Brian Lenihan: the wrong man at the wrong time.

[Eamonn76]

The more I observe Brian Lenihan the more I feel that he is the completely wrong man for the job of Minister for Finance at this time. He does not have business knowledge or strength of character or even common sense. If he had any of these he would stand up for the country. He would stand up to the Department of Finance officials, the ECB, the bank shareholders and bond holders and the developers. He would tell them all that the guarantee runs out in a year and that he will guarantee the banks' deposits and nothing else. He would tell the banks to reach a deal with their bond holders and shareholders before the year is up. He would set up a good bank ready to replace AIB and BOI if the bondholders try to play hardball. They are the ones with the gigantic losses. They should feel lucky to get any money from the state. He is giving them €59 Billion for assets even he admits he is overpaying for. We are having €59 Billion extorted from us because he is being conned and bullied. We need a new minister for finance, preferably McWilliams or George Lee, but anyone with cop on and a spine would be a huge improvement.

[Cassandra Syndrome]

The more I observe Brian Lenihan the more I feel that he is the completely wrong man for the job of Minister for Finance at this time. He does not have business knowledge or strength of character or even common sense. If he had any of these he would stand up for the country. He would stand up to the Department of Finance officials, the ECB, the bank shareholders and bond holders and the developers. He would tell them all that the guarantee runs out in a year and that he will guarantee the banks' deposits and nothing else. He would tell the banks to reach a deal with their bond holders and shareholders before the year is up. He would set up a good bank ready to replace AIB and BOI if the bondholders try to play hardball. They are the ones with the gigantic losses. They should feel lucky to get any money from the state. He is giving them €59 Billion for assets even he admits he is overpaying for. We are having €59 Billion extorted from us because he is being conned and bullied. We need a new minister for finance, preferably McWilliams or George Lee, but anyone with cop on and a spine would be a huge improvement.

Fully agree. He never studied economics either. When things are booming we don't notice the mistakes these clowns are making. "Money" is cheap and plentiful and we are all running around like scaulded cats to have time to notice. Sure who cares if Ralph Wiggum is controling the nation's purse strings?

[EamonnZ]

The more I observe Brian Lenihan the more I feel that he is the completely wrong man for the job of Minister for Finance at this time. He does not have business knowledge or strength of character or even common sense. If he had any of these he would stand up for the country. He would stand up to the Department of Finance officials, the ECB, the bank shareholders and bond holders and the developers. He would tell them all that the guarantee runs out in a year and that he will guarantee the banks' deposits and nothing else. He would tell the banks to reach a deal with their bond holders and shareholders before the year is up. He would set up a good bank ready to replace AIB and BOI if the bondholders try to play hardball. They are the ones with the gigantic losses. They should feel lucky to get any money from the state. He is giving them €59 Billion for assets even he admits he is overpaying for. We are having €59 Billion extorted from us because he is being conned and bullied. We need a new minister for finance, preferably McWilliams or George Lee, but anyone with cop on and a spine would be a huge improvement.

I think this is the best example I could come up with...

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8o_9sY-UE9U"]YouTube - Yes Minister - S01E06 - The Right to Know - Part 1[/ame]

[Eamonn76]

He is the one with the cash. They are bankrupt. But they are frightening bankrupts making threats. Their threats are empty. Someone with common sense or business knowledge would call their bluff. He and his advisers have neither.

[Eamonn76]

I think this is the best example I could come up with...

YouTube - Yes Minister - S01E06 - The Right to Know - Part 1

Even Sir Humphrey would balk at the amount of money Lenihan is giving to the banks for their toxic assets. His suave ability to spin and con does remind me of Sir Humphrey though. He will blame everything on the civil servants in his memoirs.

[irish_bob]

The more I observe Brian Lenihan the more I feel that he is the completely wrong man for the job of Minister for Finance at this time. He does not have business knowledge or strength of character or even common sense. If he had any of these he would stand up for the country. He would stand up to the Department of Finance officials, the ECB, the bank shareholders and bond holders and the developers. He would tell them all that the guarantee runs out in a year and that he will guarantee the banks' deposits and nothing else. He would tell the banks to reach a deal with their bond holders and shareholders before the year is up. He would set up a good bank ready to replace AIB and BOI if the bondholders try to play hardball. They are the ones with the gigantic losses. They should feel lucky to get any money from the state. He is giving them €59 Billion for assets even he admits he is overpaying for. We are having €59 Billion extorted from us because he is being conned and bullied. We need a new minister for finance, preferably McWilliams or George Lee, but anyone with cop on and a spine would be a huge improvement.

brian lennehan has charechter in spades , he has more guts in his little finger than biffo has in his entire belly

[CookieMonster]

brian lennehan has charechter in spades , he has more guts in his little finger than biffo has in his entire belly

He should see a doctor then.

[shannonBlueShirt]

I actually like him, but I think that bank guarantee he gave last year , was the worst mistake in Ireland history.... Worst then asking strongbow for a hand in a fight...

I think every step ( Buying Anglo, NAMA ) he has make since then has being to avoid admitting that the guarantee was a mistake...

[Eamonn76]

His fundamental problem is a lack of common sense or business sense and a weak personality. He has given in to empty threats. We need a forceful personality with business/economic knowledge. We got the opposite. Like Norman Lamont in the UK and Bertie Ahern in Ireland during the 1992 currency crisis he has given in to official wisdom, which as often is wrong. They were told devaluation would be hugely damaging to their countries credibility. They wasted hundred of millions in Ireland's case trying to stop it. It happened - and turned out to be a very good thing, in spite of the official wisdom. I predict he will blame it all on the officials in his memoirs and he will be right in a way. It's all happening because they are wrong and he is too weak to stand up to them and doesn't know any better.

[Hal]

His fundamental problem is a lack of common sense or business sense and a weak personality. He has given in to empty threats. We need a forceful personality with business/economic knowledge. We got the opposite. Like Norman Lamont in the UK and Bertie Ahern in Ireland during the 1992 currency crisis he has given in to official wisdom, which as often is wrong. They were told devaluation would be hugely damaging to their countries credibility. They wasted hundred of millions in Ireland's case trying to stop it. It happened - and turned out to be a very good thing, in spite of the official wisdom. I predict he will blame it all on the officials in his memoirs and he will be right in a way. It's all happening because they are wrong and he is too weak to stand up to them and doesn't know any better.

Whereas you do?