Mealy mouthed Bertie Ahern finally accepts some blame for crash

ODS · 29-10-2010 01:32PM #1

As is now the standard but unacceptable means of communication from our Great Leaders, Bertie Ahern is after addressing key questions sought by Irish citizens by speaking to foreign media in far away shores.

Notably Ahern initially says 'I can only blame myself' - but then the self-serving snivelling excuse for a man immediately spreads the blame onto others by saying 'we', 'we' and 'our' when expanding the initial comment :mad:

In other words, more of the 'we are all in it together' sh!t... We are not all in this together - we are not all paid massive state salaries, pensions, and expenses, while swaning around foreign countries instead of serving constituents interests; after being most responsible for making the mess, the man is now least active in the dail - see link at end.

So what do other AH posters think of his latest mealy mouthed declarations of part responsibility?

From today's Irish Independent:

Bertie takes blame for property bubble fallout
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/bertie-takes-blame-for-property-bubble-fallout-2399471.html

Friday October 29 2010
FORMER Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has finally admitted too many houses and apartments were built during the boom years -- and that the proof is just a few doors down from him, writes Fiach Kelly.

Mr Ahern also told 'Rzeczpospolita', one of Poland's biggest daily newspapers, that he may run for the presidency next year -- his biggest indication to date. However, the bookies have him trailing as seventh or eight favourite in any presidential race.

Yesterday, luxury apartments near to Mr Ahern's constituency base were put on the market at knock-down prices.

"I can blame only myself," Mr Ahern told the newspaper earlier this week.

"We were building too much; we believed there would be buyers of properties for ever.

"It was a mistake on our side," he added.

St Luke's, Mr Ahern's constituency base, is on Dublin's northside and lies in the shadow of 'The Waterfront' development that was completed in 2008 after the housing market collapsed.

Only six of 19 apartments in the development were sold in 2008, and the remainder went on sale yesterday at 55pc less than the original asking price.

The apartments, and one town house, were put up for sale by receivers Grant Thornton following the collapse of construction firm Walsh Maguire.

When the development was launched in May 2008 the prices started at €460,000 for one-bedroom apartments and €535,000 for a two-bedroom flat.

They now start at €210,000 for a one-bedroom flat, €250,000 for a two-bedroom and €350,000 for a three-bedroom townhouse.

On the presidency, Mr Ahern added: "Now, it's only an idea, but I wonder about running in the presidential elections."

Irish Independent

Link to article regarding Bertie Ahern's record of least Dail attendance:
http://www.tribune.ie/article/2010/oct/10/not-much-use-in-the-dail-these-days-but-he-does-ha/

Killer Pigeon · 29-10-2010 01:33PM

tl;dr

Zzzzzz

Degsy · 29-10-2010 02:16PM

ODS wrote: »

As is now the standard but unacceptable means of communication from our Great Leaders, Bertie Ahern is after addressing key questions sought by Irish citizens by speaking to foreign media in far away shores.

Notably Ahern initially says 'I can only blame myself' - but then the self-serving snivelling excuse for a man immediately spreads the blame onto others by saying 'we', 'we' and 'our' when expanding the initial comment :mad:

In other words, more of the 'we are all in it together' sh!t... We are not all in this together - we are not all paid massive state salaries, pensions, and expenses, while swaning around foreign countries instead of serving constituents interests; after being most responsible for making the mess, the man is now least active in the dail - see link at end.

So what do other AH posters think of his latest mealy mouthed declarations of part responsibility?

From today's Irish Independent:

Bertie takes blame for property bubble fallout
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/bertie-takes-blame-for-property-bubble-fallout-2399471.html

Friday October 29 2010
FORMER Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has finally admitted too many houses and apartments were built during the boom years -- and that the proof is just a few doors down from him, writes Fiach Kelly.

