Lessons to be learned from outing of Charles Kennedy as heavy drinker

[asset test]

There are about a zillion things I'd criticise Brian Cowen for, but I have to admit that he has always been polite in my company, a pleasant conversationalist and I have never seen him the worst for drink.

Let's be fair and nail him to the cross for his REAL misdeeds, not the things the mudslingers want him to be condemned for.

Agree. Everyone (bar a small few) in Ireland drinks, either moderately or to excess. He who casts the first stone and all that. But... if it transpires that the alleged drinking is a factor in his mismanagement of our country, well that is a different story.

[Sailor]

That's a no, then?

To be serious, I cannot prove that the rumour is true. Though I believe that it is.

The substantive point I am making is that, if it is true, Cowen is unlikely to ever be confronted on it on Irish TV/radio.

Fair enough

[Vega1447]

Fair enough

He'll (hic) thank you himself....:mrgreen:

[Lloyd-Apjohn]

Kennedy wasn't 'outed' because he was a drunk - he was outed because he was incompetant and made mistakes - there have been loads of UK cabinet ministers who were drunks but got their job done.

The mind boggles at the sort of low life who've sat around an Irish cabinet table - I wonder how many of them abused children as on the law of averages given the level of sexual violence in Ireland and the depth of repressed sexuality there had to have been a few.

[Catalpa]

The leader of FF and Taoiseach of this Republic is widely and persistently rumoured to drink too much.

Similar rumours about Charles Kennedy (then leader of British Lib Dems) circulated in Britain for a year or more until his outing by Jeremy Paxman on Newsnight in 2002 when Paxman said to Kennedy: "Does it trouble you that every single politician to whom we have spoken while preparing for this interview has said the same thing, 'You are interviewing Charles Kennedy, I hope he's sober'?"

Is there any prospect of a similar question being addressed to Brian Cowan on Irish TV or radio?

None I would I say.

[seabhcan]

Churchill was an extremely heavy drinker who was almost certainly alcoholic, while his opposite number in Germany was a tea-totaler. Who would you prefer?

Being an alcoholic wouldn't disqualify someone from high office. Its Cowen's incompetence that worries me more.

[Trmr09]

What about Coughlan and Lenihan? I've been told that they like the old sauce themselves too. Just look at those black bags under his eyes...

[cactusflower]

There were press stories of a massive binge drinking session in the Dail bar the day after the Banks Guarantee was made. A "session" would suggest that more than one person was involved.

[CookieMonster]

Churchill was an extremely heavy drinker who was almost certainly alcoholic, while his opposite number in Germany was a tea-totaler. Who would you prefer?

Being an alcoholic wouldn't disqualify someone from high office. Its Cowen's incompetence that worries me more.

Incompetence is hardly to be lessened by possible "heavy" drinking though, is it?

As for the first but, Mike Godwin will be along soon to slap you.

[Eamonn20Bn plus interest]

There were press stories of a massive binge drinking session in the Dail bar the day after the Banks Guarantee was made. A "session" would suggest that more than one person was involved.

Does anyone know who was involved in this booze up?