On a point of information, Howlin was never a Stick. That's about the only good thing I have to say about him though.
Thanks for the info Wednesday
Agee completely, Chris. There are some great people in the Labour party but they're going nowhere as long as a Stickie is in the driving seat!
They need to change and fast. It would be great to see Tommy Broughan get the job.
Or Joe Costello. The words "cold", "day" and "hell" come to mind though!
Hoping for someone with passion on the National Question.
Post unification will require some form of social contract between the ethnic minority protestants of the North and the Southern Gov't, unless of course its an all singing all dancing passionate affair! in which case we can forget the paperwork.
A bit of delicate searching and probing beneath her orange petticoats may arouse her ( the unionists ) still.
We need lovers as well as lawyers 
Any word on Gery Adams doing likewise or at least relinquishing some sway over Southern strategy.
Shame he didn't put his name in the hat, just like old Rabbitte there, he would have likely had to jump too.
The difference being at least Rabbitte found a spine by which to stand in the election and lead from the front, him and the much hated McDowell, although at least they faced up to the consequences of poor electoral performance, unlike a certain el president.
"Fine Gael, a party so right wing it makes the DUP look positively communist"
Quote of the year
I'm no fan of FG but I thought that was a bit cruel!
Now that's an interesting criticism DC. I'm sure if Adams had stood in this election, we would have been accused of cynically exploiting his favourable rankings in order to win a seat in a constituency he didn't even live in.
Damned if you do, damned if you don't...
DC
Any word on Gery Adams doing likewise
Why would Gerry be resigning?????
at least relinquishing some sway over Southern strategy.
Firstly
Gerry does not set "Southern strategy", it is the Ard Chomhairle and ultimately the Ard Fheis which sets strategy.
Gerry is the President of Sinn Féin because that is the wish of the members of Sinn Féin.
Shame he didn't put his name in the hat, just like old Rabbitte there, he would have likely had to jump too.
What are you pratling on about now???
The difference being at least Rabbitte found a spine by which to stand in the election and lead from the front
What are you going on about? Gerry is the MP for West Belfast, at the last GE in the 6 counties 24,348 Irish citizens or 70.48% of the electorate in that constituency voted for him.
Gerry's mandate is more than clear, did Bertie, Rabbitte or Kenny ever get close to that type of vote???
Even if you go the way of talking about PR I would like to remind you that at the last Assembly elections 5 of the 6 MLA's were SF. 70% of the people there voted SF.
Don't talk nonsense about mandates and spines when you know nothing about either.
Adams spearheaded the campaign Chris, it wasn't a great campaign. People move on, but alas glad to see he still has enough pride in him to hang on in there or is that arrogance.
Adams is a Peace-Processor, time to move on. The conflict is over.
The truth is neither Adams nor Paisley can cut the mustard in mature democracies and they both know it.
Ever considered Eirigi as a broad left wing alternative to centerist establishment parties such as SF + FF?
Did the Mark McGregor fella post here much?
Obviously he is broadminded enough to appreciate alternatives...
"Ever considered Eirigi as a broad left wing alternative to centerist establishment parties such as SF + FF?"
No, for two reasons...
Firstly, Sinn Féin is neither a centerist or an establishment party.
Secondly, Eirigi is little more than a Dublin based pressure group with no realistic alternative to the current strategy, only rhetoric!
"Did the Mark McGregor fella post here much?"
Why?
Firstly, Sinn Féin is neither a centerist or an establishment party.
If only it were true. If the numbers ordained it SF would have gone into coalition with FF and you know it, Chris. They even did a u-turn on their corporation tax policy to make themselves more acceptable to the centrist parties. That was pathetic, no less.
If SF isn't an establishment/centrist party now it is fast becoming one.
Eirigi is little more than a Dublin based pressure group with no realistic alternative to the current strategy, only rhetoric!
So it's Dublin based, so what?
...and just because an alternative isn't "realistic" it doesn't mean it's not worth pursuing. A socialist alternative isn't realistic in the short or maybe medium term but it's still worth campaigning for. Biggar picture and all that.
Btw, I've no involvement whatever with Eirigi and as a socialist republican it gives me no pleasure to say these things about SF. Just calling it as I see it and most lefties that I know in Dublin feel the very same, including some Shinners and ex-Shinners.
"If the numbers ordained it SF would have gone into coalition with FF and you know it, Chris"
I know JG, a scary thought. In a way the southern election result may have been one of the best things that happenned to us long term.
