Alex White calls George Lee' candidacy in Dublin South a "vanity project"

[David Cochrane]

Senator Alex White, who until about 1pm last Wednesday was considered (by himself, his party, and pretty much everyone else too) as the shoo-in for the Dublin South by-election in just over three weeks has called George Lee's candidacy for Fine Gael in Dublin South a 'vanity project'. In a statement this morning, Senator White also calls George Lee "astonishing, dangerous and regressive".

“The electorate is entitled to ask what George Lee stands for.

“Fine Gael seems to think that he should be elected simply because he is well-known and new to politics. He himself has said very little. But some of what he has said is astonishing, dangerous and regressive.

“He believes the HSE should be subjected to more competition in order to deliver vital health services. This is exactly the PD philosophy of ‘competition at all costs’ that has led to the madness of co-located hospitals. George also wants to sell off Bord Gais. Has he learnt nothing from the debacle of Eircom?

“There is no doubt that Brian Cowen’s government is discredited. But I do not believe that Enda Kenny’s Fine Gael offers any genuine alternative. Enda Kenny’s leadership has little public credibility while Eamon Gilmore surpasses him consistently in polls, and in the Dail” said White.

“Bluntly put, Enda Kenny is not the leader the country wants. Celebrity endorsements will not change that.

“Nothing captures the emptiness at the heart of the Fine Gael’s electoral strategy in Dublin South more than Brian Hayes’s remarks over the weekend: ‘People are losing their jobs and George [Lee] has huge credibility because he has been on TV talking about it for so long’.

“Is this the best they can do?”

Senator Alex White of course is a former RTE employee too, who worked for Gay Byrne and was elected to the Seanad two years ago under an electoral arrangement with Sinn Fein.

[jpc]

Sounds a bit desperate.
To be charitable to him.

[mccafferty cat]

I'm sure he meant to say: "George Lee's candidacy has screwed up MY vanity project"

I'm sure it was just a typo on the part of the Labour press office

[Kf]

Good stuff from White, nice to see he is coming out fighting and he is dead right, there is a change needed in Irish politics and therefore George Lee, or any other touted saviour, is to be subjected to questions on what they think.

[Rich OC]

I'm sure he meant to say: "George Lee's candidacy has screwed up MY vanity project"

I'm sure it was just a typo on the part of the Labour press office

Delicious, just delicious.

[lebowskilite]

Spot on Alex.

[grassroots]

He left out the bit about George's fondness for eating babies.

I have never subscibed to the view that George was a shoo in. Alex has even more money to spend on his campaign than FG, given that he is a barrister.

[greengoose]

White is doing himself no favours with that petulant outburst! Lee seems to know what he is talking about and along with Richard Bruton could be an enormous improvement on the current bunch of mismanagers!

It seems that the way to fight the opposition in this fair land is to do your darnedst to discret your opponent rather than showing some effort at superiority!

[DerekOwens]

To think people were worried about Lee cracking under pressure.

[Oppenheimer]

This....

“There is no doubt that Brian Cowen’s government is discredited. But I do not believe that Enda Kenny’s Fine Gael offers any genuine alternative. Enda Kenny’s leadership has little public credibility while Eamon Gilmore surpasses him consistently in polls, and in the Dail” said White."

....IMO is astonishing, regressive and dangerous - both opposition parties would be well advised to steer clear of phraseology denouncing alternatives, it is the straw FF is maniacally clinging to.