Mr Ahern also told 'Rzeczpospolita', one of Poland's biggest daily newspapers, that he may run for the presidency next year -- his biggest indication to date. However, the bookies have him trailing as seventh or eight favourite in any presidential race.

Yesterday, luxury apartments near to Mr Ahern's constituency base were put on the market at knock-down prices.

"I can blame only myself," Mr Ahern told the newspaper earlier this week.

"We were building too much; we believed there would be buyers of properties for ever.

"It was a mistake on our side," he added.

St Luke's, Mr Ahern's constituency base, is on Dublin's northside and lies in the shadow of 'The Waterfront' development that was completed in 2008 after the housing market collapsed.

Only six of 19 apartments in the development were sold in 2008, and the remainder went on sale yesterday at 55pc less than the original asking price.

The apartments, and one town house, were put up for sale by receivers Grant Thornton following the collapse of construction firm Walsh Maguire.

When the development was launched in May 2008 the prices started at €460,000 for one-bedroom apartments and €535,000 for a two-bedroom flat.

They now start at €210,000 for a one-bedroom flat, €250,000 for a two-bedroom and €350,000 for a three-bedroom townhouse.

On the presidency, Mr Ahern added: "Now, it's only an idea, but I wonder about running in the presidential elections."

Irish Independent

Link to article regarding Bertie Ahern's record of least Dail attendance:
http://www.tribune.ie/article/2010/oct/10/not-much-use-in-the-dail-these-days-but-he-does-ha/

The scumbag..and him and his cronies are still allowed to drink in pubs with thier heads held high amidst snivelling sycophancy from the bastards that insist on voting for them.

The_Minister · 29-10-2010 02:19PM

In fairness, if he tried to take all the blame himself, he would be an idiot, and all of us would say he was trying to be a scapegoat for FF.

There were many, many people involved in what happened, from the government of the day, to the opposition, to the media, to the banks, to the developers, and to the electorate themselves.

Not everyone is equally to blame, but Bertie Ahearn should not shoulder 100% of the blame*

Little toe-rag that he is.

Biggins · 29-10-2010 02:20PM

A slow PR leaking of "I'm sorry but it wasn't really all my fault... - I must however accept it happened on my watch..." over the next months will ensue I have no doubt.
Sadly the stupid sheep of this country will swallow it.

IvyTheTerrible · 29-10-2010 02:22PM

Biggins wrote: »

A slow PR leaking of "I'm sorry but it wasn't really all my fault... - I must however accept it happened on my watch..." over the next months will ensue I have no doubt.
Sadly the stupid sheep of this country will swallow it.

And then BAM!!! he'll be president..... :mad:

super_furry · 29-10-2010 02:22PM

A quarter of a million for a two-bedroom shoebox flat in Drumcondra? There's still a long way to go until the bottom folks.

Profiler · 29-10-2010 02:27PM

Biggins wrote: »

A slow PR leaking of "I'm sorry but it wasn't really all my fault... - I must however accept it happened on my watch..." over the next months will ensue I have no doubt.
Sadly the stupid sheep of this country will swallow it.

When I read the bit about running for presidency that is pretty much what I thought too.

To be honest part of me wants him to run so we can have some of the non supine and compliant journalists go after him again.

"Bertie can you remember yet if it was IRL £50,000 or GBP £35,000 or was it maybe U$40,000?"

"Bertie, was it you who lodged in AIB or did you make Celia lodge it in the EBS? or did you make your secretary lodge it in the Credit Union?"

I'd like to see him in the public spotlight and made him squirm.

Degsy · 29-10-2010 02:29PM

super_furry wrote: »

A quarter of a million for a two-bedroom shoebox flat in Drumcondra? There's still a long way to go until the bottom folks.

Note the way the indo got a bit of an ad for property into the article,like.

Wicklowrider · 29-10-2010 02:32PM

IvyTheTerrible wrote: »

And then BAM!!! he'll be president..... :mad:

Or......
BAM!!! he'll be shot.

Which would be really terrible.......