"They even did a u-turn on their corporation tax policy to make themselves more acceptable to the centrist parties"
Not true, our Corporation Tax poicy was endorsed by the Ard Fheis and can only be changed by the Ard Fheis, something the Ard Chomhairle seemed to have forgot at the time of the election.
Our Corporation Tax policy is the same now that it was 6 months before the last southern election.
It would appear that some Ard Chomhairle members would need to read the constitution once in a while.
"So it's Dublin based, so what?"
I'm an Irish Republican, not a Dublin based Republican.
I pefer to be a member of a 32 county Socialist Republican party rather than a Dublin based pressure group, that's just me though.
"...and just because an alternative isn't "realistic" it doesn't mean it's not worth pursuing"
What a ridicilious statement!! I don't have enough time to be wasting any of it on futile rabbit hole pursuits.
Chris,
Point taken on Eirigi. Just wondered why it being Dublin based was worth a mention.
What a ridicilious statement!!
Was Pearse's vision realistic? Was Mandela's? Was Ghandi's? Think about it...
I don't have enough time to be wasting any of it on futile rabbit hole pursuits
My point stands, a socialist Ireland is almost certainly not going to happen any time soon but it's still worth fighting for.
In a way the southern election result may have been one of the best things that happenned to us long term.
May have...
So little Pat will bounce off to some Quasi Govermental Quango or European Union free lunch and good luck to him. For me he was the very epitomy of the failed Irish Socialist.
However PSF do not offer any alternative for the left in Ireland. PSF have never by word action or deed paid anything more than lip service to the cause of socialism in Ireland. From a military point it can be quite easily argued that everything they did was counter revolutionary and politically in the north it is quite easy to argue that they simply replaced a previous generational status quo. PSF are an establishment party in and a very cosy one. Operating PFI in the north and are promoting a reduction in CT in the South.
The left in the country will still be here long after PSF stops paying us lip service.Victor Halley, O Donnell, Joe McCann, Seamus Costello these are the voices of the Irish Left, not the nationalists of PSF.
Chris may have criticism for little Pat but at least he didn't embaress his party on the eve of the election with a truly terrible and unprepared prime time performance.
Chris - come over to the States for awhile, soon you'll realize how fortunate you are to have the threat of the Fine Gael. h
amazing how a little Marxist intellectional rigour can still reduce Provos to stuttering incoherence. You have no critique of Rabbitte whatsoever, just abuse, none of it socialist.
Jaysus lads,
When someone refers to SF as an establishment party you just know there's going to be some wacko comments following.
Reggie - Seamus Costello has been dead for 30 years. How can he still be "the voice of the Irish left"? (If he ever was.)
JG - aren't Eirigi the lads who put grafitti on walls in Rathmines. Aye, great stuff.
Tom - If the IRSP and Eirigi are the ones applying "Marxist intellectual rigour" (LOL!) then SF have nothing to worry about.
Reg,
I know nothing about them and have nothing to do with them.
As for the other points I made, just calling it as I see it. I'm a republican so I'd have no reason to badmouth SF, far from it. What I've said is exactly what most lefties I know are saying. SF aren't trusted on the left because the leadership wants power at any price.
JG, fair enough.
Reg Seamus Costello was hugely popular in Bray not because he was a Republican but because of the work he done for the people of Bray. I don't have time to fill you in on the details but do some reading and you'll understand the previous post. I find it strange that members of PSF see fit to pass comment and judgement on the Irish left and when there reminded that PSF in no way shape or form is a socialist party go on the defensive.
Adams,Barr,Hughes, McGlinchey,McElwee,Lynch,O'Hara,Devine, and even Mickey Brady were all Sticks at one time.
There is no doubt that Pat Rabbite was/is a sticky, but Brendan Howlin a champagne socialist? Come on, Howlin is carrying on the tradition of Labour and Brendan Corish in Wexford and making sure that neither the Blueshirts or Fianna Fail get a stranglehold on Wexford town.
It looks like Eamonn Gilmore has it in the bag anyway, so in my mind Howlin would have been preferable.
Chris, Just take the shame
Reggie,
Sinn Fein's economic policies are socialist-tinged (despite their sensible u-turn on corporation tax).
"I don't have time to fill you in on the details but do some reading and you'll understand the previous post."
I know who Seamus Costello was. I've heard of some of the others you mention. How many votes did they get to be construed as "the voice of the Irish left"?
Everything OK?
Very good blog.
There are so many who call themself left, use the label to cover their behavior. I call them the fake left.
Commenting by HaloScan
