Brian Cowen emails me
Posted by Maman Poulet on 28 Feb 2009 at 10:25 pm | Tagged as: Irish Politics, Recession
This email arrived in my inbox at 9.12pm – if you signed up to hear more about Fianna Fáil on their new website you were included. I think we’re talking 17,000 plus addresses but I’m open to correction on that.
What do you think of it? More Obamaification?
Dear friend,
I’ve just come off stage at Fianna Fáil’s Ard Fheis, where I’ve outlined the difficult measures we’re having to take to help return the country to growth. I was frank about the scale of the problems we face, but I’m optimistic about the ability of the Irish people to meet these challenges through the hard work and ingenuity we’ve always shown. We’re a resilient and creative nation and we’ll meet our challenges together.
You’ve heard from me, now I want to hear from you.
I’m asking each of you to submit a question for me, which I’ll answer as many as I can via video right here on the new Fianna Fáil website. Submit your questions at:
http://www.fiannafail.com/askthetaoiseach
To better serve you, and to help lead us out of this recession, I want to hear what you thought of my speech, the questions you might have about some of the important measures I’ve announced and your ideas about how Fianna Fáil can set Ireland back on the road to growth and renewed prosperity.
Ask me questions – as directly as you want to – and I’ll answer them in the clearest terms possible. I want to embrace a new openness and engage with you in honest conversation about the direction of the country. Post a question for me:
http://www.fiannafail.ie/askthetaoiseach
Our Ard Fheis is finishing up now and I’d like to thank the many thousands of Fianna Fail members who came and made their voices heard.
Wishing you and your family security in these difficult times,
Brian Cowen
Taoiseach
P.S. if you were unable to attend the Ard Fheis or missed the coverage on television and radio, we covered the event on our website and we’ll be adding more speeches and video over the coming days.
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[...] Cowen could say little to save the nation, little to turn a tide in confidence and little to divorce the image in people’s minds of Fianna Fail at the heart of the ’system’ for the past decade. In the end that little came to pass. Though the did send a nice email after. [...]
Hmmm. Wrong URL in their own email? Isn’t new site .ie?
LOL. Do FF think we’re that close to Boston (Chicago)?
Also, after spending all last night in A&E at Blanch after Poodle was attacked near our home by four local scum, and required several stiches around his eye, the sentiment of “Wishing you and your family security in these difficult times” rings completely hollow. We are very insecure because of what FF has done to the economy (beyond the current crisis) and rampant homophobia that is not challenged by policies which are not implemented. What really ticks me off is that “we” are not regarded as a family unit or household and so your exclusionary view of Ireland, Irishness, families and communities remains clear. Wishes are just words Brian: get moving on reforms, rather than Americanizing Irish politics. Remember, the real winner of Obama’s work so far has been Sarah Palin, who’s sitting quietly up in Alaska, learning to be more like Reagan than Bush or Nixon. She let Bobby Jindal make a complete fool of himself, while she waits…
But I digress… Get some proper policing policies to deal with crime (and don’t hide behind the populist ‘get the bankers’ stuff). Get policies [full stop might be more appropriate]. It took until rumours of a heave/ replacement/ resignation, to get you off your ass…
Listen: people are not safe for many complex reasons, so having a go at the bankers, and ignoring the opposition because their mud sticks won’t do.
More importantly, get moving with some proper legislation to support all families in these times: that means legislating for civil partnership at the minimum. If new times require new thinking, then shouldn’t that also mean 21st century laws for 21st century families? Are you actually listening, or would you like a longer version of this message?
Well well well. If it isn’t the popular people front. So tell me folks. The average public servant is on 50000 a year, that’s some 10000 above the average in the private sector. Which leads me on to my next point. The average public servants pension is worth over 8000 a year if they where to purchase it in the private market. So tell me recession or no recession is that a fare situation. Should the leader of a country not address this situation. Again Recession or no recession. Brian Cowen has the courage and foresight to address the countries cost base. He has sacrificed his own party for the common good. So tell me do you want Eamon I will say anything that will get me votes or Enda at least I am realistic Kenny running the country. Long live the popular peoples front. Ps: Feel free you point out any typos.
[...] Maman Poulet dissects the email she received from an Taoiseach just minutes after his speech and [...]
I signed up for the Obama emails at the beginning of the primaries last year so I’ve read (and admittedly scanned more) plenty of what ‘he’ was sending out. It seemed like a fresh and positive approach at the time and, more importantly, it sounded like him. I can’t help but read that email above and think that the FF guys are just hoping to recycle the same methods and means as the Obama campaigners for similar positive gain.
[...] week, whose midweek fail was followed by an Ard Fheis that was successful in parts (the email with dodgy link to own site and clunky language was fun [...]
[...] looking for our questions, Brian Cowen has now responded on YouTube. In an email to me (and several thousand others) with the [...]