Biggins · 29-10-2010 02:34PM

A copy of "The Drumcondra Mafia" should be handed out to every person in this country.

It should be essential reading for all before they vote next time!

...what made Bertie Ahern unique was not his enormous popularity or the revelations about his personal finances, but his dependence on a power base largely separate to Fianna Fail: 'the Drumcondra Mafia', a largely unknown, fiercely loyal, close-knit group of friends. When Ahern was Taoiseach the centre of power was arguably as much in St Luke's, the legendary constituency office bought by the Drumcondra Mafia, as in Government Buildings. Bertie Ahern and the Drumcondra Mafia takes the reader inside the organisation and examines how they not only established the most efficient electoral machine in the country but put 'their man' in the most senior political office in the state. It also details how, in his rise to power, Ahern acquired substantial sums of money from person's unknown, while propagating the image of a man with no interest in money.

Snakeblood · 29-10-2010 02:37PM

The_Minister wrote: »

Not everyone is equally to blame, but Bertie Ahearn should not shoulder 100% of the blame*

Little toe-rag that he is.

I wouldn't blame him 100% for the meltdown, but I'm prepared to give him 100% of my loathing until someone else I can hate comes into view spouting that kind of ****e.

Sykk · 29-10-2010 02:42PM

Killer Pigeon wrote: »

tl;dr

^

youtheman · 29-10-2010 02:42PM

There is an upside to his stint in the cupboard; there isn't a fuc*ing hope in hell he will get a sniff of the Presidency. He has brought ridicule on himself, and political office (you wouldn't catch Mary Robinson and McAleese in such a pose).

As far as I'm concerned he now has to be ranked with those despicable, laughable, pitiful ex. politicians from the UK like George Galloway and Neil Hamilton.

Degsy · 29-10-2010 02:56PM

Biggins wrote: »

A copy of "The Drumcondra Mafia" should be handed out to every person in this country.

It should be essential reading for all before they vote next time!

I remember when i lived in drumcondra there was a newsagent right beside his office and he was forever hanging around in the back room for some reason..to say nothing of his almost nightly forays into Fagans pub across the road.

brianthebard · 29-10-2010 02:59PM

Profiler wrote: »

To be honest part of me wants him to run so we can have some of the non supine and compliant journalists go after him again.

Which journos are you referring to??? And would 'journalists going after him again' achieve anyways? I want to see solicitors going after him.

Degsy · 29-10-2010 03:15PM

brianthebard wrote: »

I want to see solicitors going after him.

People with hatchets would be more satisfying.

brianthebard · 29-10-2010 03:21PM

Degsy wrote: »

People with hatchets would be more satisfying.

Was tempted to say that but figured I'd let the vampires after him first and if they failed the lynch mob could be mobilised.

Since he is a person who values wealth over all else it would make me happy to see him harried constantly and forced to pay back tax, pay solicitors fees, etc, to the point of destitution. Of course such things do not happen to people like him in this country.

Guy:Incognito · 29-10-2010 03:22PM

Independent on the ball with the scoops again. This was in the news days ago. Must be very little going on.

Degsy · 29-10-2010 03:26PM

brianthebard wrote: »

Was tempted to say that but figured I'd let the vampires after him first and if they failed the lynch mob could be mobilised.

Since he is a person who values wealth over all else it would make me happy to see him harried constantly and forced to pay back tax, pay solicitors fees, etc, to the point of destitution. Of course such things do not happen to people like him in this country.

Or stick him in jail for treason.

thebigbiffo · 29-10-2010 04:28PM

c'mon now lads. bertie's a grand old soul, you people just need a scapegoat...

*runs away laughing not to be seen in AH until this threads closed...

maringo · 29-10-2010 09:46PM

Youse are being a bit cruel on Bertie - don't you know he never even had a bank account the poor oul divil

Mealy mouthed Bertie Ahern finally accepts some blame for crash

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