Friday, April 18th, 2008

Time

Event

11:28a

My country's (sort of) leaders I am glad to see that not all members of the Green Party are purists when it comes to recruiting. One of their youth wing gave some advice on how to go about recruiting people to the cause: During a discussion on how to attract more young people to the party, Louise Archbold of the Young Greens got a bit frisky. "When all else fails, we just put up some Eamon Ryan posters and watch the girls -- and some of the boys -- sign up," she said naughtily. ============= And then there's Michael Mulcahy, one of the Fianna Fáil TDs for Dublin South Central. A writer for GCN reported his experiences lobbying his five TDs on lifting the ban on same-sex marriage: Michael Mulcahy is my other Fianna Fail TD and he was a little more sinister. He called me on the mobile in response to my email and with the tone of an annoyed schoolmaster speaking to a stupid boy he pointed out that he agreed with equal rights but not equal marriage and that he was absolutely opposed to same-sex adoption. I pointed out that there were already children of same sex relationships, including relatives of mine, but he wouldn't respond to the point over the phone. He demanded a further written question on the matter. I duly sent him another email about children of same sex relationships but I have not had a reply yet.  He made an eejit of himself shortly after the elevation of Brian Cowen, and Miriam Lord reported it to the nation in the Irish Times last Saturday (subscription needed): [...] Take what happened on the Friday after Bertie's announcement. It had been confirmed that Brian Cowen was not going to be challenged for the Fianna Fáil leadership, and he was due to make a statement on the plinth.   Some of the party's photo-op jockeys lingered around the Leinster House car park, ready to jump in front of the cameras at a moment's notice.   Tánaiste Cowen's black Mercedes drew up at the Kildare Street gates, engine idling while the security ramps were lowered. A dark haired woman sat in the front seat beside the driver. She was the only passenger. Three heavily laden grocery bags rested at her feet.   Biffo's car purred slowly around the tarmac. Suddenly, a dark suited figure raced across the plinth.   The vehicle stopped at the main entrance. The man scuttled up to it at considerable speed. He made a grab for the passenger door. Did he open it? He nearly wrenched it off its hinges.   The female passenger shrank back in alarm. The man was grinning in at her like his life depended on it.   "Mary! Mary!" gushed the panting politician at the speechless woman, whose name is not Mary. "I've met you before!" Whereupon he made an energetic attempt to assist her from the car, despite being weak at the knees with excitement.   "Michael Mulcahy!" he trilled. "I've met you before!" The flummoxed catering staff member didn't know what to say. She had only popped over to Dunnes Stores to do a few messages. It transpires that Brian Cowen's driver was driving to the Dáil when he spotted her struggling along St Stephen's Green with her shopping bags. He stopped and gave her a lift.   And then the deputy for Dublin South Central jumped to the wrong conclusion.   It would appear the backbencher and practising barrister doesn't take much notice of the workers in Leinster House who do such an excellent job supplying him and his colleagues with their rashers, buns and gargle. Or perhaps it was a bout of interregnum hysteria that made Michael mistake the popular staffer for Mary Cowen, otherwise known as The Wife of Brian.   Still, Deputy Mulcahy's day wasn't entirely wasted. In the middle of his shameless overtures to the lady who is not Mrs Cowen, Mr Cowen pitched up at the plinth. Whereupon the gallant Mulcahy immediately abandoned the shell-shocked occupant of the Merc and sprinted off to Brian's side.   He finally got his reward: he appeared on the RTÉ news at 6pm, at his future leader's shoulder, smiling for Ireland.   (Comment on this)

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