Poll: Will this Dáil see a full term? - Support for FF falls 15% (Joe Behan Resigns from the Party)

eoinmn wrote:

johnfás wrote:

Nothing better than Fianna Fáilers at each other's throats.

They've always played the role of their own opposition well, and to their benefit.

I agree with you, and defer that my grasp of party politics isn't the best here. But I think that there are shattering blows coming, and if it is seen by the majority of the Country that Fianna Fail were responsible for some of these blows, and are directing them at the old, the sick and children, there will be a seismic shift.

cactus flower wrote:

eoinmn wrote:

johnfás wrote:

Nothing better than Fianna Fáilers at each other's throats.

They've always played the role of their own opposition well, and to their benefit.

I agree with you, and defer that my grasp of party politics isn't the best here. But I think that there are shattering blows coming, and if it is seen by the majority of the Country that Fianna Fail were responsible for some of these blows, and are directing them at the old, the sick and children, there will be a seismic shift.

Not really. Fianna Fáil will always be the largest party in this country. Their organisation and grip on the imagination of so much of the people of Ireland is such that they shall always be a feature of Irish bodypolitick.

Ard-Taoiseach wrote:

cactus flower wrote:

eoinmn wrote:

johnfás wrote:

Nothing better than Fianna Fáilers at each other's throats.

They've always played the role of their own opposition well, and to their benefit.

I agree with you, and defer that my grasp of party politics isn't the best here. But I think that there are shattering blows coming, and if it is seen by the majority of the Country that Fianna Fail were responsible for some of these blows, and are directing them at the old, the sick and children, there will be a seismic shift.

Not really. Fianna Fáil will always be the largest party in this country. Their organisation and grip on the imagination of so much of the people of Ireland is such that they shall always be a feature of Irish bodypolitick.

This is so unfortunately true it'd bring a tear to your eye.

Matt Cooper is saying that Mary White and De Burca of the Greens are threatening to resign.

Bizzarely, George Hook is lauding Behan but calling White a hypocrite. He claims the Behan would not have knowledge of the cabinet's budget talks but White & De Burca would.

Then they will split. They were the builders' party and the peoples' party. They can't be both any longer.

eoinmn wrote:

Cooper is saying that Mary White and De Burca of the Greens are about to resign.
Bizzarely, George Hook is lauding Behan but calling White a hypocrite. He claims the Behan would not have knowledge of the cabinet's budget talks but White & De Burca would.

Confusion over White, who said the withdrawal of the medical cards was not acceptable, but was not a resigning matter?

Noel O Flynn is threatening to resign also if it goes ahead. Jim Mc Daid is not a happy camper.

EvotingMachine0197 wrote:

Noel O Flynn is threatening to resign also if it goes ahead. Jim Mc Daid is not a happy camper.

Also Tom Kitt - although he was stepping back anyway.

What a lazy, stupid, venal and pathetic budget.

cactus flower wrote:

Confusion over White, who said the withdrawal of the medical cards was not acceptable, but was not a resigning matter?

I think you're right.

If the government falls then I'm voting Fianna Fáil and the PDs - handing this country to the Opposition in the state it's in would damage them for decades like it did in the 80s.

Let Fianna Fáil go hump on this one - patriotism my ****.

cactus flower wrote:

Then they will split. They were the builders' party and the peoples' party. They can't be both any longer.

Yes they can. Fianna Fáil is all things to all people. It is the national movement. Fianna Fáil embraces them all. They've been this far, they'll go further.

Ard-Taoiseach wrote:

cactus flower wrote:

Then they will split. They were the builders' party and the peoples' party. They can't be both any longer.

Yes they can. Fianna Fáil is all things to all people. It is the national movement. Fianna Fáil embraces them all. They've been this far, they'll go further.

They were the Dunnes Stores of Ireland. Then they became the BT, Arnotts, Dunnes and Lidl. Now they have kicked the Dunnes and Lidl shoppers from one end of the store to the other.

