As the nation is agog with indifference, the political classes continue to obsess about the runners and riders in the presidential election.
Pat Cox (below) has indicated his interest. (Michael McDowell could run his campaign. There’s a thought.) John Bruton has been mentioned in dispatches. We saw him in the Dáil visitor’s gallery on Tuesday when Michael Noonan was unveiling his jobs initiative.
However, it didn’t look like he was there to schmooze potential backers for a possible bid.
Imagine Bruton and Cox on the same ticket: it would be like two dinosaurs howling at each other across a primordial swamp.
On the other hand, the people would never need to purchase sedatives again.
By the way, we have been given a sneak preview of the presidential election slogan being considered by the former president of the EU, should he decide to run for the big job.
“High time for a man again. Put Cox in the Park.”
People seem to think this is funny.
Can’t think why.
Micheál faces long haul back from the cold
Micheál Martin has started the long march towards political recovery. The Fianna Fáil leader took the first steps earlier this week when he visited the Dublin South-West cumann and delivered a morale-boosting speech to members.
“There was a lot of good feedback and new ideas coming forward. The attendance was pretty good, too,” says a party insider.
Micheál faces a tough road ahead, but he knows he has to put in the mileage if he has any chance of reviving his party’s fortunes. When Fine Gael faced meltdown, Enda Kenny embarked on a similar crusade around the country. It took him years to achieve results, and he was dealing with a party that still retained strong representation at local level.
Micheál has his work cut out for him. He hopes to visit the local organisations in all 43 constituencies by the end of the summer; then he will settle into “an ongoing engagement” with the grass roots. If he could only emulate his hero’s feat in 1969. Jack Lynch won an election with a whirlwind tour of the country’s convents. Sadly, it seems that even the nuns’ vote has deserted Fianna Fáil at this stage. But Micheál is full of energy and up to the task.
It doesn’t help that word is reaching us from the Dáil members’ bar that some deputies are already muttering about Éamon Ó Cuív as a possible replacement for Deputy Martin.
“That wouldn’t be too wide of the mark: he has his supporters. But they’ll do nothing for the moment. It’s far too early.”
A sort of replacing the old broom with an, er, old broom.
No pressure there so, Micheál.
When will Enda name Seanad 11?
What’s holding them up? Where are the nominations for the Taoiseach’s Seanad 11?
We hear there’s trouble afoot.
Anointing the chosen few is proving far more difficult than expected, with a combination of hard sells and hissy fits from people with expectations delaying the long-awaited announcement.
The names were supposed to be out on Tuesday. Then Thursday. When we inquired yesterday we were told it might be next week.
But, of course, the names couldn’t possibly be announced in the middle of Queen Elizabeth’s visit. It’s all hands to the pump, and there’s no time for such fripperies as Seanad nominations.
Until the positions are filled, the Dáil committees can’t be finalised and Fine Gael cannot select a party chairman. Former chairman and party heavyweight Tom Hayes threw his support behind Charlie Flanagan this week and will be proposing him for the position.
Word is that Enda is grappling with an astonishing 120 applications from party stalwarts who fervently believe they deserve the nod. There is also talk of elevating some councillors from around the country, and this is adding to the Taoiseach’s dilemma.
In the meantime, the angst continues for Enda and for Eamon Gilmore, who has to consider his Labour choices.
At this rate the new Government won’t have to abolish the Seanad. It’ll just never sit.
