# Bertie in the cabinet .



## thedaras (4 Oct 2010)

What do people think about a former  Taoiseach in an ad for the News of world,drinking tea in a cabinet?

Personally I cant stand the man.

Apart from that, the fact that he should not bring the position of  Taoiseach into disrepute..the fact that he looks like the fool I think he is..the fact that he has a driver/pension etc and does not need the money..The fact that he writes for The News of the world...


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## TarfHead (4 Oct 2010)

+1

I haven't seen the ad, yet, but the OH has being ranting about it all weekend. And she had FF in her DNA.

Between him and his successor, the dignity of the office of Taoiseach and public respect for politics has been badly damaged.


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## fobs (4 Oct 2010)

I think he has sunk to a new low. With his book and now his writing in the NOTW it gives him the air of a real money grabber!


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## z107 (4 Oct 2010)

Maybe people should boycott the newspaper until they drop him.


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## Firefly (4 Oct 2010)

thedaras said:


> What do people think about a former Taoiseach in an ad for the News of world,drinking tea in a cabinet?


 
Best place for him (with the door shut).


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## Howitzer (4 Oct 2010)

umop3p!sdn said:


> Maybe people should boycott the newspaper until they drop him.


Hard to boycott a paper no one reads.


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## Sunny (4 Oct 2010)

Howitzer said:


> Hard to boycott a paper no one reads.


 
And yet they have large sales! Difference between no-one reading it and no-one admitting to reading it! I wouldn't touch it but people still buy the rag. Each to their own I suppose. 

Off topic a bit but struggling to find a decent Sunday Paper. Like the SBS but I enjoy reading about sport. So then I settle on the times or the tribune. Don't like the new layout of the Tribune so stuck with the Times which is ok but is still an English newspaper at the end of the day.


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## micmclo (4 Oct 2010)

The Sunday Sport


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## Mel (4 Oct 2010)

fobs said:


> I think he has sunk to a new low. With his book and now his writing in the NOTW it gives him the air of a real money grabber!


 
I agree, I saw it last night without knowing about it first and it's a poor reflection of his former position. 
Maybe we've reached an age of politicians as 'celebrities' - Tony Blair cashing in with his autobiography, and I read recently that Carla Bruni is encouraging Sarkozy to not run for a second term but to cash in like Blair.


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## TarfHead (4 Oct 2010)

Mel said:


> Tony Blair cashing in with his autobiography


 
Hardly the best example . A political memoir is not the same as shilling for a red-top.


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## DavyJones (4 Oct 2010)

Bertie, our next President.


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## DB74 (4 Oct 2010)

Afetr the next election, maybe Brian Cowan could write the financial advice column in the Star!


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## Sunny (4 Oct 2010)

DB74 said:


> Afetr the next election, maybe Brian Cowan could write the financial advice column in the Star!


 
I hear he is going doing bar reviews for the Herald and the odd guest appearence in the International bar's comedy night.


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## dereko1969 (4 Oct 2010)

Sunny said:


> And yet they have large sales! Difference between no-one reading it and no-one admitting to reading it! I wouldn't touch it but people still buy the rag. Each to their own I suppose.
> 
> Off topic a bit but struggling to find a decent Sunday Paper. Like the SBS but I enjoy reading about sport. So then I settle on the times or the tribune. Don't like the new layout of the Tribune so stuck with the Times which is ok but is still an English newspaper at the end of the day.


 
Actually I really like the new Tribune, hated it beforehand and hardly ever bought an Irish sunday, just the Oberver, but I've bought the Tribune last few weeks and plan to keep doing so.

On-topic, is he actually wearing the infamous yellow suit in the ad? The man has no shame, maybe given the reputed source of his "income" he should be giving racing tips rather than writing about football!


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## Mel (4 Oct 2010)

TarfHead said:


> Hardly the best example . A political memoir is not the same as shilling for a red-top.


