Brendan O'Connor's Bertie U-Turn

Priori

Here's what Brendan O'Connor wrote about Bertie in 2008, after he resigned as Taoiseach (I'll highlight the more relevant bits in bold):

So. Happy now? Was that all worth it? With a media that is given to blowing up fits of indignant rage about everything from Kevin Myers to Dustin the Turkey, this was perhaps inevitable. This was the ultimate fit of righteousness. And now it's over and everyone has calmed down a bit. And what have we achieved exactly?
We have forced a change of leadership in Fianna Fail. In fact, in reality all that has happened is that the change in the leadership of Fianna Fail was pushed forward by a few months, maybe a year.
Was that worth suspending the running of the country for a year for? And now, as Eoghan Harris said on the Late Late, they will presumably come for Cowen. Cowen has become a kind of god this last year, the unquestioned, untested messiah who is going to save us all and save Fianna Fail. And who knows, maybe he will.
He is a popular choice as Taoiseach, he was charming and funny taking leaders' questions the other day; he seems like his own man; and Fianna Fail has stayed unified -- on the surface anyway.
But I wouldn't like to be Cowen now, would you? Is he really going to be a better leader than Bertie Ahern? Is he going to be more perfect? Is anything necessarily going to be improved now?

And here's the same Brendan O'Connor, writing in the SINDO today:

Brendan O'Connor wrote:

DON'T like Bertie Ahern. Never did. Never got it. Tried to respect that other people did, even though I found that hard. I had one personal experience with him and I thought it and its fallout revealed him and his people to be a fairly tough crew.

The Mahon tribunal, in so far as we can read between the lines, doesn't reveal a very nice person either -- a liar, and a guy who was clearly unyielding enough in his dealings with the women in his life. The tribunal reckons he lied through his teeth about pretty much everything. He certainly lied to it about some things. And really, it was brazen at times. You have to wonder why he wouldn't just come clean. What was he hiding?...

stoneill

I had his nasaly drawn out voice in my head while I was reading it.

dory

We really need to STOP READING HIS STuFF!!

Fishooks12

Brendan O Connor is a waste of skin

This is the same lad who said talk of the property bubble bursting was "nonsense!

California Man

Listened to that clown O'Connor years ago when he was all pro Iraq invasion. Muppet.

Cavehill Red

Ah yes, this Brendan O'Connor, the same meathead shill who was touting property as a smart ballsy move in late 2007.

It should be a criminal offence to mislead the public as often as this prick does.

Wild Bill

If only O'Connor was the only one.

His piece was part of a Sindo campaign against Moriarty in early 2008. You folk really need to stop focusing on personalities/individuals and get the big picture.

You are being manipulated like a collie maneuvers a flock of sheep!

The Establishment needs to ditch Bertie in order to continue his policies via the FG/Labour Regime.

Tweedledum/Tweedledee.

Bertie will stay out of prison and keep his pension so that the establishment of FF/FG/Labour can continue to screw the country.

And the bleating sheep (aka, the Irish majority) will rotate their useless votes between the three. :cool:

Aidric

A complete and utter meathead. The guy genuinely makes my skin crawl.

Fishooks12

Wild Bill wrote: »

If only O'Connor was the only one.

His piece was part of a Sindo campaign against Moriarty in early 2008. You folk really need to stop focusing on personalities/individuals and get the big picture.

You are being manipulated like a collie maneuvers a flock of sheep!

The Establishment needs to ditch Bertie in order to continue his policies via the FG/Labour Regime.

Tweedledum/Tweedledee.

Bertie will stay out of prison and keep his pension so that the establishment of FF/FG/Labour can continue to screw the country.

And the bleating sheep (aka, the Irish majority) will rotate their useless votes between the three. :cool:

What?

Benny_Cake

I do wonder sometimes if the Sindo isn't some massive attempt to troll the country. No doubt they'll be blaming the usual enemies - anyone who has ever expressed a vaguely republican sentiment, the sneaking regarders in RTE, public servants, the Labour Party, and Reichskanzler Merkel.

ChunkyLover_53

He should have stuck to Stand-Up and not that Mrs. Browns Boys sh1te, don't know what the BBC see in it.

danger mouse

Id love to see oul bertie spend a few nights in Mountjoy... Oh a guy can dream

Wild Bill

Fishooks12 wrote: »

What?

I refer you to my post that you just quoted!

If you need it in braille, apologies, no can do. :cool:

Logical Fallacy

He hasn't really said any contradictory within the two pieces.

oppenheimer1

ChunkyLover_53 wrote: »

He should have stuck to Stand-Up and not that Mrs. Browns Boys sh1te, don't know what the BBC see in it.

