FF/FG/Green Government - Part 3 - Threadbanned User List in OP

McMurphy

Does anyone else get the distinct feeling that there's possibly more to come from the Simon Harris thing?

Did my ears trick me, or did Pearse Doherty ask Leo, what sounded like a fairly specific and loaded question yesterday evening?

Can't recall the exact wording, but it was something along the lines of asking Leo if he ever shared any details about the alleged sting and cabinet leak with Michaél Martin?

Leo better hope there's nothing awaiting him in the long grass. But I get the feeling this ain't over yet. ⏳

PieOhMy

Can anyone outline how the sting was executed or what it entailed? Or is it something we can't talk about?

McMurphy

It was widely reported back in early August in numerous newspapers,

Poster Muhaahaha gave an excellent synopsis of it earlier this evening on the Zappone thread.

Quoted below.

Originally posted by Muhaahaha

The Sunday Times reported that a junior FG minister (Patrick o'Donovan) rang a senior FG minister (Simon Harris) and told him he had just been on his local radio station giving out about the Zappone appointment. This was disinformation and the radio interview never took place but a few minutes after o'Donovan was off the phone with Harris o'Donovan got a phone call from a journalist asking him about what he said about the Zappone appointment on local radio and trying to get a comment about it from him. So Harris had swallowed the lie fed to him by o'Donovan and also immediately spread it to a journalist. From that they (ie Vardkar and o'Donovan) identified Harris as the person who was texting the Zappone info in real time during the Cabinet meeting where it was first raised.

I can't see Harris following up with anything. Might be wrong, but highly doubt it.

PieOhMy

Thanks for the catch up, I'd missed all that. Very devious indeed!

skimpydoo

Donnelly is being barbequed by Miriam on Prime Time.

McMurphy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117901580#Comment_117901580

https://twitter.com/DrHaroldNews/status/1438605691325911042?s=19

......

Floppybits

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117901522#Comment_117901522

Some might say it is 'Chilling'. That seems to be a favored word these days. If the sting did happen you'd have to ask what is going on in the FG party? Are they all looking to stab each other in the back?

Suckit

Apparently a poll in MoS today that shows FF gaining popularity and FG losing.

FF on trajectory and looking like overtaking FG in popularity. Not surprising really.

https://twitter.com/IrishMailSunday/status/1439367560517070849

RandomViewer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117902420#Comment_117902420

Think they all binge watched Star Trek in lockdown and see themselves as the Klingons( or Cling ons), wiping each other out to get to the top

skimpydoo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117911004#Comment_117911004

Too many Tribbles spoil the broth.

Shebean

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117911004#Comment_117911004

More 'mirror mirror' with the alternate Star Fleet 🤓

The quality of the people in the various ministries is pretty bad. Cut throat self serving me feiners. No wonder they've no time to do a decent job.

RandomViewer

Not a trekkie expert and not sure if the mirror universe existed outside of Discovery,

Bubbaclaus

Disgusting homophobic scenes outside Varadkar's home earlier today. Hopefully the perpetrators will get charged.

skimpydoo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117913350#Comment_117913350

For once we can both agree on something. As you know I have no time for Varadkar but it was sickening. Calling him a Paedophile and homophobia was uncalled for.

I hope all those outside his home are charged and sent to jail.

BKelly21

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117913350#Comment_117913350

Far right loonies from what I'm reading. Don't know the full details other than they were shouting "homophobic slogans". Arrest them and charge them.

Politicians homes should be completely off limits and should never be the target of protest.

gmisk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117913684#Comment_117913684

They called him a kiddie fiddler amongst other things....it is all on video....absolute loopers like Graham Carey are so thick they record themselves saying it!

Floppybits

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117913350#Comment_117913350

I think, well hope, that most people can agree with you on that. I never understand this sort of behavior, what are they trying to achieve? Why can't these people just let people live as they want? I would call it Neanderthal behavior but that would be an insult to Neanderthals. These people are just scum.

Bannasidhe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117914000#Comment_117914000

The problem is these far right nut jobs have been allowed to scream homophobic abuse with impunity. It was done during the assault of Izzy Kamikaze, and has become the 'go-to' chant to shut down anyone - esp anyone LGBTQ- who stands up to them.

Here I think we are seeing the Robespierre effect - this govt has not acted against the far-right, indeed given that throughout the Lockdowns the far-right seemed to be able to assemble whenever and where ever they want it could have been seen by some as they had tacit official approval.

Do I think the govt approves/endorses the far-right? No.