 
I was referring more to the 'book' per the line I quoted.


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## DB74 (4 Oct 2010)

I wonder will he try to pull a "Conor Cruise-O'Brien" and claim that his ramblings in the NOTW should come under the Artist's exemption.


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## Staples (4 Oct 2010)

I'm astonished at the depths he's prepared navigate for the sake of a quick buck, particulalrly when he's still a full-time TD and pursuing "d'after dinner speaking gigs".  

He also likes to pass himself off as a bit of a statesman from time to time, but, really, it's hard to imagine Bill Clinton or Nelson Mandela posing at the back of a cupboard for a redtop.

And this man has notions of becoing President?


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## Yorrick (4 Oct 2010)

If Fianna Fail want to know why so many people are disillusioned with them Berties ad sums it all up. They have lost the spirit that made them great.

Would men like Sean Moylan have done this ?


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## Sunny (4 Oct 2010)

Staples said:


> I'm astonished at the depths he's prepared navigate for the sake of a quick buck, particulalrly when he's still a full-time TD and pursuing "d'after dinner speaking gigs".
> 
> He also likes to pass himself off as a bit of a statesman from time to time, but, really, it's hard to imagine Bill Clinton or Nelson Mandela posing at the back of a cupboard for a redtop.
> 
> And this man has notions of becoing President?



That's the thing I don't understand. He is still a full time td. It's a joke. The guy does nothing. Sooner he is out of public life the better. Then he can make a tit of himself all he likes. I hope he goes for president. Would be a fun campaign!


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## thedaras (4 Oct 2010)

He is a full time TD, and obviously his driver,(whom we pay for ),brought him to do the ad and waited around for him to finish as apparently he had to go somewhere straight after the ad was done.
I think it does sum up the government, its a joke and we are the butt of it..


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## SoylentGreen (5 Oct 2010)

thedaras said:


> its a joke and we are the butt of it..


 
Unfortunately we keep on taking it....


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## thedaras (5 Oct 2010)

Do we have a choice?


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## elefantfresh (5 Oct 2010)

> Do we have a choice?



I think we do have a choice in so far as making a statement as a people, that this is simply not good enough. The old folk did it with the grey effort last year. The general public (me included) are happy enough to moan about everything on a forum or over a bar counter but we're just not motivated enough to actually march on the Dail and do something about it.

My feelings are that peoples attitude are like as long as "I'm alright jack" then, theres no need for me to personally march. Imagine if this was France - the Dail would have been burnt down by now. The messers and thieves and scum that have destroyed this country (you know who they are) would be lynched by now. But for some reason, we just don't do anything about it. We let them away with it again and again and again. 

Imagine if all the people who were laid off over the last 2-3 years marched on the Dail - that would be 200,000 people or so - if they alone marched, what a statement that would make.
We need reform, we need change but the people who make those changes are the ones in power - the only way to change this catch 22 is march on them and kick them all out once and for all.

I hold my hands up, I'm not doing anything about it either. I guess thats where the root of the problem lays.


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## Hoagy (5 Oct 2010)

This protest has been successful in Cashel - 

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Berti...n-Come-and-Talk-to-Us/125730767476676?ref=sgm


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## thedaras (5 Oct 2010)

@elefantfresh; Unfortunately no matter how much we march/protest, the reality is that we still have this huge deficit and we have to pay.We don't want too and we shouldn't have too, but until we get a government who are prepared to right the wrongs ,I don't hold out much hope.

Wasn't there a protest last week and the grand total of 1.500 people showed up..

Possibly its not about us just going on internet forums and moaning but rather trying to come up with a realistic ,fair way of doing so.Because the government are certainly not doing this..


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## TarfHead (5 Oct 2010)

elefantfresh said:


> The general public (me included) are happy enough to moan about everything on a forum or over a bar counter but we're just not motivated enough to actually march on the Dail and do something about it.
> 
> I hold my hands up, I'm not doing anything about it either. I guess thats where the root of the problem lays.


