12.13.05
Where does the IT stand on McDowell?
Hello? The Minister for Justice sensationally announces that he has leaked a garda file to a journalist: he has in the words of retired judge Flood “overridden the constitution” and many believe he has broken the law. But the IT puts MRSA, and a big fire in England on the front page? I only have the online edition. On what page is the biggest political scandal in years? On the online version it doesn’t even appear in the top ” News Digest” stories. There is a double column and on the 10th story down they announce that the Taoiseach will back McDowell. Like that’s the main angle of this story. I know Geraldine Kennedy the editor is a former PD TD, but really, I expected more. It’s not even in the editorial!!! This is blatant bias.
John of Dublin said,
December 13, 2005 at 11:59 am
Carol Coulter did give a good analysis of the situation on the Opinion section of today’s IT (I’ve just online edition too).
McDowell is a tough cookie, he lives close to the edge. Overall he has been a good Minister for Justice. He is to politics what Kevin Myers is to journalism. He might be mostly right but gosh he is heavy handed. I suspect he has gone too far this time. You could picture him developing a totalitarian state if he was let too loose. The Taoiseach needs to rein him in.
Ardmayle said,
December 13, 2005 at 12:43 pm
So at last we see McDowell and the PDs for what they really are. And despite all McDowell’s guff, democracy is not one of their interests. Neither himself nor Mary Harney seem to realise the enormity of what they have done. This is indeed the arrogance of office.
Sarah said,
December 13, 2005 at 12:48 pm
I see that even the Indo, McDowell’s pawn in his little game has put him on the front page and 2 separate stories inside. The IT has questions to answer.
Cian Ginty said,
December 13, 2005 at 2:13 pm
The Irish Times for December 12 had a story on the front page about this.
If any thing the IT’s coverage of this has been neutral / slightly opposing the Minister of Leaks. In today’s story on this subject, the Minister is quoted as saying “the Irish Times†should tell their readers such and such.
tom said,
December 13, 2005 at 2:20 pm
The IT has the Irish Ferries dispute on the front page today. Is that not sufficiently relevant?
McDowell vs Connolly is the sort of story the media loves but that most people find it hard to get excited about.
John of Dublin said,
December 13, 2005 at 2:56 pm
I see your point Tom, but if I was Connolly and completely innocent I’d be very pissed off indeed. The lack of gross hysteria would however seem to hint there may be an undercurrent of popular knowledge that McDowell could be right. I haven’t spotted the opposition going ballistic in the Dail today. But I do agree…in eyes of the law the man is innocent.
Sarah said,
December 13, 2005 at 2:59 pm
Well maybe the people should get excited about it. If the Gardai have files on them, containing for all we know bogus evidence, a Minister for Justice gives it to journalists and uses it to persuade their employers to effectively sack them. He does this because he knows that the evidence isn’t enough for the DPP to even bring charges, never mind secure a conviction. I think that’s just a tad more subservive than a company sacking its workforce for cheap immigrant labour. (not that I agree with that either).
Furthermore, the point is that regardless of what was on the cover on Monday, the NEW point in the NEWS story is that McDowell admitted to RTE Radio 1 that he personally had leaked the document. That is major news. It’s front page and Editorial stuff…
Sarah said,
December 13, 2005 at 3:01 pm
John Waters made a good point today on Newstalk, that fine radio station. It is actually WORSE if Connolly is guilty because now McDowell has wrecked any hope of ever securing a conviction. Just like Mary Harney’s little intervention resulted in Charlie Haughey being let off the hook…I think everyone has forgotten that little episode.
John of Dublin said,
December 13, 2005 at 3:42 pm
Interesting indeed Sarah. Yes, John Water’s logic is compatible with my last point that McDowell has sparked a situation that leads to all sorts of inferences. Bit of a mess for sure.
Sarah said,
December 13, 2005 at 3:52 pm
and of course, he has my deepest sympathies. btw, lest anyone think I am just enjoying this because a) he twisted the knife when I did the same thing with him as the victim and b) I despise his politics and c)his own arrogance landed him in this particular pile of shit, I would like to place on the record the following:
a) I have no sympathy for Connolly. I am quite sure he is guilty
b) I don’t disagree with McD on everything. I love his anti-Republican position and I thought he really put it up to the prison officers. But at the end of the day, he is a bully and any shit he has created for himself is well deserved.
Fergal said,
December 13, 2005 at 4:38 pm
I’m not usually the type to fulminate and shout “resign!!” every time a minister does something stupid, but on this occasion I think McD’s position is untenable. He has undermined the system he’s employed to protect and the suggestion that “he’s just giving the Shinners a taste of their own medicine” only goes to show what a piece of thuggery his leak was. But he won’t be sacked because Independant nerwspapers were the beneficiary of his leak, and the IT is run by a PD, so the whole thing will be dead and gone by the weekend.
Dave said,
December 13, 2005 at 8:11 pm
Sarah yesterdays post indicated to me you’re letting personal stuff get in the way of your judgement, calling it the ‘biggest scandal in years’ is complete hyperbole. On a scale of 1 to 10 of Irish political scandals it’s about a 2 or a 3, marginally above Willy O’Dea pointing a gun at a camera crew.
It’ll all be forgotten in a week and the media will be gutted because they’ll have failed in their attempt to get McDowell removed.
McDowell represents everything that the IT and RTE hate, i.e. Liberal politicians hence they’ll do their best to hammer at him.
Sarah said,
December 13, 2005 at 8:25 pm
Oh Dave I reject that. Obviously it does give me great pleasure to see McDowell dig the very same hole that I dug for myself. But he’s the minister for Justice and the information was from a Garda file. It was shitty and spiteful of him to provide the information in the Dail, but outrageous to give it to a journalist.
All you have to do is ask yourself this: What if he does it again? What if there’s someone else who is bugging him and the garda have a file but not enough evidence? Will he send for the file of any journalist who writes nasty things about him and send off the juicy details to a rival? It’s just one step below phone tapping.
Also I am presuming either there is a typo in your last sentence or you are talking total arse. My point is that the IT have gone totally easy on him and did not editorialise today or make it headline news that he had leaked the information. As for RTE, everyone I’ve spoken to in there supports McD! They all knew about Connolly for years and aren’t a bit distressed he has been exposed. I had heard the mutterings about Connolly only being a Provo years before he allegedly went near Columbia. I am not defending him one iota. But the minister has no right to leak the information in Garda file to journalists because he’s pissed off that nothing else can be done
OR he does have the right but then he has no right to complain about guards who do the same thing or lowly witnesses at Tribunals doing the same thing.
We have a system. Either everyone obeys the system or no one. It’s not one law for us plebs, but a genius like him gets to pick and choose which bits he’ll play along with.
Red Rover said,
December 13, 2005 at 9:46 pm
I agree, Connolly has a great deal of cloud hanging over him. The fact he does certainly casts a cloud over McDowells motives.We have forums for him to answer his case. Not this arbitrary method.
Outing in this matter is absolutely nonsense.
RR