I do think they are so consumed by the 'threat' from the left (a democratic threat that will be felt in the electoral booths) some thought they had found some useful idiots to attack the left. And like Robespierre they are learning the screaming mob cannot be controlled.

It had a horrible inevitability that the far-right extremists who have gotten away with screaming homophobic abuse and calling people paedophiles in public with impunity would turn their attention to an openly gay politician.

What else do people expect from fascist racists?

Cluedo Monopoly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117913350#Comment_117913350

I hope they get as much jail time as the hate speech laws provide. Idiots.

Cluedo Monopoly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117914195#Comment_117914195

It doesn't help that the Roman church still considers homosexuality an evil abomination. Stupid people still cling on to those backward teachings. Especially in Ireland. The Vatican said recently it will not bless same-sex marriage because God ‘can't bless sin’.

I am old enough to remember cardinals calling AIDs as a divine judgement.

Shebean

For generations the state supported the church and the far right religiously insane. This leaves us with people who think attacking gays is the right thing to do. Where thugs on the street engaging in same are animals, these kind of people believe they are just and protecting society. Dangerous and deranged human dirt IMO.

The law needs to come down heavy.

markodaly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117914195#Comment_117914195

I do think they are so consumed by the 'threat' from the left (a democratic threat that will be felt in the electoral booths) some thought they had found some useful idiots to attack the left. And like Robespierre they are learning the screaming mob cannot be controlled.

In fairness, that is a ridiculous conclusion. You are essentially saying that the Greens 'endorse' the far-right and that FG/FG have some cosy relationship with them. You offer no proof mind.

Ireland is not the USA. Stop making it out like it is.

RandomViewer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117916052#Comment_117916052

The likes of John Bruton would've aligned themselves with the far right and certain party members would have courted people of that mindset to garner votes

McMurphy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117916450#Comment_117916450

Would the DUPers be considered far right? FG have shown to be cosy enough with them throughout time, they're even aligning themselves with them (and unionists in general) to complain about MDH not going up north to partake in a partition celebration.

I've not seen any of the videos of what happened outsider Varadkars home, but by all accounts there was some disgusting comments being made, and should be condemned by any right thinking person.

There's not been much posted about it in here by the usual champions of chastising everything they deem homophobic/racist or misogynistic, my guess is because there's no faux high moral ground to be had chastising the far right loonies, all things considered.

(Just an observation)

blanch152

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117916502#Comment_117916502

It would take some neck to turn a disgusting homophobic rant against the FG leader into an attack on FG with the baseless accusation of aligning themselves with the DUP.

But sure, there is always someone to sink that low.

McMurphy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117916652#Comment_117916652

https://m.independent.ie/incoming/fine-gael-audience-applauds-as-dups-donaldson-says-ireland-should-join-the-commonwealth-37944279.html

I'm happy enough standing over that comment thank you very much, have a look on the Higgins thread, you're even on there taking the side of the DUP too btw, (mind you, you vote, green) but the evidence is there to support what I'm saying.

Shebean

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117916652#Comment_117916652

You're just fresh from defending the same thing in the shinner thread. Talk about some neck.

FG have more of a far right element. Can be common among the smaller parties.

blanch152

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117916678#Comment_117916678

I am sure you are happy enough to stand over your comment, that wasn't in question.

Cluedo Monopoly

Polls apart – Fine Gael ignores public opinion and focuses on a 'regroup' (irishexaminer.com)

It was an opportunity to "refresh, regroup and reset” as the Tánaiste put it, coming 24 hours after a pair of polls made for bracing reading for the TDs, senators and MEPs inside the Grand Hall of the hotel.

Fine Gael was down two points in the Business Post Red C poll on 28%, while The Sunday Times Behaviour & Attitudes poll saw Mr Varadkar's popularity plummet to 39%, down nine points, with Fine Gael now 10 points behind Sinn Féin on just 23% in the same Behaviour & Attitudes poll.

With the polls in mind, Fine Gaelers did not need to be told it had been a sub-par break for the party.

It's very very difficult to regroup and rebuild when you are in government. I think the FG leadership haven't done a full lessons learned on how they failed so badly in the 2020 election while allowing Fianna Fail to get ahead of them after their near decimation in 2011. Given the last 15 months it will be difficult for them to halt the rot over the next 15 months. You can almost smell the next scandal around the corner and I feel the Covid 19 response post mortem could be very awkward in terms of the financial cost in comparison to other countries in relative terms. Time will tell.

markodaly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117916450#Comment_117916450

Can you give actual examples of this?

John Bruton and the far right? Ridiculous tbh.