber it - there's an entire Irish economic forum in fairness.

Shayman

johngalway wrote: »

I hear that GL is looking for the Washington Correspondent job. Whether it's true or not I can't say. I know May was the end of his leave of absence.

Ah, I heard he's taking over the Dance show weekend nights on 2FM while they find him something to do...

UltimateMale

Fair play to George, a man with integrity and honesty. Good traits - but they no future in politics in this country

Idbatterim

Fine Gael literally have the next Election wrapped up, if they do one thing! and that is get rid of Kenny as front man! I cant believe the writing is on the wall, all the effort the FG TD's go through and its going to be for nothing, because they dont have the spine to tell Enda the way it is! What a waste for the part and the country! All we need is a decent alternative to FF and people will flock to vote for it! How difficult can it be?! Dont get some wishy washy man like Cowen either! they need a hardliner, who will actually get things done! not deliberate and consult every vested interest!

Idbatterim

This crap of whether or not hes up for the job! the answer is so obvious its pathetic! Ofcourse hes not up to it! Its black and white, it doesnt have to be complicated...

storybud1

when i first heard about george jacking it in,i thought,fair play to you george,but the more i think about it,i am very annoyed at him,surely he knew the deal when he signed up with enda,also why didn't he make waves in the press,i know he may have been censured for not following the party line,but the public would have been on his side,enda may have sacked him,but he would have exposed all the crap that goes on in politics,as it is now,there is nobody on the inside ,not sure you thought this out george,where are you now,in the wilderness,i think your being very naive,how about starting your own party,or maybe your realised when you saw the books,how badly off the country actually is,and that there is no easy cure ,anyway,good luck george,in whatever you decide to do

Red_Marauder

UltimateMale wrote: »

Fair play to George, a man with integrity and honesty. Good traits - but they no future in politics in this country

I think that's a bit of an exaggeration. George Lee quitting the Dáil does not spell the end of integrity and honesty in Irish politics.

This exasperated grief with one ex-journalist quitting politics is somewhat bewildering. Sure, he would have been great to have on board - but it's hardly like the IMF has just come in or the British have landed.

People need to wake up and quit acting like panicking sheep, running around in circles, passing further worry and fright to each other.

Move on. George will.

anymore

Idbatterim wrote: »

Fine Gael literally have the next Election wrapped up, if they do one thing! and that is get rid of Kenny as front man! I cant believe the writing is on the wall, all the effort the FG TD's go through and its going to be for nothing, because they dont have the spine to tell Enda the way it is! What a waste for the part and the country! All we need is a decent alternative to FF and people will flock to vote for it! How difficult can it be?! Dont get some wishy washy man like Cowen either! they need a hardliner, who will actually get things done! not deliberate and consult every vested interest!

This is an important point. Why would we have confidence in FG to govern when they have shown themselves so inept in the manner of thier leadership ? I say that having voted for them in last two elections !

anymore

Laminations wrote: »

Just an interesting aside, this George Lee thread is the most viewed and commented on thread in the politics forum here. With all the crap thats going on in this country I'm amazed a journalist turned politician with no apparent policies leaving the Dail is the most important thing to be discussing.

The issue touches on a lot of different matters of interest to people.
It has the Messiah disppappears appeal, it touches on Kenny's competence, on the general relevance of the dail and the work carried out by politicians, it has the appeal of a soap opera type of incident and as Eoghan Harris said on Newstalk, women apparently went mad over george Lee. So it has politicis, intrigue, mystery and sex ! What more could you want ?