Thursday, May 10, 2007
Bertiegate? Baloneygate more like
It seems the hyperbole is just going to keep on coming from this Government and its cronies in relation to the leaked information from the Mahon Tribunal over Taoiseach Bertie Ahern's finances.Last week we had Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Tom Parlon, claiming Fine Gael were about to trigger a "bomb of information" on Day 21 of the campaign trail, and now members of the media are getting in on the act as well. Take a look at the words of the Evening Herald's Andrew Lynch from yesterday's paper:
"THIS election campaign is being hijacked...Somewhere in the bowels of Dublin Castle, a shadowy puppet master is trying to pull the media's strings and destroy a Taoiseach."
You couldn't make this stuff up, could you? Clearly someone was watching his 24 DVD box set a little too much over the weekend.
'Where is the shadowy puppet master?'
Lynch goes on to defend the Taoiseach and tries to determine who might want to ruin oul' lovable Bertie's reputation. First he suggests Sinn Féin:
"It's also worth noting that on the doorsteps, SF canvassers are using this affair to brazenly claim that FF are fundamentally corrupt and that they're now the true voice of republicanism."
Oh My God! Are you serious? How dare they! Imagine, a party highlighting the misdeeds of its rival! This is truly unheard of.
Lynch then goes on to suggest the Opposition, more specifically Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, are to blame for the leaks. He adds this delightful little doozy:
"We may never know for sure, but we do know this. Irish people have a strong sense of fair play and they won't like the idea of their election being guided by a hidden hand."
The Irish people have a strong sense of fair play, do we? God knows how Charles Haughey lasted so long then. I also love how Lynch talks about "a strong sense of fair play" yet overlooks the key issue here - that Ahern's finances appear to be dodgy! Where's the fair play there, Andrew? Why not lash out at that?
Lynch instead directs his ire at those trying to "manipulate" events yet it's plain to see he is attempting to do the very same thing when it comes to his own readers. Not all of us are that dumb, Lynchy boy. Look at his sad final paragraph:
"The Mahon mole must be sniggering up his sleeve right now, but on May 24 he might find that the electorate is not as easy to manipulate as he thinks."
Ooh, do you think so Andrew? There I was thinking that the main problem was the Taoiseach's suspicious finances when clearly the real problem is this "Mahon mole" trying to deceive little old me. Well then, I'm not going to stand for that! I'm going to do my utmost to ensure Bertie Ahern gets another term in office! Or...maybe not.
This hysterical rhetoric from the Government is becoming increasingly desperate. Rattled? You bet they are.
I don't give a damn how this information got out or gets out. Hell, the tooth fairy can deliver it for all I care. I just want to hear the TRUTH about what these guys were up to and I think most Irish people feel the same. I'm sick of the current crowd dismissing and demeaning these findings and trying to play them off like they don't matter.
They DO matter. And on May 24, I pray that this Government and the well oiled lickspittles like Andrew Lynch get that message loud and clear.
# posted by United Irelander @ 4:39 AM 
© 2008 United Irelander.
