Kenny gone as leader if Bruton withdraws his support: Times

[Rocky]

George Lee wasn't some graduate out of college... he was 46 years old when elected. His professional background was:

• MSc in Economics from the London School of Economics where his specialist area was labour economics and unemployment.
• Worked in the CSO
• Worked as economist in the Central Bank
• Worked as economist in Riada Stockbrokers & FTI
• Distinguished journalist in RTE

His public policy credentials were clear:

• Proven polished media commentator
• Track record of being right with his predictions
• Solid trust with the public
• A clear sense of outrage at impropriety and a strong sense of public duty

In his job as RTE editor many people regarded him as the Opposition. Lee clearly campaigned on a national mandate of policy formulation. Fine Gael got a 6% poll bounce.

Many of us had high hopes back then:
I had high hopes when Lee declared for FG:



Fine Gael owed it to the country to use him better... they should have been falling over themselves trying to figure out how to use him... instead they muzzled him.

People make out he should have waited longer than 9 months on the sidelines ? George should have hit the ground running, been given major responsibilities commensurate with his experience and proven ability ... instead he was made toe the part line, a sad ethos of mediocrity, parochialism and nepotism. He was given just one part policy committee to chair, and it was made clear that committee would only have partial influence.

Fine Gael didn't even know what to do with him.

cYp

FG didn't muzzle Lee. He just never opened his mounth. There was nothing to muzzle.

[paddywhack]

Would be interesting to have a poll on whether George Lee was right to resign from both Fine Gael and the Dail

[White Horse]

Would be interesting to have a poll on whether George Lee was right to resign from both Fine Gael and the Dail

Would be more interesting to have a poll on whether George Lee did all he could to exercise the mandate given to him by the people.

[edwin]

I always find it hilarious when FF hacks accuse other parties of Auction Politics!

For the record: the Opposition parties didn't destroy the Irish economy. FF/PD/Green greed did.

I always find it hilarious when someone has such a one track mind they aren't capable of focusing on anything other than their own political hobby horse. You hate Fianna Fáil - we get it. You should surely be capable of holding views on the merits and weaknesses of other parties too.

[cyberianpan]

The party meeting last night lasted past midnight - so quality analysis isn't in today's dailies

The Evening Herald thinks things remain grim for Kenny, interestingly Richard Bruton wasn't at last night's meeting (instead he was in the Dáil)

Kenny takes on angry TDs at crisis meeting to launch his fightback - National News, Frontpage - Herald.ie
Andrew Lynch: Enda must be backed or sacked - and quickly - Opinion, Frontpage - Herald.ie
Editorial: Time for FG to get its act together - Opinion, Frontpage - Herald.ie

The George Lee "news cycle" will clearly continue until the Sunday newspapers. It is also quite clear that Kenny's leadership remains in doubt. It will be interesting to see if Bruton offers any positive, "forward-looking" interviews.

cYp

[Toland]

Andrew Lynch sounds like he's on the money.

[meriwether]

George Lee wasn't some graduate out of college... he was 46 years old when elected. His professional background was:

• MSc in Economics from the London School of Economics where his specialist area was labour economics and unemployment.
• Worked in the CSO
• Worked as economist in the Central Bank
• Worked as economist in Riada Stockbrokers & FTI
• Distinguished journalist in RTE

His public policy credentials were clear:

• Proven polished media commentator
• Track record of being right with his predictions
• Solid trust with the public
• A clear sense of outrage at impropriety and a strong sense of public duty

In his job as RTE editor many people regarded him as the Opposition. Lee clearly campaigned on a national mandate of policy formulation. Fine Gael got a 6% poll bounce.

Many of us had high hopes back then:
I had high hopes when Lee declared for FG:



Fine Gael owed it to the country to use him better... they should have been falling over themselves trying to figure out how to use him... instead they muzzled him.

