t seems to me that there is a deep sense of unease developing in the ranks of the Blue Shirts. What really rankles the rank and file of the party is the idea of Fine Gael going into government with the Shinners. Mary Lou and Leo singing the same song from the plinth at Leinster House – oh what a discordant note that would strike. You might think that all of this has been stirred up by Junior Minister Jim Daly, a FG TD, who has “no objection” to going into government with Sinn Fein. Well think again. It is the Taoiseach himself that has fully paid up party member in a lather. I have been told in no uncertain terms what is driving this is “ nothing short of personal ambition with no principles attached”. Leo, of course, likes to emphasise the great policy differences between the two parties but somehow at the moment this is not ringing true. In fact, an extraordinary thing might be happening in that people are beginning to believe that Micheal Martin means it when he says he doesn’t wish to go into government with Sinn Fein. How about that for a turnaround, traditional Blue Shirts turning to the Soldiers of Destiny to save the integrity of the State. Imagine if the electorate begin to see Leo as slippery as Bertie. Then the next election might be up for grabs. In the end, the formation of government is driven by mathematics. Don’t forget that Fine Gael leader John Bruton went into government with Democratic Left. Who said Fine Gael Taoisigh were driven by principles.
Thinking about principles leads me directly to Donald Trump who is probably the most unprincipled occupant of the White House to date. Apparently James Comey, the former head of the FBI who was fired by Trump, has compared the President to a “mob boss”. An Interview with Comey, which is due to be broadcast in the States on Sunday, is predicted to “shock the President and his team”. Well, can it get any worse ? Strippers, Playboy Bunnies, his personal lawyer’s office being raided by the FBI which Trump had the cheek to describe as “ an attack on our country”. The scandals surrounding this guy go on and on. The latest revolves around a payment by the National Enquirer to a doorman at the Trump World Tower relating to a rumour that the President had fathered a child with an employee. Frankly, who cares whether this is true. What matters is that this self-serving, egotistical maniac is currently in charge of American foreign policy and the nuclear codes. As the noose tightens around his neck and the threat of impeachment becomes a reality, it has to be asked whether it is in the best interest of the United States, or indeed the world, that he remain in office.