 
+1

I had been thinking about this, would I ever be radicalised/motivated to march. The only conclusion I have arrived at is that as long as these marches are being organised by the '_fringe_', (e.g. SF, Richard Boyd-Barrett types, Joe Higgins types) then I'll be staying at home and shouting at the TV instead  !


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## ccbkd (5 Oct 2010)

TarfHead said:


> +1
> 
> I had been thinking about this, would I ever be radicalised/motivated to march. The only conclusion I have arrived at is that as long as these marches are being organised by the '_fringe_', (e.g. SF, Richard Boyd-Barrett types, Joe Higgins types) then I'll be staying at home and shouting at the TV instead  !


 
Can you elaborate on this...what is your bone of contingent with the left?


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## Sunny (5 Oct 2010)

ccbkd said:


> Can you elaborate on this...what is your bone of contingent with the left?


 
Can you elaborate on this....What is a bone of contingent!


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## TarfHead (5 Oct 2010)

ccbkd said:


> Can you elaborate on this...what is your bone of contingent with the left?


 
I don't have a bone of '_contingent_' with the Left, just with those I referred to. No matter how bad things now are, I shudder to think how they could be if any of them were charged with deciding and implementing policy.


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## Staples (5 Oct 2010)

TarfHead said:


> +1
> 
> I had been thinking about this, would I ever be radicalised/motivated to march. The only conclusion I have arrived at is that as long as these marches are being organised by the '_fringe_', (e.g. SF, Richard Boyd-Barrett types, Joe Higgins types) then I'll be staying at home and shouting at the TV instead  !


 
Yes, I'd agree but the only alernative would be protests organised by more mainstream such as eh...Fine Gael.  That raises other issues.

The problem of course is that the disaffected aren't organised into particular groupings that would enable to protest en masse.  

Maybe we should just wait until the grey brigade get hacked off again and row in behind them.


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## TarfHead (5 Oct 2010)

Staples said:


> Maybe we should just wait until the grey brigade get hacked off again and row in behind them.


 
My wife reckons that if they attack Child Benefit, there'll be 50,000 Mammys and buggies descending on Kildare Street and all '_mad as hell_'  !

That'd provide good cover for me to stand at the back


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## Slash (5 Oct 2010)

Sunny said:


> Can you elaborate on this....What is a bone of contingent!



It's a bit like a "hair's breath"


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## Mixednuts (5 Oct 2010)

Ah leave Bertie alone ..he is only in the cabinet counting the £50,000 that he had no Bank Account to deposit in .

Imagine that ..a Minister Of Finance (at the time) without a Bank account ?? lol ..only in Ireland would you get away with that excuse .

*"Sitting  on the sidelines, cribbing and moaning is a lost opportunity. I don't  know how people who engage in that don't commit suicide because frankly  the only thing that motivates me is being able to actively change  something," *


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## terrontress (6 Oct 2010)

I think that there is not much wrong with the ad, especially given that he is a paid contributor to the News of the World.

The problem is that people are so fed up with their current situation that they will jump on any excuse to bash FFers. Similarly to how everyone jumped on Cowen after his night on the lash. If things had been going great then nobody would have minded. Any other advert featuring Bertie would probably have elicited the same response.

I am on speaking terms with several people who work for the Irish version of NOTW and while the paper is a Murdoch rag which appeals to the lowest common denominator of society, the guys who work there are all quite decent and intelligent.


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## Sunny (6 Oct 2010)

terrontress said:


> I think that there is not much wrong with the ad, especially given that he is a paid contributor to the News of the World.
> 
> The problem is that people are so fed up with their current situation that they will jump on any excuse to bash FFers. Similarly to how everyone jumped on Cowen after his night on the lash. If things had been going great then nobody would have minded. Any other advert featuring Bertie would probably have elicited the same response.
> 
> I am on speaking terms with several people who work for the Irish version of NOTW and while the paper is a Murdoch rag which appeals to the lowest common denominator of society, the guys who work there are all quite decent and intelligent.


