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2 of DN's crew resigned, apparently over his ex being convicted for having relations with an underage Palestinian boy. I thought this was on the radar for a while now. Scary thing is this will be thrown back at DN for his pederasty views. I'd like to hope he got rid of the two as they've not done their job to date.
Scooped ya, Spud!:cool:
We're on the same wavelength in looking at this. Do you see a conspiracy, or just another candidate/party throwing dirt? I can't make up my mind.
I know one of the team, and was surprised to see them on board because I didn't think they had the experience needed. Proven right, sadly.
Elaine Byrne on Radio 1 has just said the that the nub of the issue is that Norris wrote to somebody (unknown at this point) on Seanad stationery seeking clemency for his former partner in the early 1990s. It seems, according to her, that the letters were leaked by the Israelis.
Tomorrow's papers will be very interesting.
I couldn't believe the IT dragged up that case again. There must be something else due in tomorrows papers if this is what they are running with today. Radio 1 agog with it earlier.
Thankfully it is a sporty weekend so I can miss out on the bleeding hearts.
It looks like curtains for David Norris now. Even if he gets the 20 nominations i cant see him been elected as president. I feel sorry for him,there seems to be a campaign to damage him which is working.
Tomorrows sindo has a copy of the letter, apparently.Quote:
Originally Posted by Eminence Grise
I don't think his campaign has been that great - he handled to whole magill thing poorly, and again this time he has ducked and dived so far rather than address the issue. He could've been out front today and gazumped the sindo. Pure speculation on my part, but the resignations could be because they looked for him to give them full disclosure of any other skeletons after the last time, and he left this buried.
And there was me thinking the time zones would help :-)Quote:
Originally Posted by Eminence Grise
Something very strange in all of this. Agree that he needed to shed some dead weight, but also there is something moving. I wouldn't put it past the Israelis to leak something like this to put someone in their place - why not, if I were them, I would too. An openly gay President of Ireland would carry alot more wallop in bringing up injustices in their neck of the woods than a non-gay Gay.
I wonder is this all to do with FG and their US muckrakers? I can't say I'm sad for DN if he loses the chance to win the Presidency, he's better off as a campaigner and I still admire and like the man. He has done (as I've said on threads before) so much that has flown under the radar and I only wish other public reps were as decent as him.
If he hadn't wrote the letter defending someone in their 30's having sex with a 15 year old, there'd be nothing to expose. To me, unlike the previous controversy and based on what I've heard and read so far, this is a whole different ball game. There's no academic argument, no context issue. Even down to using headed notepaper and throwing in his committee roles. I don't think it's a gay issue - it'd be as bad if it what has been reported was wrote in support of a man who'd been busted for sex with a girl.
Just going by what I've read on here and on the IT online, I'd agree with all of this.Quote:
Originally Posted by Macy
Like Osarusan I agree, it's almost like something a Catholic Bishop would do.....emmm, Mr. Norris, didn't you.....Quote:
Originally Posted by Macy
In fairness to DN, he might have been blinkered by love in this instance, the actions of his ex sound positively predatory and he fits the bill for a classic sex offender (involved in work with younger men etc) and it's eerily close to what DN himself propagated (pederasty) and if I'm not completely mistaken he brought up the North African/Arab experience of older males bringing younger males into the fold (sorry, that sounds horrible).
But I will defend him in this regard. DN sat in a room with CB's from a North Dublin school back in the late 80's and confronted them on abuse being carried out by lay teachers. The defence was - ah, he was a bit confused, but he's married now. When he pointed out that it wasn't confusion, nothing to do with being gay, they said that they were sending him away from teaching boys (as a compromise). Instead he'd be teaching in a Junior girls school up the road. When DN erupted by saying this is an abuser and the sex of the victim is irrelevant, the answer came back - sure at least this is more natural. DN did everything in his power to get the Gardai and authorities moving. If what he's supposed to have written is true, then it really contradicts his public and private stands.
I smell FG all over this.
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/co...s-2836076.html
I smell FG all over this.
If you think that there is something wrong with your sense of smell.
Why? What is wrong?Quote:
Originally Posted by Cuyahoga
Let’s build a conspiracy theory to test Spud’s nose...
What if:
FG are the only party that can lose the election – nobody else really has a chance. But if somehow it loses, the result can be spun as a popular referendum and rejection of FG policies. FG has to avoid that.
