U.S. Pols Praise Bertie

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Irish Voice News

U.S. Pols Praise Bertie

April 9, 2008

By Cahir O’Doherty

IN the wake of Taoiseach Bertie Ahern’s announcement that he will resign on May 6, American politicians and business leaders have offered their assessments of Ahern’s three-term tenure. The reviews have been decidedly positive.

In a statement, Senator Hillary Clinton said, “Since first being elected to the Dail (Parliament) in 1977 and becoming taoiseach in 1997, Bertie Ahern’s career has been one of great accomplishment. History will long remember taoiseach Ahern’s enduring efforts and unwavering commitment to lasting peace in Northern Ireland by working to secure the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.”

A White House spokesman said President George W. Bush “has enjoyed his many meetings and a working relationship with the taoiseach, and wishes him well in his future endeavors.”

Senator Edward Kennedy focused his main praise on Ahern’s leadership in the successful peace talks in Northern Ireland.

“Bertie Ahern has been a steady and effective leader of the Irish people,” Kennedy said in a statement. “His skillful leadership in the search for peace in Northern Ireland was indispensable in finally achieving a successful resolution of that long-standing conflict. His legacy is clear, and his contribution to peace is enormous.”

Congressman Richie Neal, chairman of the Friends of Ireland group in Congress, admitted that he was “surprised and saddened” to hear of Ahern’s resignation.

“Bertie Ahern’s legacy will be as a man of peace, a leader who brought unprecedented prosperity to Ireland, and a prime minister who significantly raised the profile of his country on the global stage.”

Neal added that he looked forward to welcoming Ahern to Washington at the end of the month where Ahern will give an address to a joint session of Congress.

Don Keough, chairman of Allen and Company and a long-time friend of Ahern, told the Irish Voice, “From where I sit the role that Bertie Ahern has played during his entire political career — from finance minister through to his role as taoiseach — is one of the glorious pages of Irish history.

“If you just look at it from an objective point of view from the role he played, there simply wouldn’t have been a Celtic Tiger without him. He will go down in history as a great change agent with the Republic itself and certainly one of the principal leaders in the resolution of the historic problem in Northern Ireland.”

Keough added the incoming Taoiseach Brian Cowen would face important challenges but he was more than equipped to deal with them.

“He is a superb leader and I think he’s appropriately prepared for this job. He’s coming in to his role at a time when the global economy is tough and he’s going to have to deal with the issues of the economy as all leaders do,” said Keough.

Former Congressman Bruce Morrison was generous in his praise of Ahern’s achievements.

“There are two pillars to Bertie Ahern’s story. One is his leadership of the peace process at a critical period. He certainly deserves a lot of credit for that, especially after the Good Friday Agreement when others may have lost faith in it,” said Morrison.

“The second pillar of his story is the Celtic Tiger economy, the long period of sustained economic growth and development that began when he was Finance Minister and continued through his tenure as taoiseach. There’s no doubt that he contributed greatly to a very positive period of good economic policies that expanded the Irish economy and promoted a period of high employment.”

Morrison added that he first got to know Cowen when he was minister for foreign affairs and found him to be effective, strategic and direct in his role, qualities he felt certain Cowen would bring to his new position as taoiseach.

In a statement that refrained from mentioning disappointment with Ahern for his recent dismissal of the organization’s aims, executive director of the Irish Lobby for Immigration (ILIR) Kelly Fincham told the Irish Voice, “We look forward to meeting with the taoiseach-designate Brian Cowen to discuss the issue of the Irish undocumented.

In previous meetings with him on Irish American topics when he was foreign affairs minister we always found him very helpful.”

Fincham said that ILIR is no longer seeking a meeting with Ahern when he travels to Washington for his Congressional address.

“We wish him well in his retirement,” she said.

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