 
Sure they are but why does a sitting TD need to sell himself to any newspaper. Is he even going to talking about politics? I thought TD's barely had any time to themselves they work so hard and yet Bertie has found time to launch a book, write newspaper articles, travel the world to give speeches, appear at every sporting event etc etc. He is not doing his job of representing his Constituants. So you can add his seat to Donegal, Dublin South and Waterford as being empty. Not only the HSE that has room for redundancies.


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## thedaras (6 Oct 2010)

terrontress said:


> > I think that there is not much wrong with the ad, especially given that he is a paid contributor to the News of the World.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## thedaras (6 Oct 2010)

I suppose people have to have a laugh..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEGwALtzUmc&feature=player_embedded


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## elefantfresh (6 Oct 2010)

Now _thats_ funny - seems like people have had their fill eh?


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## terrontress (6 Oct 2010)

Sunny said:


> Sure they are but why does a sitting TD need to sell himself to any newspaper. Is he even going to talking about politics? I thought TD's barely had any time to themselves they work so hard and yet Bertie has found time to launch a book, write newspaper articles, travel the world to give speeches, appear at every sporting event etc etc. He is not doing his job of representing his Constituants. So you can add his seat to Donegal, Dublin South and Waterford as being empty. Not only the HSE that has room for redundancies.


 
Well, the idea is that sitting TDs come from various backgrounds and it is their background in industries which gives them expertise to propose and vote upon changes.

There can be no doubt that Bertie is a skilled person and a great communicator otherwise he would never have reached the position he did. Tony Blair, the king of spin, has a particularly good word for him in his memoris. Surely it is only natural that he would attempt to use that skill in writing.


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## terrontress (6 Oct 2010)

thedaras said:


> Not much wrong with the ad?? Em, a former Toaiseach sitting like a fool in a kitchen cabinet,for and ad for the News of the World..


 
Sitting in the cabinet would be an issue but this is an advert. A parody. It didn't happen. And as former Taoiseach he is under no more obligation than the average TD. If we was former Taoiseach and not in Leinster House would it be such an issue? 




> I don't think "everyone " jumped on Cowen..And I don't think "nobody" would have minded..and not only are people fed up with their current situation they are fed up with how the country is being run.


 and are liable to use non-related issues to highlight this.





> Bertie works for them and he is neither decent nor intelligent..IMHO.


 I have never met him but I have heard others speak well of him and Cowen.


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## Sunny (6 Oct 2010)

terrontress said:


> Well, the idea is that sitting TDs come from various backgrounds and it is their background in industries which gives them expertise to propose and vote upon changes.
> 
> There can be no doubt that Bertie is a skilled person and a great communicator otherwise he would never have reached the position he did. Tony Blair, the king of spin, has a particularly good word for him in his memoris. Surely it is only natural that he would attempt to use that skill in writing.


 
But he is becoming a sports columnist. He is not writing about politics are current affairs which is his area of 'expertise'. Can't imagine Tony Blair writing a daily gossip column for the sun or Bill Clinton writing for Playboy!


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## TarfHead (6 Oct 2010)

Sunny said:


> .. Can't imagine .. Bill Clinton writing for Playboy!


 
Actually ..  !

"_the nervous young intern tiptoed cautiously into the Oval Office. The president, enjoying a cigar at his desk looked up and their eyes met .._"


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## Liamos (6 Oct 2010)

Terrontress, you are correct. It would not be such an issue if he was not a td or an ex - Taoiseach. But he is. Thats the whole point. He is demeaning the office of Taoiseach by doing this ad. He just seems addicted to publicity. Can't wait to see Jay Leno's take on this.


