Monday 20 September 2010

Brian Lenihan, the new messiah?

Despite there being a 756% increase of flights from Ireland to Fuerteventura in the past year (and there’s me trying to get away from it all), it has not been possible to get the Sunday Independent in Corralejo. Anyway, I’ll just assume that Sir Anthony, being a lauded captain of Irish industry, has done his homework and figured that the cited 756% is functionally – or literally – illiterate. What other explanation could there be?


So, I’m reduced to brief snatches of wi-fi-ing in the complex lobby to catch up on news from dear old Erin. And it seems that you cannot go away for two weeks’ holliers without all Hell breaking loose. Well, accusations, at least, of our glorious leader Brian Cowen appearing on Morning Ireland, the worse for wear.

“Informed” rumours that Biffo will soon face a leadership challange from Brian Lenihan, no less. There’s nothing like having a leader like Brian Cowen to make even the most mediocre look like world-beaters. I gather Micheal Martin is in the frame too, and I suppose that is not unexpected, but Lenihan?

Isn’t Brian Lenihan the man behind the Home Choice scheme? The one designed to fob off developers’ ghost estates as affordable housing? Isn’t Brian Lenihan the finance minister who presided over Nama? Isn’t he the very man that signed the dotted line to pump billions into Anglo?

It is not that long ago since economic commentators such as David McWilliams and Matt Cooper where slating Lenihan for getting things consistently wrong. And they were right. Anything Lenihan predicted, the very opposite happened. So what has changed? Why has the public attitude towards Lenihan softened, to the extent that Fianna Fail might present him to the country as a future prime minister?

This sounds awful, but very occasionally the truth does. Could it possibly be that Fianna Fail is cynically capitalising on Lenihan’s well-documented health issues?

I wish Lenihan the very best in his battle against his illness, I really do. I hope he wins it.

But I’d rather see Cowen stay on as leader, as I think that is the best way for us to rid the cancer of Fianna Fail from Irish political life.

And don’t they know it.

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2 comments:

anna said...

In fairness to Lenihan, he is seen as a relatively 'clean' figure- he was not a Minister who helped bring the whole awful housing bubble about, as many of the FF were-AND that is why FF think he could be electoral gold for them,BUT he inherited an awful mess: dealing with awful mess bewildered many- it seems that even parties who opposed NAMA were all believed to have their own NAMA style scheme- as no-one knew what to do.But no, he should Not keep giving them money.Two yrs ago, I belived the '" Two Brians ,no brain' slogan'. , but Lenihan is actually more intelligent than the rest of the pack. Says it all for FF, tho, that their brightest is a man who should be at home recuperating , rather than trying to do a strenuous job.
No give the job to Miheal or Mary H...I don't like Dermot, he is ambitious and cunning.

The Gombeen Man said...

"...I don't like Dermot, he is ambitious and cunning"

A nasty piece of work, alright - and the orginator of our new 17th century blasphemy laws...