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Fine Gael gangs up on George Lee, Irishman.

2

Comments

  • #32
    dloob
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,788 ✭✭✭dloob


    Squiggle wrote: »
    He couldn't hack constituency work and he could return to RTE on the same salary as when he left.

    Constituency work? You mean attending funerals and getting medical cards for people who aren't entitled to them. Can't blame him.
    Most of our TDs are indeed jumped up county councillers we should dump 3/4 of them make sure they have good big constituencies so they can't bribe voters so easily.


  • #33
    Squiggle
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,268 ✭✭✭Squiggle


    dloob wrote: »
    Constituency work? You mean attending funerals and getting medical cards for people who aren't entitled to them. Can't blame him.

    You are as naive as George if you think attending funerals is all that TDs do at local level. If you know of fraud report it.


  • #34
    omahaid
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,497 ✭✭✭omahaid


    Squiggle wrote: »
    You are as naive as George if you think attending funerals is all that TDs do at local level. If you know of fraud report it.

    Everyone know thats what politics is like in Ireland, rotten to the core.


  • #35
    hmmm
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,192 ✭✭✭✭hmmm


    I liked Miriam Lord's comment about "George Lee - the peoples princess".


  • #36
    stepbar
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,123 ✭✭✭stepbar


    Dionysus wrote: »
    Prove it regarding Lee, a person who gave up a very secure job in RTÉ, resigned from Dáil Éireann 9 months later and is now, arguably, in a worse financial system than before as it will be hard for him to return to his old post. He could have just sat in the Dáil, kept his head down and taken the money. Why didn't he?

    After that, where is your evidence of any corruption on the part of George Lee?

    He didn't give his job up.....


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  • #37
    mike65
    Closed Accounts Posts: 88,968 ✭✭✭✭mike65


    George Lee is a prima donna who discoverd that he was not in fact the messiah as far as FG were concerned. But instead of saying okay I'll bide my time or even I'll quit FG but stand as an independent simply throws his toys out of the pram and goes off in a huff. I'd have voted for him (had I won the lotto and been able to live in Dublin South) and I'd now be very pissed off with him.

    FG can't do any more harm to George than he has already done himself, next stop Washington DC.


  • #38
    am i bovvered
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,102 ✭✭✭am i bovvered


    dloob wrote: »
    Constituency work? You mean attending funerals and getting medical cards for people who aren't entitled to them. Can't blame him.
    QUOTE]

    Cannot believe people are so niave regasrding this..........He knew what he was getting into, thought he could handle it, he couldn't. Realised he had it cushy in RTE and got out quick, finding every lame excuse in the book on his way out.


  • #39
    Sprouts
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 325 ✭✭Sprouts


    Would love an alternative to Fianna Fail but theres no way i'd vote Fine Gael and Enda Kenny ahead of them, I really believe we are leaderless at the moment, Cowen is an unellected leader who inspires no confidence. The country is fu**ed and we have nobody in charge with a clue how to do anything other than feather their own nests.


  • #40
    dixiefly
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 2,965 ✭✭✭dixiefly


    Dionysus wrote: »
    Some good points, and I tend to agree that Lee should have stayed.

    However, upon further reflection, things must have been really, really, really bad for the guy if he not only resigned from Fine Gael but, much more importantly, gave up his Dáil seat. The latter part is easily the most difficult for me to understand. He could have resigned from Fine Gael but continued as an independent voice or even joined Labour or something down the line. Resigning the Dáil seat, to my mind, speaks of a guy who was sickened by the system itself. I could be wrong on that. But what other explanation is there (especially when he is career-wise, at the time of writing, worse off from resigning)

    I agree, it does seem that neither side thought this one through, even at the end it wasnt thought through. You can say what you want about spin doctors and I wouldnt be a fan but a good spin doctor could have stopeed the running train in its tracks - would have been far far better for both sides.


  • #41
    hmmm
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,192 ✭✭✭✭hmmm


    Dionysus wrote: »
    Resigning the Dáil seat, to my mind, speaks of a guy who was sickened by the system itself. I could be wrong on that. But what other explanation is there (especially when he is career-wise, at the time of writing, worse off from resigning)
    From the reports I've seen, he had a one year leave of absence from RTE. As long as he returns to RTE within one year, he has a guaranteed job at his previous salary. Looks like the comments about cutting ties with RTE were garbage. If he was so sickened with things surely he'd have done something which would have given him a voice (e.g. become an independent). He can't go back to reporting on politics or economics for RTE and as Vincent Browne put it, "you'll be interviewing circus performers for the next few years".


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  • #42
    Nichololas
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,186 ✭✭✭Nichololas


    George Lee? More like George Leaves-the-dail-after-9-months amirite


  • #43
    Biggins
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 34,567 ✭✭✭✭Biggins


    Originally Posted by Dionysus viewpost.gif
    Prove it regarding Lee, a person who gave up a very secure job in RTÉ, resigned from Dáil Éireann 9 months later and is now, arguably, in a worse financial system than before as it will be hard for him to return to his old post. He could have just sat in the Dáil, kept his head down and taken the money. Why didn't he?