And:
Irish-Israeli relations have softened since the new government took office. Perhaps having Alan Shatter, well-respected for his support for Israel, at cabinet has contributed to this. The government response to the alleged sabotage of the MV Saoirse was muted at best; at least FF made some noise over commando raids and forged passports. So, a quid pro quo for Ireland’s softer stance might be the leaked documents.
Whatever about the first scenario, I don’t believe any of the second because it’s all too obviously mad, though, like Spud, I do think FG might know something about what’s happening.
Whatever about how pro-isreali certain Ministers clearly are, I don't see how Mitchell stands to be the main beneficiary. Also whilst FG are clearly in pole position, a run off such as this has a different dynamic rather than a general election - transfers much more important.
I love a conspiracy as much as anyone, but it's only natural that the past gets digged up when they're suddenly front and centre. Is it some conspiracy that people are digging up just how embedded Sean Gallagher is in FF?
No: that's a public service that deserves a medal!Quote:
Originally Posted by Macy
David Norris had a very poor team around him, from what he's written EG knows at least one, and these chancers were not up to the task. They let him get ripped apart over the Magill interview and something tells me that that writers statements on radio - "there's more to come" was somehow said in the knowledge that this was bubbling through.
Politics being politics all is fair game. DN was never going to understand this. He came from a lovely sheltered fairyland of TCD and then the Seanaid, he's a hard worker and good person, but tried to see everyone as being the same as him.
I don't know about the Israel link, I read reports on how it was directed from there etc, though it's a step too far or even just doing down FG. FG are nasty, are in complete control and are continuing to run the country into the ground. I still believe we need a good uprising and take out most of the TD's and put some lead between their ears.
Was that Joe Jackson? I think he said he'd told the team of three (!) potential banana skins, at least some of which haven't materialised yet - and nobody dealt with them. That's just incompetence. I think you're right about sheltered academia and ivory towers (I'll give you the benefit of the doubt about calling it Fairyland in the circumstances!) - DN just doesn't get how dirty politics can be. Isn't there some wise old saying out there that the smaller the prize, the dirtier the fight to win it?
Yes! I heard it on PK Today or Morning Ireland, it was around the time it all began to filter out about the article.
Fairyland - sorry, that wasn't a shot at anything, besides, gay men aren't fairies, I will fight to reclaim that word for it's proper use! But no, sorry, that wasn't even an intended pun - I should have said "airy fairy land".
I believe FG will do anything to control all the levers of power, to eliminate all opposition (I'm waiting for Mary Davis to be slaughtered on something) and for the meeja to roll in behind the selected candidate. I heard, I think Phil Hogan, say on the radio that "we've never had a president", so you're dead right EG, the smaller the fight the dirtier it will be!
I do hope, all said, that DN will run for President, I do hope he'll have a quality team around him and that he will do the job I believe he can do for Ireland. But I remember a line from the Godfather 3, about an honest man, and that he hasn't long left for this world (about the murdered pope) - DN might not have long left for this race.
Presumably Norris picked his own team, so ultimately that's still his fault even if you do buy into that theory. We don't know what they advised - I don't think it'd be that outlandish to suggest that Norris could be pig headed about what he would and wouldn't do, especially for something he didn't think was fair game. It could be as I suggested earlier that they asked for full disclosure, and have just discovered they didn't get it. I'm not in the know about his team, maybe they are crap, maybe they're not, but they were still his pick.
I also don't buy this inexperienced nonsense - he's been in the seanad since 1987 ffs. Now maybe he wasn't in a dog fight in the trinners constituency, but I'm sure his fights on civil rights were hardly easy. If he's not experienced enough to handle the election, it has to raise questions about his suitability for office.
And finally, I don't buy this big bad Fg theory. FFS, no party that's supposedly this good at the dirty stuff would have such a, frankly, crap electoral record. One good performance, against the most despised Government in Irish history, in which they still couldn't get an overall majority, and some of you have them down as masters of this stuff! Beggars belief to be honest.
It is possible that Norris fooked things up himself, with poor choices both now in his campaign management and/or team, and past. Supposed dirty tricks or not, it's not like this latest revelation was made up, is it?
There's a whiff of Israel over this. Imo of course, just a theory.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cuyahoga