Cowen & Rabbitte go Head to Head on Prime Time

[Maximus]

Cowen and Rabbitte to go head to head on Prime Time tonight at 9.50.

[smiffy]

Rainbow in tatters?

[Maximus]

Rainbow in tatters?

Lets hope so!

[Maximus]

Excellent debate, both Cowen and Rabbitte preformed well. Cowen really demonstrated a serious command of his brief, he wasn’t caught out once. Rabbitte was on form, though was a little weak with the numbers.

[rockofcashel]

I wonder if the undercurrent to this debate is more important than the debate itself ?

Who feels that in matching Rabbitte with Cowen on a debate such as this, its tacit acceptance that Rabbitte rather than R. Bruton is being sized up as the "alternative" Minister for Finance, and as such his failure to rule out increased taxation, will become a point of attack in the GE.

Any views ?

[Gladstone]

But if he tried to introcude higher taxes he'd be outvoted at cabinet level by FG?

[Maximus]

But if he tried to introcude higher taxes he'd be outvoted at cabinet level by FG?

You don't really know how the cabinet works do you? One doesn't out vote the Minister for Finance, if fact there are hardly ever votes on anything. Quinn's book gives a fair indication of how things work, down to where to get a coffee!

[Gladstone]

I thought the cabinet took a vote on every bill a minister wanted to intoduce?

FG are hardly gonna sit there with a bigger mandate and be told what to do by someone with less seats and less support.

[hiding behind a poster]

I wonder if the undercurrent to this debate is more important than the debate itself ?

Who feels that in matching Rabbitte with Cowen on a debate such as this, its tacit acceptance that Rabbitte rather than R. Bruton is being sized up as the "alternative" Minister for Finance, and as such his failure to rule out increased taxation, will become a point of attack in the GE.

Any views ?

Maybe it was just Labour's turn to be on - and Rabbitte didn't want to send old moany-face Joan Burton on, especially as we all know that whoever might be Finance minister in a Rainbow, it sure won't be her.

[padraig]

I thought the cabinet took a vote on every bill a minister wanted to intoduce?

FG are hardly gonna sit there with a bigger mandate and be told what to do by someone with less seats and less support.

Why not isn't that how the current government works with the PDs calling the shots.