Thats Brendan O'Carroll Picture and we're talking about Brendan O'Connor [URL="http://www.anphoblacht.com/news/images/2006/03/02/oconnor.jpg] Picture [/URL]

Wild Bill

Logical Fallacy wrote: »

He hasn't really said any contradictory within the two pieces.

He went from sneering at the removal of Bertie to saying he always knew Bertie was a crook? Good enough for me!

But then the Sindo is a specialist in twisting and turning to advance the O'Reilly/Harris poison.

My God! - am I looking forward to slaughter in Indoland when O'Brien/Desmond breach the walls of the putrid fortress.

Replacing Tweedledee with Tweedledum to be sure - but the massacre will be a pleasure to watch

Toby Take a Bow

Wild Bill wrote: »

I refer you to my post that you just quoted!

If you need it in braille, apologies, no can do. :cool:

Dear God, indicating that a newspaper has a particular slant on the Moriarty Tribunal hardly makes you an oracle. If you want to let 'the sheep' in on your secret knowledge, you might think of adopting a less condescending tone.

tonycascarino

Brendan O'Connor, much like alot of people, only goes whatever way the wind is blowing

steelcityblues

Go over to the Saturday Night Show thread, and plenty of clueless folk who think he is a 'great' presenter, and forget about his pro FF musings every Sunday.

He is where he is because he does not rock the boat.

Logical Fallacy

Wild Bill wrote: »

He went from sneering at the removal of Bertie to saying he always knew Bertie was a crook? Good enough for me!

But then the Sindo is a specialist in twisting and turning to advance the O'Reilly/Harris poison.

My God! - am I looking forward to slaughter in Indoland when O'Brien/Desmond breach the walls of the putrid fortress.

Replacing Tweedledee with Tweedledum to be sure - but the massacre will be a pleasure to watch

Once again, that is hardly contradictory. In the first he is basically calling the removal of Bertie a Pyrrhic victory, he doesn't say he likes Bertie, he says it's ****ing sad to see such pointless focus on achieving a result which was always going to happen a few months down the line.

Not a fan of his, but I reckon this thread will be filled with people who can't see far enough past their dislike him to actually read what he said.

Coriolanus

I don't read papers or watch tv much, but he looks like a cùnt in those ads so that's what I have to form my opinion on him.

Nodin

Logical Fallacy wrote: »

Once again, that is hardly contradictory. In the first he is basically calling the removal of Bertie a Pyrrhic victory, he doesn't say he likes Bertie, he says it's ****ing sad to see such pointless focus on achieving a result which was always going to happen a few months down the line.

Not a fan of his, but I reckon this thread will be filled with people who can't see far enough past their dislike him to actually read what he said.

Quote:

DON'T like Bertie Ahern. Never did. Never got it. Tried to respect that other people did, even though I found that hard.

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/an...e-3060504.html

Brendan O'Connor March 9th 2008


Quote:

We have seen the greatest minds of our generation destroyed by madness and we have seen the greatest politician of our generation and his government rendered impotent by that madness at the very time we need them most.

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/an...s-1311528.html

Continuity Wolfe Tone

You missed this quote:

We have seen the greatest minds of our generation destroyed by madness and we have seen the greatest politician of our generation and his government rendered impotent by that madness at the very time we need them most. Mark my words, we are only beginning to count the cost of this madness.

If someone were to smash up that rags printing presses he would be doing mankind a great service.

It's not just Brendan O'Cpnnor, it's the entire paper and its culture thats the problem, not individuals. If the usual suspects where to leave they would be replaced by people who would spout the same crap, push the same agenda.

Persiancowboy

Wild Bill wrote: »

If only O'Connor was the only one.

His piece was part of a Sindo campaign against Moriarty in early 2008. You folk really need to stop focusing on personalities/individuals and get the big picture.

You are being manipulated like a collie maneuvers a flock of sheep!

The Establishment needs to ditch Bertie in order to continue his policies via the FG/Labour Regime.

Tweedledum/Tweedledee.

Bertie will stay out of prison and keep his pension so that the establishment of FF/FG/Labour can continue to screw the country.

And the bleating sheep (aka, the Irish majority) will rotate their useless votes between the three. :cool:

Is that you Mary-Lou?

Logical Fallacy

Nodin wrote: »

Quote:

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/an...e-3060504.html

Brendan O'Connor March 9th 2008


Quote:
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/an...s-1311528.html

I'm gonna say this one more time, for the cheap seats up the back.

How is that saying that he "likes" Bertie???? Or are we beyond the point of a separation between an acknowledgement, flawed or otherwise, of what someone has done and being able to dislike them?

lividduck

Continuity Wolfe Tone wrote: »

You missed this quote:


If someone were to smash up that rags printing presses he would be doing mankind a great service.