    After that, where is your evidence of any corruption on the part of George Lee?
    stepbar wrote: »
    He didn't give his job up.....

    Well if thats to be used as an indicator of "corruption" - what about the previous many lot who have "jobs on hold" for 17+ years AND STILL GETTING PAID IN SOME CASES!!!
    Lee was in for 9 months - how about giving out just as much about those that are doing it for 12 to 20 years - O' and STILL DOING IT!!!

    Read the following and learn: http://www.independent.ie/national-news/shame-of-pensions-on-double-for-teachertds-1726771.html


  • #44
    Michaelrsh
    Closed Accounts Posts: 640 ✭✭✭Michaelrsh


    George Lee ... always doom and gloom.


  • #45
    stepbar
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,123 ✭✭✭stepbar


    Biggins wrote: »
    Well if thats to be used as an indicator of "corruption" - what about the previous many lot who have "jobs on hold" for 17+ years AND STILL GETTING PAID IN SOME CASES!!!
    Lee was in for 9 months - how about giving out just as much about those that are doing it for 12 to 20 years - O' and STILL DOING IT!!!

    Read the following and learn: http://www.independent.ie/national-news/shame-of-pensions-on-double-for-teachertds-1726771.html

    Talk about adding 2 + 2 and getting 10 ... :rolleyes:

    It was a statement of fact not an opinion.


  • #46
    Biggins
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 34,567 ✭✭✭✭Biggins


    stepbar wrote: »
    Talk about adding 2 + 2 and getting 10 ... :rolleyes:
    It was a statement of fact not an opinion.

    Not disagreeing with you on your point, I'm just saying that others have been there before him in their own fashion and method.
    Its just a shame they are still getting away with it for years.

    I look at FG and Lee as partly to blame. They are both reaping the whirlwind of their inane actions.


  • #47
    Joyce Country
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 284 ✭✭Joyce Country


    Sprouts wrote: »
    Would love an alternative to Fianna Fail but theres no way i'd vote Fine Gael and Enda Kenny ahead of them, I really believe we are leaderless at the moment, Cowen is an unellected leader who inspires no confidence. The country is fu**ed and we have nobody in charge with a clue how to do anything other than feather their own nests.

    Labour..... Gilmore is very impressive since he took over.


  • #48
    aDeener
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,487 ✭✭✭aDeener


    Joyce Country wrote: »
    Labour..... Gilmore is very impressive since he took over.

    what has he said that impressed you?


  • #49
    Sprouts
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 325 ✭✭Sprouts


    Joyce Country wrote: »
    Labour..... Gilmore is very impressive since he took over.

    We defo need a change anyway because we are not going anywhere with the current lot. Bit disturbing that Lee didn't stick to the task, I don't blame him, it just says to me that the whole system stinks, unbearably so.


  • #50
    DamoDLK
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 716 ✭✭✭DamoDLK


    Fine Gael, has to be seen as united in this stance, if not, it would expose cracks in in-party relations, which in turn would damage public support/perception. Which put quite simply Fine Gael cannot afford at this time.


  • #51
    marcsignal
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,072 ✭✭✭marcsignal


    I'm pissed of with all this shit about George Lee leaving.

    George enters politics, and realises its all a big back slapping **** club..

    the man had an epiphany, and jumped ship, like being stuck in a pub with a load of cnuts you don't like, and jumped into a cab after finishing his smoke outside, fcuking get over it........


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  • #52
    Dionysus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,420 ✭✭✭Dionysus


    hmmm wrote: »
    From the reports I've seen, he had a one year leave of absence from RTE. As long as he returns to RTE within one year, he has a guaranteed job at his previous salary. Looks like the comments about cutting ties with RTE were garbage. If he was so sickened with things surely he'd have done something which would have given him a voice (e.g. become an independent). He can't go back to reporting on politics or economics for RTE and as Vincent Browne put it, "you'll be interviewing circus performers for the next few years".

    And that really is also my point: while Lee can go back to RTÉ, he cannot go back to his former position, which was easily the most high profile one in news reporting in Ireland. He is, at this time, the loser from this. He clearly knew this, and he went ahead and quit not only Fine Gael but his much more significant seat in the Dáil. Things must have been really bad for him to do that.


  • #53
    Dionysus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,420 ✭✭✭Dionysus


    Sprouts wrote: »
    Bit disturbing that Lee didn't stick to the task, I don't blame him, it just says to me that the whole system stinks, unbearably so.

    + 1.


  • #54
    General Zod
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,661 ✭✭✭General Zod


    Dionysus wrote: »
    Prove it regarding Lee, a person who gave up a very secure job in RTÉ, resigned from Dáil Éireann 9 months later and is now, arguably, in a worse financial system than before as it will be hard for him to return to his old post.


    As per the rules of leave he took from rté (he didn't resign) his job is still available for him (or a corresponding equal role).

    He left because after 9 months he thought he'd be running the country. When that didn't happen and he realised that FG didn't automatically champion every word out of his mouth he threw his toys out of the pram.


  • #55
    Dionysus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,420 ✭✭✭Dionysus


    General Zod wrote: »
    As per the rules of leave he took from rté (he didn't resign) his job is still available for him (or a corresponding equal role).

