Libertas go after Creighton in Own Constituency

[gerrywoman]

In Today's Irish Indo. Are things starting to hot up?

(Billboard can be found at the link)

http://www.independent.ie/national-n...n-1324936.html

Creighton unwitting poster girl for critics of Lisbon


Fine Gael golden girl Lucinda Creighton is being targeted in an advertisement by campaigners for a No vote in the EU referendum over her support for a "European Army".


Libertas is putting up billboards in the Fine Gael TDs constituency highlighting her calls in the past for an EU army.

The US style negative advert personalises an increasingly bitter referendum campaign. Libertas is headed up by multi-millionaire entrepreneur, Declan J Ganley.

The group is running a nationwide billboard campaign over the next fortnight highlighting the damage it says the Reform Treaty will do to business.

The "Lisbon is Bad for Business" ad campaign will cost €60,000.

But Libertas has also designed a special billboard poster, which will solely be on display in the Fine Gael European Affairs spokespersons constituency of Dublin South-East.

Libertas is basing the poster on comments by Ms Creighton five years ago.

"A weak and divided Europe is not a good thing. As we saw in the recent crisis, the world needs a counterbalance to US strength. We need a European army," she said in 2003.

According to a Libertas spokesman, Ms Creighton wants the Irish people to vote for one version of Europe, "while behind the scenes she's working hard to achieve another. This is part of a pattern by the big parties, none of whom will discuss their actual views on Europe openly.

"Lucinda and Fine Gael favour a militarised, federal Europe, and her party colleague Gay Mitchell has, on occasion ,said that Ireland shouldn't be having a referendum as it could get in the way of 'progress' in Europe," the spokesman said. Ms Creighton doesn't deny calling for a European army, but says she is talking about peace-keeping and peace-enforcing operations, lead by the EU, under a United Nations mandate.

She points to the Irish Army's involvement in EU forces in Kosovo and Chad as examples of what she wants to see.

Ms Creighton said Libertas would be better off trying to inform people about what's actually in the Treaty.

"They are deliberately trying to misrepresent me," she said.

"And how are Libertas financing this? It's not like they are a regular political party who engage in normal fundraising," she said.

But Libertas says the billboard is designed to tell people about Ms Creighton's views.

- Fionnan Sheahan Political Editor

[geraghd]

Well this will only serve to secure Ms Creighton's seat for some time to come. Congrats Libertas.

Though it is suggested of something a tad petty, and indeed these kind of tactics wont do Libertas much favours at all (in fact the organisation hasnt being going about things very well lately, especially in the PR dept), and serving to damage Mr Ganley personally.

[gerrywoman]

Well this will only serve to secure Ms Creighton's seat for some time to come. Congrats Libertas

Do they like EU armies in DSE?

I would have thought it would reinforce existing perceptions of her as a harsh, arrogant, uncompromising right-winger with a nasty thatcherite streak (the photo).

[geraghd]

Well this will only serve to secure Ms Creighton's seat for some time to come. Congrats Libertas

Do they like EU armies in DSE?

I imagine they're not quite bothered about it one way or they other. But essentially this is just massive publicity for a new TD, and being attacked by an ailing organisation is not going to be a damaging affair to her.

[johnfás]

David Cochrane has always had a bit of a thing for Creighton, therefore unsurprising...

[ibis]

I do particularly like the slogan "facts, not politics" under what is, without question, one of the most purely political messages I've seen so far in this campaign.

[geraghd]

Well this will only serve to secure Ms Creighton's seat for some time to come. Congrats Libertas

Do they like EU armies in DSE?

I would have thought it would reinforce existing perceptions of her as a harsh, arrogant, uncompromising right-winger with a nasty thatcherite streak (the photo).

If that was the perception, it either helped her get elected the first time, or didnt stop her from gaining a huge vote.

But rather than the words you use, I would say it would strengthen her European credentials (which many in DSE like and favour) whilst also accentuating her appeal as a conviction politician with some element of internationalism and beyond the parish pump politics which also helps in these types of constituencies. Im also sure she hasnt shied away from constituency work so no doubt this base is covered too. All in all, I would say a net positive for the new deputy.

[ibis]

David Cochrane has always had a bit of a thing for Creighton, therefore unsurprising...

That's rough wooing!

[gerrywoman]

gaining a huge vote

19%, in the country's bluest constituency? Anyway, she ran as a compassionate young woman, and spent her time attacking Michael McDowell very personally.

[mjcoughlan]

Well this will only serve to secure Ms Creighton's seat for some time to come. Congrats Libertas

Do they like EU armies in DSE?

I imagine they're not quite bothered about it one way or they other. But essentially this is just massive publicity for a new TD, and being attacked by an ailing organisation is not going to be a damaging affair to her.

I can't see how it would benefit her though.