It's not just Brendan O'Cpnnor, it's the entire paper and its culture thats the problem, not individuals. If the usual suspects where to leave they would be replaced by people who would spout the same crap, push the same agenda.

EH, heres a novel idea, if you don't like it, do what I do, dont buy it!

Continuity Wolfe Tone

Persiancowboy wrote: »

Is that you Mary-Lou?

Shinners! Shinners?! They're Everywhere! And there out to get us and eat our babies!


You'd fit in well at the SINDO.

TeddyTedson

Yes but his sneering at the removal of B B Bertie was more of a reflection of his thoughts about Cowan is what I'm gathering from reading it anyway.

Like him or hate him, in fairness to the bloke he asks people on his show the questions we'd like to ask ourselves. A lot of other presenters try to stay on their guests good side. You have to respect that at least.

Cavehill Red

Logical Fallacy wrote: »

I'm gonna say this one more time, for the cheap seats up the back.

How is that saying that he "likes" Bertie???? Or are we beyond the point of a separation between an acknowledgement, flawed or otherwise, of what someone has done and being able to dislike them?

Describing Ahern as "the greatest politician of a generation" isn't an acknowledgement of any reality - it's a blunt, partisan fanboy cheer, and self-evidently infers that O'Connor not merely liked the man but actively cheerled for him in the national press many years after it was demonstrated that Ahern was both bent and had mismanaged the national economy into its worst ever depression.

Nodin

Logical Fallacy wrote: »

I'm gonna say this one more time, for the cheap seats up the back.

How is that saying that he "likes" Bertie???? Or are we beyond the point of a separation between an acknowledgement, flawed or otherwise, of what someone has done and being able to dislike them?

.....that would require "nuance". If you can point out where that nuance appears in the article referring to Bertie as the greatest politician of our generation .please do so

Doc Ruby

Continuity Wolfe Tone wrote: »

Shinners! Shinners?! They're Everywhere! And there out to get us and eat our babies!


You'd fit in well at the SINDO.

I'm fast reaching the stage where I might even give the shinners a vote, if they
a) ditched the communist nonsense
b) cut all ties with the IRA
c) put a workable economic plan together

Nodin

Continuity Wolfe Tone wrote: »

Shinners! Shinners?! They're Everywhere! And there out to get us and eat our babies!


You'd fit in well at the SINDO.

....need....FLESH....

Fishooks12

Doc Ruby wrote: »

I'm fast reaching the stage where I might even give the shinners a vote, if they
a) ditched the communist nonsense
b) cut all ties with the IRA
c) put a workable economic plan together

So in essence, you'll vote for them if they become a different party ?

steelcityblues

Doc Ruby wrote: »

I'm fast reaching the stage where I might even give the shinners a vote, if they
a) ditched the communist nonsense
b) cut all ties with the IRA
c) put a workable economic plan together

You clearly haven't read up on Communism.

Mint Sauce

Fishooks12 wrote: »

Brendan O Connor is a waste of skin

This is the same lad who said talk of the property bubble bursting was "nonsense!

And the same man who said we all looked forward to Stephen Ireland returning to the national side.

Kinda reminds me of all the FF haters who claimed to have never voted them. Surely some of them must have over the god knows how many last years.

Nodin

Doc Ruby wrote: »

I'm fast reaching the stage where I might even give the shinners a vote, if they
a) ditched the communist nonsense
b) cut all ties with the IRA
c) put a workable economic plan together

a - we never really were. Left wing, but never communist.
b - has disbanded
c - I believe that's what everyones trying to do

Doc Ruby

Fishooks12 wrote: »

So in essence, you'll vote for them if they become a different party ?

I think the IRA thing is really the only defining aspect of SF, that most people would associate it with anyway. I'm sure they'd alienate a lot of their base in the process but they'd gain a far larger base instead.

Cavehill Red

Doc Ruby wrote: »

I'm fast reaching the stage where I might even give the shinners a vote, if they
a) ditched the communist nonsense
b) cut all ties with the IRA
c) put a workable economic plan together

I'll never vote for them because of past experiences in the North (just as I would never ever vote for the Tories in Britain or FF in the Republic). But in fairness to them, their performance, patchy though it is, in Stormont demonstrates they've dumped the Marxist rubbish, and PIRA are effectively an historical entity at this point (RIRA and CIRA aren't, but the Shinners adjure them).
They do badly need some brains in their policy department though, and that has to start with economics. Their policy of tax the rich to pay for everything is simplistic and doesn't add up.

lividduck

Nodin wrote: »

a - we never really were. Left wing, but never communist.
b - has disbanded
c - I believe that's what everyones trying to do

Communist..were (Eire Nua)
Disbanded..only if you believe in Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy
Economic Plan..nobody should pay anything but everyone should have everything.
In short "They hav'nt gone away you know!"