Part of me desperately wants to see this government fall simply to get rid of Harney once and for all. An appalling Minister, vastly over-rated, espousing a vicious and wholly discredited economic viewpoint, now outdated and thrown in the trashcan of history.

Another part of me wants to see Fianna Fail try to deal with the mess they themselves created. And watch them fail.

Slim Buddha wrote:

Part of me desperately wants to see this government fall simply to get rid of Harney once and for all. An appalling Minister, vastly over-rated, espousing a vicious and wholly discredited economic viewpoint, now outdated and thrown in the trashcan of history.

Another part of me wants to see Fianna Fail try to deal with the mess they themselves created. And watch them fail.

Yep me too Slim. Harney wrecks my head. I just despise the FF movement.

Joe Behan on Six one in a minute.

Well he sounds like he's out of the party for good from his noises on six-one - anyone tape it for gene pool posterity?

They will have to reverse it. Which probably involves firing Harney. There is a huge risk of losing the vote next week, which I think would force a government resignation as it is Finance Bill related.

Hee Hee Heee.....I told ye so.

Most unedifying people, repugnant even, a flow of pent up bile, spite & negativity a Twink phone message couldn’t match.

tonys wrote:

Most unedifying people, repugnant even, a flow of pent up bile, spite & negativity a Twink phone message couldn’t match.

Bar the bit about the Twink message, that's exactly what I thought when Mr. Behan was delivering his message on Six One. Interesting stuff about Mary Coughlan I thought.

You weren't inspired to leave anytime soon yourself, Tonys?

What's a Twink phone message ?

There must have been a lot of vanity and hubris there in the upper echelons of Fianna Fail if they thought that this budget and the bail out was going to be lapped up willingly. It was the same with Lisbon. They don't seem to realise that people have changed, they won't just leave all their thinking to the Priest and Politician.

Tonys, did you like the budget?

cactus flower wrote:

What's a Twink phone message ?

There must have been a lot of vanity and hubris there in the upper echelons of Fianna Fail if they thought that this budget and the bail out was going to be lapped up willingly. It was the same with Lisbon. They don't seem to realise that people have changed, they won't just leave all their thinking to the Priest and Politician.

Tonys, did you like the budget?

No I didn’t like the budget, I wasn’t supposed to, it wasn‘t designed for liking, it was designed to right the ship. My opinion for what it’s worth is that the budget wasn’t tough enough, the targets were too wide spread and it lacked the necessary focus on future direction.

As for the rest of your post, I haven't come accross that attitude since "the quiet man".
I despair, I really do.

tonys wrote:

My opinion for what it’s worth is that the budget wasn’t tough enough, the targets were too wide spread and it lacked the necessary focus on future direction.

Yes it lacks focus and is spread too thin and wide - very true for you. Why didn't they just go for the throat and focus on one thing? Fianna Fáil have so much power they can get away with it from the electorate. They really could have gone with one theme this year but really the budget should be part I of a IV part series and the electorate deserves to hear and know about that.

Do you think the Budget should be secret? Is it a state secret - is it in the Constitution or something? It's kind of patronising or something in this day and age.

Auditor #9 wrote:

Do you think the Budget should be secret? Is it a state secret - is it in the Constitution or something? It's kind of patronising or something in this day and age.

It has to be a state secret. If budgetary changes were communicated to the nation before the date then the flow of economic activity would be disturbed and distorted. This would be quite unsettling and have a detrimental impact on economic affairs.

It is much better for all announcements to be made on Budget day in one go to set the theme and tone for the coming year. It might be a bit patronising, but it's the best way to proceed.

Quote :

No I didn’t like the budget, I wasn’t supposed to, it wasn‘t designed for liking, it was designed to right the ship. My opinion for what it’s worth is that the budget wasn’t tough enough, the targets were too wide spread and it lacked the necessary focus on future direction.

Are you suggesting that it lacks the focus to right the ship? And where would you have narrowed in on specific targets?