People make out he should have waited longer than 9 months on the sidelines ? George should have hit the ground running, been given major responsibilities commensurate with his experience and proven ability ... instead he was made toe the part line, a sad ethos of mediocrity, parochialism and nepotism. He was given just one part policy committee to chair, and it was made clear that committee would only have partial influence.

Fine Gael didn't even know what to do with him.

cYp

What do you mean by 'muzzle'?

Lee has already stated that he was sick of being sent around the country to meetings. If you muzzle someone, you don't do that.
Kenny offered him a front bench position. A muzzled front-bench position.
He was in charge of two policy formulation yokey things. Muzzled?

Secondly, Lee resigned from the Dail. Was he going to be muzzled as an independent TD by Enda Kenny?

Yor logic stands up if:
(a) Lee produced policy that was ignored. He produced nothing.
(b) He resigned from FG due to muzzling, and remained as Independent, adn used his mandate to speak in the Dail, and inevitably on the endless TV shows he would be on. He did not.

[cyberianpan]

What do you mean by 'muzzle'?

Lee has already stated that he was sick of being sent around the country to meetings. If you muzzle someone, you don't do that.
Kenny offered him a front bench position. A muzzled front-bench position.
He was in charge of two policy formulation yokey things. Muzzled?

Secondly, Lee resigned from the Dail. Was he going to be muzzled as an independent TD by Enda Kenny?

Yor logic stands up if:
(a) Lee produced policy that was ignored. He produced nothing.
(b) He resigned from FG due to muzzling, and remained as Independent, adn used his mandate to speak in the Dail, and inevitably on the endless TV shows he would be on. He did not.

Lee said he wanted to make economic policy - however Bruton & Varadkar didn't welcome him at all. Kenny needed to create space for him. The committee he was offered would have only had "partial input" into economic policy

Being offered 1 frontbench position amongst c 20... after 9 months in the wilderness isn't something sufficient once trust was gone.

Speaking as an Independent isn't a serious offering: Independents get little speaking time and expecting a "One man island" on economic policy isn't sensible

Lee's original specialty was labour economics - we have serious problems in that area, if Kenny had given him just "unemployment and workforce participation" - that would have been a useful discrete focus - and an effective demarcation of duties on the Economics team. He could have addressed areas such as:
http://www.politics.ie/economy/11822...mployment.html



cYp

[johnfás]

Why didn't he talk to Labour? Or indeed any other party in the House? Walking out after 9 months without telling anyone your grievances or seeking to address your aspirations through alternative means is nothing but a cop out.

[anewbeginning]

The broadcast and print media commentators are largely idiots, I think that has been well established in the last 10 years.

This is the same broadcast and print media who hailed Brian Cowen as the coming mesiah, a genius, a great man, a great leader, when he took over as Taoiseach, while most people on the street thought Cowen had an unremarkable career in various ministries and in fact was unproven.

How wrong the broadcast and print media got it on Cowen.

They also licked Bertie Ahern's boots for years and Charlie Haughey's while at the same time have nothing good to say about Enda Kenny.

Makes you think.

Whenever the broadcast and print media slam a politician, you know that politician must be doing something right.

The lack of serious political commentary in the mainsteam media is amazing. They have no interest in policies or the fact almost 450,000 people are unemployed. They are only interested in Politician's so-called X-factor.

Bertie Ahern had the X-factor we were told by the media. And we are now living with the consequences.

And while Charlie Haughey was charming the media and the people with his X-factor, he was stuffing brown envelope's down his back pockets.

Mussolini was charismatic. Most corrupt leaders are charismatic. They lack substance, honesty and integrity and so must compensate with charisma. This is the reason most FF are charismatic and the reason we are where we are as a nation today, with the electorate fool by charismatic FF politicians who haven't a clue what they are doing.

Anyone who wants a charismatic leader to run their country is an idiot. Hence most of the broadcast and print media commentators, (such as Brendan O'Connor) are idiots.