Can Teflon be reapplied?
The ‘Teflon Taoiseach’ has, without doubt, suffered the most bruising two weeks of his political career. While it looks unlikely that he will resign or that the government will disintegrate over this affair, just as a frying pan that has been abused by a spatula, Bertie Ahern’s famed Teflon coating has most certainly begun to peel.
Let’s briefly examine the facts that have been made available:
• Ahern received €50,000+ as a loan from various businessmen in 1993/94, ostensibly for the purpose of paying legal fees arising from his marriage separation. One such cheque was drawn on a company account. Eventually, this weekend past, Ahern paid back the monies in full, with interest.
• £8,000 was paid to him as a gift for giving a speech to a group of Irish businessmen in Manchester. Ahern claims this was a private function and he was not acting in his capacity as Minister for Finance.
• When Ahern was asked if any of his benefactors received political favours as a result of their donations/gifts/loans he replied “I might have appointed somebody but I appointed them because they were friends, em, not because of anything they had given me”.
• Ahern claims he had no bank account from the years 1986 to 1993.
It appears from the above facts that Bertie Ahern has not broken any legal/ethics codes set out by the state. If this was the case then every member of the opposition would have been calling for his resignation (the only member to do so was Socialist Party TD Joe Higgins). It is clear, however, that much of what he has stated leaves him open to severe criticism. For example, appointments to state bodies should be judged on merit, not by how many times you've watched a United game with the person over a pint of Bass. Also, the assertion that you can address a group of Irish businessmen on the state of the Irish economy while Minister for Finance and then claim you acted in a personal capacity is laughable.
The opposition have focused on obvious inconsistencies between Ahern’s statements on payments to politicians and his own private dealings with businessmen. His oft-quoted speech on not being “financially beholden to any individual” has rightly been seized upon by the opposition. This focus has the net affect of sullying the Taoiseach’s image as a squeaky-clean, down-to-earth, Bass drinking Joe Soap.
One cannot help thinking that the opposition could ask further, perhaps more incisive questions. For example, during the Michael Lowry scandal, when Lowry claimed he had received a loan and not a gift, Ahern demanded proof that this was indeed the case. Nobody has demanded similar proof from the Taoiseach. In addition, nobody has seriously pressed the Taoiseach with regard to the suggestion that a man in charge of the state’s finances could not even manage to adequately invest €50,000, instead choosing to keep it in his own possession.
Undoubtedly, Bertie’s Teflon is in need of a new coating. We can be sure that the spin doctors within Fianna Fail will be working overtime to accomplish this in time for the election next year. If Bertie’s image is sufficiently tarnished to the extent that his face could not be used on every billboard in the country, it will be a huge loss for Fianna Fail’s chances of retaining power.
UPDATE: Sorry for writing on your post El P, but I think people should go over here to the Swearing Lady and sing her song about this whole affair.
tags:[Teflon Taoiseach]
Published by El Commandant P.
Let’s briefly examine the facts that have been made available:
• Ahern received €50,000+ as a loan from various businessmen in 1993/94, ostensibly for the purpose of paying legal fees arising from his marriage separation. One such cheque was drawn on a company account. Eventually, this weekend past, Ahern paid back the monies in full, with interest.
• £8,000 was paid to him as a gift for giving a speech to a group of Irish businessmen in Manchester. Ahern claims this was a private function and he was not acting in his capacity as Minister for Finance.
• When Ahern was asked if any of his benefactors received political favours as a result of their donations/gifts/loans he replied “I might have appointed somebody but I appointed them because they were friends, em, not because of anything they had given me”.
• Ahern claims he had no bank account from the years 1986 to 1993.
It appears from the above facts that Bertie Ahern has not broken any legal/ethics codes set out by the state. If this was the case then every member of the opposition would have been calling for his resignation (the only member to do so was Socialist Party TD Joe Higgins). It is clear, however, that much of what he has stated leaves him open to severe criticism. For example, appointments to state bodies should be judged on merit, not by how many times you've watched a United game with the person over a pint of Bass. Also, the assertion that you can address a group of Irish businessmen on the state of the Irish economy while Minister for Finance and then claim you acted in a personal capacity is laughable.
The opposition have focused on obvious inconsistencies between Ahern’s statements on payments to politicians and his own private dealings with businessmen. His oft-quoted speech on not being “financially beholden to any individual” has rightly been seized upon by the opposition. This focus has the net affect of sullying the Taoiseach’s image as a squeaky-clean, down-to-earth, Bass drinking Joe Soap.
One cannot help thinking that the opposition could ask further, perhaps more incisive questions. For example, during the Michael Lowry scandal, when Lowry claimed he had received a loan and not a gift, Ahern demanded proof that this was indeed the case. Nobody has demanded similar proof from the Taoiseach. In addition, nobody has seriously pressed the Taoiseach with regard to the suggestion that a man in charge of the state’s finances could not even manage to adequately invest €50,000, instead choosing to keep it in his own possession.
Undoubtedly, Bertie’s Teflon is in need of a new coating. We can be sure that the spin doctors within Fianna Fail will be working overtime to accomplish this in time for the election next year. If Bertie’s image is sufficiently tarnished to the extent that his face could not be used on every billboard in the country, it will be a huge loss for Fianna Fail’s chances of retaining power.
UPDATE: Sorry for writing on your post El P, but I think people should go over here to the Swearing Lady and sing her song about this whole affair.
tags:[Teflon Taoiseach]
Published by El Commandant P.
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