I’m very #bludget hung over today and even worse I’ve been dealing with some of the announcements in the day job capacity and it’s not been pretty. As a result I was not paying close attention to twitter and the speeches in the Dáil on the resolutions or as they are known Financial Motions of the Minister for Finance.
Pat Rabbitte (and yes I’m not usually a member of his fanclub) made a very witty cutting speech on the budget in the Dáil this morning where he let loose at the Green Party. Amongst other memorable epitaphs Pat referred to Junior Minister for Food Trevor Sargent as the ‘Minister for Parsnips and Organic Tomatoes.’
The Labour Party are active online on Twitter/Youtube (for the last two years) and tweeted about the speech and released the video as they do everyday with the inputs from Gilmore or other party spokespeople.
Several other people including Labour Party members retweeted the video and it was seen as a bit of light bludget relief.
Yesterday I noted several Green Party members engaging on twitter and the liveblog and commenting on other blogs like a crack online defence squad. Today Green Party members are leaving comments on the Labour Youtube page defending the party. (This must be the green fingerprints all over the budget Mary White was talking about because I can’t find many others!)
Cue the Green Party new media people shortly afterwards with their video of today’s speech from party leader and Minister for the Environment, John Gormley. Think Pat Rabitte touched a few nerves?
Somehow I don’t think we’ve heard the last of this and the battle of the youtube views has commenced!
It looks like everyone except Fine Gael has now arrived at the social media party. Great to have everyone along! Hard Hats at the ready!!!
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Let the games begin!
And we’ll be picking up tomorrow on at least three of Rabbitte’s totally [strike]madeup?[/strike] inaccurate comments amongst the pun-laden, puerile crock of crap that made up the rest of his speech.
If he ever tires of politics there’s a sub-editor’s job in the Indo or Sun going for him. Greens see red, sandals, muesli, salad, lentils, sprouts, wilting, yawn bloody yawn.
So much for fellow progressives…
If they want to steal our voters (if opportunistic MEP candidates aren’t enough for them) they’re not really approaching it very well.
Hey, I resent the sandal remark, that’s for us bloggers only.
I’m kinda blown away by Damian’s comment. I’ve been tweeting and FBing about this speech this evening, and almost everybody (including Green party members) has said the speech was witty, and somewhat welcome given the tedium of recent weeks.
Sure, he had a go at the Greens, and I get how that riles people affiliated to that party. But he did have a point about the notable absence of environmentalist policies from such a crucial budget, and the fact that he conveyed it in a witty manner is extremely welcome.
Best advice I can give the Greens (and I’m generally a fan of the party, and have huge respect for many of their staff, public reps and members), is to laugh off a story like this, rather than making it into a big deal….
Fluffy Links - Thursday April 9th 2009 « Damien Mulley // Apr 9, 2009 at 05:09
[...] Handbags between Labour and the Green Party on the web yesterday. [...]
>opportunistic MEP candidates
Ooooh. Green Party is getting touchy on this one! Didn’t you steal that MEP candidate from us first?
They just came back home.
Pat Rabbitte always eats his Greens | Keith @ Granite Shavings // Apr 9, 2009 at 09:02
[...] balance, here’s John Gormley’s response. The Greens are getting a bit upset at Pat. (Okay – not entirely balanced, the vid’s smaller, it’s below the fold and [...]
Think Links 2,876×3 « The Pointy Adventures Of Jean-Claude Supremo // Apr 9, 2009 at 13:30
[...] http://www.mamanpoulet.com/anything-you-can-tweet/ [...]
Well, talking of games… the (Nation)State has become Landlord/ landowner once again:
http://www.rte.ie/money/budget2009/stories/2009/0408/nama.html
And by wanting a cheap deal, it’s closer to being a rack landlord or it is a henchman for those who hold power over the people and particularly the poor (welfare rates frozen for the next couple of years, yup totally fair – NOT!)
Some FF local election councillor left blurb in the letter box today. Is he away with the fairies or is it just a sick joke? I’m thinking snowball and Hell…
i only commented and bothered viewing the labour video because of the view count on it. I thought he had something interesting to say…. it didn’t. it was a waste of my time.
considering it was “the budget from hell” pat rabbite seems to be treating it like a joke.
all Pat Rabbitte proved to be was the dáil clown and you cannot refute that.
admittedly john gormley’s video was boring in comparison apart from the opposition just being plain rude and talking over him.
but politics done well is awfully boring.
@Stephen Wouldn’t it serve you better to declare your interest?
I’m obviously a green party member. and now a ratified green party candidate… since Monday.
My political interests are to hear good factual debate. Pat could have farted in the general direction of the greens and it would not have taken away from the level of his arguments.
the budget from hell my arse.
I will say again though that it made little effort to stimulate the economy but the greens are relying on a european green deal
http://europeangreens.eu/petition/q-and-a/
but the bank efforts are in place help more small business/people to access credit.
finally more back to the point… follow me on twitter lol
http://www.twitter.com/stephencrowley
The Minister for Parsnips and Organic Tomatoes, lol, thanks for telling us about this
I have to say I find the comments from stevecork on the youtube video disgusting and disgraceful He said that “if you feel hard done by, your probably earning too much. ”
There are thousands and thousands of people in this country who are certainly not earning too much and who do feel hard hard done by this budget -
so gormely hitback with something the people not in government now did 12+ years ago, fanstastic
This made Miriam Lord’s week, apparently!
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0411/1224244447594.html
All this – a storm in a tea cup.
The Greens continue to live in self-delusional land, with an almost adolescent approach to politicsm; having jettisoned key committment to social justice, education, health and housing (bye, bye an excellent General Election Manifesto, June 07). Propping up FF as a discredited one-party state barely causes them a blink of conscience. Not even an apology by FF for the 2nd. mess in 30 years, would assuage GP.
Labour is trying hard to compete, but just can’t cut the mustard on specifics, although their Just Jobs policy has some interesting proposals for interships.
Green budget – was never going to happen. Ryan and Gormley are hunkering down in their departments and playing the long game. 2012 is a long way aways and short-term losses in the Euro and local elections are tolerable, so long as they can advance energy, comms and planning reforms.
As the for so-called middle voters -they’re reaping the whirlwind for support the PD’s and FF over the last 12 years: lambs pleating to the slaughter of their own consequences.
The only thing to safe country…non-violent civil disobeidence and a General election.
A.
The Greens will have a helluva fight on their hands to regain whatever drop of credibility they might have had pre-coalition. Rabbits slagging is spot on in fairness. A bunch of parsnips, taggin along for the ride. Their short term dance with ‘power’ will be their undoing in future elections. I would be shocked if they managed to retain the same number of seats in the Dail and I will move to Canada if they increase. As for Labour and their embrace of social media – fair play. It will take more than that for them to shake of the cobwebs and become a relevant force in the 21st century but its a good start. If Twitter is a catalyst for revolution in Moldova – why not in Leinster House.
You’re the same Stephen Crowley who commented on this post on IE I take it?
http://www.irishelection.com/01/green-party-councillors-chris-o-leary-quits-in-protest-at-government/
going on to refer to both Chris O’Leary and Bronwen Maher as cranks in a later post?
http://www.irishelection.com/01/green-party-news/
You’re some rare wit yourself so you are.