Nodin

lividduck wrote: »

Communist..were (Eire Nua)!"

That's O'Bradaighs idea with RSF.

lividduck wrote: »

Disbanded..only if you believe in Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy
"

You have information that the international monitoring body and a number of Governments don't? Jaysus man, don't waste your important info here - ring the Dail, the US embassy and the Brits one while you're at it.

Doc Ruby

Nodin wrote: »

a - we never really were. Left wing, but never communist.
b - has disbanded
c - I believe that's what everyones trying to do

My impression was there's a spectrum from hard left to mildly left in SF, but to be honest left-leaning economic ideals are not what the country needs at the moment.

Cutting out public sector waste and incompetence, reducing expenses, using the latest technology to streamline services and reduce costs, these are not the hallmarks of the left. I mean for pity's sake did you see that PPARS shambles.

http://www.irishhealth.com/article.html?id=11805

They aren't particularly the hallmarks of the right either, but are a more technocratic ideal. Will SF undertake the neccessary measures to bring spending back from bubble levels and towards sustainable levels? Will it make the public sector at every level accountable? It can be done, and done without wrecking the economy too.

As for the IRA, bluntly Gerry and Martin and company need to take a distant back seat, in the Republic anyway.

Son Of A Vidic

Not only is Brendan O'Connor an absolute first class tool, but I wouldn't wipe my arsé with anything thing he writes.

johngalway

Why waste a thread on him, he's a moron.

Toby Take a Bow

Doc Ruby wrote: »

Cutting out public sector waste and incompetence, reducing expenses, using the latest technology to streamline services and reduce costs, these are not the hallmarks of the left. I mean for pity's sake did you see that PPARS shambles.

http://www.irishhealth.com/article.html?id=11805

The HSE is an example of left-wing ideals now?

And wasn't Ireland being touted as one of the best examples of a 'free' economy some years back?

The choice isn't necessarily between SF left and free-market economics. There are compromises that could be employed.

Nodin

Toby Take a Bow wrote: »

The HSE is an example of left-wing ideals now?

And wasn't Ireland being touted as one of the best examples of a 'free' economy some years back?

The choice isn't necessarily between SF left and free-market economics. There are compromises that could be employed.

Indeed. Adopt a model on Scandanavian/French/German lines. This will do nothing to improve the likes of O'Connor, Myers, Harris and Waters "journalism" but society at large will benefit.

Doc Ruby

Toby Take a Bow wrote: »

The HSE is an example of left-wing ideals now?

I know people in the HSE that have openly told me their departments could vanish and nobody would ever miss them, or even know what they were doing. If that's not a hugely expensive welfare programme I don't know what is.

Toby Take a Bow wrote: »

The choice isn't necessarily between SF left and free-market economics. There are compromises that could be employed.

I'm not even talking about ideologies. I mean firing every idiot associated with PPARS and getting a refund about six months after the costs started to balloon, so that the next people make a decent job of it.

lividduck

Nodin wrote: »

Indeed. Adopt a model on Scandanavian/French/German lines. This will do nothing to improve the likes of O'Connor, Myers, Harris and Waters "journalism" but society at large will benefit.

There is a huge difference betweeen Scandanavian Social Democracy and Germany Corporatism, I suggest that you read Esping Andersons "Three Worlds of Welfare".

Doc Ruby

lividduck wrote: »

There is a huge difference betweeen Scandanavian Social Democracy and Germany Corporatism, I suggest that you read Esping Andersons "Three Worlds of Welfare".

Not to mention that the French wealth tax has cost them some 125 times more than the tax brought in, in capital flight.

Really we need to figure out an Irish solution tailored to our own country. Starting out by cutting the cruft in expenditure is about step 1 to 4 of the 5 step plan.

Toby Take a Bow

Doc Ruby wrote: »

I know people in the HSE that have openly told me their departments could vanish and nobody would ever miss them, or even know what they were doing. If that's not a hugely expensive welfare programme I don't know what is.

No, that's a lack of accountability, which is neither left nor right wing. The HSE, however, was organised around a 'business' ethos of managing the health service. Just because it was a huge failure doesn't mean the whole thing is left wing all of a sudden.

Nodin

lividduck wrote: »

There is a huge difference betweeen Scandanavian Social Democracy and Germany Corporatism.......".

I'd suggest that either would be an improvement on the cute hoorist nepotistic wankfest we've 'enjoyed' for the last number of decades.

AngryBollix

Brendan O'Connor was a waste of a hard on.

The world would be a better placed if his father had just jerked off instead.