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## terrontress (6 Oct 2010)

Liamos said:


> Terrontress, you are correct. It would not be such an issue if he was not a td or an ex - Taoiseach. But he is. Thats the whole point. He is demeaning the office of Taoiseach by doing this ad. He just seems addicted to publicity. Can't wait to see Jay Leno's take on this.


 
I don't think that the ex-Taoiseach element is an issue. If he was the current Taoiseach then it would be a big deal but he is not. In saying that, I am not sure when he started to write for NOTW but he was definitely well in with them while he was in office.

I think the reason why he might be writing about sports is that he is a keen sports fan but does not have the experience to write as an expert. The same as many people so the idea is that he articulates what a lot of people are thinking.

People are projecting their disappointment with Bertie's tenure and with FF and Ireland in general on to this advert and I don't think it is warranted.


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## Sunny (6 Oct 2010)

terrontress said:


> People are projecting their disappointment with Bertie's tenure and with FF and Ireland in general on to this advert and I don't think it is warranted.


 
I couldn't care less about Bertie and his legacy. I do have a problem with the ex leader of the Country and a sitting TD prostituting himself to the same media who he accused of hounding him out of office. Once he leaves public life, he can write whatever and for whoever he wants. Until then, he should get on with doing the job that he is being being paid for. When did you last hear Berte make a comment on a serious issue that impacts on the people that he is supposed to represent. We are paying this guy a huge salary.


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## Staples (6 Oct 2010)

Sunny said:


> IWe are paying this guy a huge salary.


 
And pension - almost €100k according to today's paper. Not to mention the cost of his state car which he'll retain until he pops his clogs.

That's almost €200k, plus car/driver plus expenses (not to mention his "engagements" at several thousand a pop and yet hes feels the need to squat at the back of a cabinent for the sake of more from red-top rag.  All happening at a time when people are suffering as a consequence of policy decisions taken when he was in charge.

The man is a disgrace.  The extent of his disregard for the general public is truly breathtaking.


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## thedaras (6 Oct 2010)

terrontress said:


> > Sitting in the cabinet would be an issue but this is an advert. A parody. It didn't happen.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## Complainer (6 Oct 2010)

TarfHead said:


> My wife reckons that if they attack Child Benefit, there'll be 50,000 Mammys and buggies descending on Kildare Street and all '_mad as hell_'  !


Outrageous - 50,000 men with no dinner on the table when they get home. That's can be right.


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## terrontress (7 Oct 2010)

thedaras said:


> terrontress said:
> 
> 
> > Well thank God you cleared that up,as I thought he sat in a kitchen cabinet looking like the fool he is ,every day!!!
> ...


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## thedaras (7 Oct 2010)

The bottom line for me is that anyone who is fond of Bertie, needs their head examined...
Either way ,having a former Taiseach in a Kitchen cabinet looking like the fool that he is ,is wrong on so many levels..

Can you picture any of these for example doing that ad;
Éamon de Valera.
Seán Lemass
Jack Lynch
Garret FitzGerald
Fact is I believe he should not have done the ad,he is being paid a huge amount of money by us, has a driver paid for by us ,Pension etc..and it is an embarrasment to the office of Taoiseach .
You are incorrect, it is not that I just cant stand the man,any former T that would do such a stupid thing I wouldn't hold in high regard.
How do you know 





> "anyone who is fond of the man will like the ad"[/QUOTE


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## Complainer (7 Oct 2010)

What's the chances that he actually writes the column himself?


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## Towger (7 Oct 2010)

Complainer said:


> What's the chances that he actually writes the column himself?


 
Not much. Have you ever seen him using a computer, he does not even know how to hold the mouse!


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## Staples (7 Oct 2010)

Complainer said:


> What's the chances that he actually writes the column himself?


 
What's the difference?


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## Complainer (7 Oct 2010)

Staples said:


> What's the difference?


Honesty (don't laugh, please).


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## Brendan Burgess (8 Oct 2010)

Defamatory comments removed

Thread closed


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