    He left because after 9 months he thought he'd be running the country. When that didn't happen and he realised that FG didn't automatically champion every word out of his mouth he threw his toys out of the pram.

    Can you honestly see Lee being reappointed to his old, uniquely high profile position? No. He has lost it. Any other reporting position for the guy is a demotion. That is the point. He threw his old job away and took a risk and rather than staying in politics he gave it up to return to an inferior position within the RTÉ organisation.

    For him to do that, he must have been quite repulsed about the reality of political life in Dáil Éireann.


  • #56
    m5ex9oqjawdg2i
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,217 ✭✭✭✭m5ex9oqjawdg2i


    PirateShampoo wrote: »
    They both are only intrested in the €

    They both have massive ego's.

    They both done a runner when they couldnt handle it.

    They both let the people who voted them in to office down.


    Shall i go on?

    Rubbish speculation. You don't know anything about Lee, and you cannot compare him to Ahern. Stupidest analogy I have seen to date. It's what the party want you to think, and sheep will follow that rediculous mentality. That's the laughable part.


  • #57
    Joyce Country
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 284 ✭✭Joyce Country


    aDeener wrote: »
    what has he said that impressed you?

    Impressive on outlining the alternative to NAMA - Should have nationalised and let anglo fall + was impressed by him on john o'donoghue expenses scandal and getting him to resign when kenny bottled it.


  • #58
    Guy:Incognito
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 38,227 ✭✭✭✭Guy:Incognito


    Dionysus wrote: »
    Was anybody else listening to RTÉ 1, Newstalk and Today FM throughout today?

    I haven't seen so much political thuggery from a political party since the days when Haughey and his henchmen tried (successfully) to undermine decent and honourable men within Fianna Fáil (I don't care what anybody says; such men, men like George Colley, existed).

    The attempts today by numerous Fine Gael politicians to tarnish George Lee's reputation defy belief. It is so abjectly lacking in intelligence that they must have been working for George Lee. How Fine Gael sat around a table and decided to go on the attack against one man, a single man, and came up with the conclusion that this was an intelligent, politically astute decision beats the band. This is Ireland: there is nothing the average Irish person loves more than a David against a Goliath battle. This is Irish history, and Irish political culture, 101. Duh.

    And this sort of dim, ill-thought-out bully-boy thinking is dominating Fine Gael, a party which claims it is ready to lead this state? No way, José! Keep your Blueshirt neo-fascism to yourselves, please.

    So far today Leo Varadkar, Brian Hayes, Simon Coveney and Richard Bruton have got the boot in and accused George Lee of leaving politics for things as diverse as politics not paying enough (mar dheá!) - i.e. Lee was too greedy - and that Lee had too big an ego for Fine Gael.

    How brave of Fine Gael to gang up on a single man like this. Thugs; nothing more than thugs.

    Can anybody defend these tactics against one man? I, for one, have never been as supportive of somebody in Irish political life as I am for George Lee now.

    Has Lee come out and denied what Leo Varadkar said? He said that Lee only ever had 2 things that approach what could be described as policies but did'nt even commit them to paper. The first he said was that Lee wanted to make it compulsory for all Irish pension funds to invest within Ireland, which is illegal.
    His second bit of genius politics was to spend our way out of trouble like the Greeks..........


    Is stating facts "ganging up"?




    Dionysus wrote: »
    Prove it regarding Lee, a person who gave up a very secure job in RTÉ,

    A secure job he's goign back to. Hardly a big gamble.



    Why did the "honourable" Mr Lee oppose an open and vouched expenses system?


  • #59
    Beez Neez
    Closed Accounts Posts: 55 ✭✭Beez Neez


    I think that it's simply this - GL has quite an ego after years in RTE where he was told that he was a great lad! He fancied his chances as a politician and a chance to be the messiah that this country needs (and God knows we are in need). He looks around and thinks that his best bet to be made Minister is FG so he joins Inda's Army but realises quickly that Inda hasnt a hope of bringing FG into government and decides to feck off back to where he came from. He'll go to Washington for a spell and come back when there's something else to talk about.


  • #60
    Sean Quagmire
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,355 ✭✭✭Sean Quagmire


    Joyce Country wrote: »
    Impressive on outlining the alternative to NAMA - Should have nationalised and let anglo fall + was impressed by him on john o'donoghue expenses scandal and getting him to resign when kenny bottled it.


    Kenny had his fingers deeply in the pie aswell as everyone else in the Dail. In fact Gilmore and Labour were the only ones who's expenses were honest, hence why he was the only one who shouted about it.

    I like Labour too. Enda Kenny is a prat, if they had any half decent leader I'd have no problem voting for them.


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  • #61
    dvpower
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,182 ✭✭✭dvpower


    Dionysus wrote: »
    Prove it regarding Lee, a person who gave up a very secure job in RTÉ, resigned from Dáil Éireann 9 months later and is now, arguably, in a worse financial system than before as it will be hard for him to return to his old post.

    He went on a leave of absence; he can now return to his very secure job in RTÉ


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