Intelligencer
Ireland’s Most Popular Pol
WE knew that Irish President Mary McAleese is very popular in the country, but the size of her approval rating is quite staggering.
An Irish Times poll last week showed her with an 88% approval rating, an amazing figure and the highest ever obtained by an Irish politician of any type.
That is bad news for her likely opponent in the presidential election scheduled to be held later this year. McAleese has an extraordinary 75% to 10% lead over Michael D. Higgins, the chairman of the Labor Party and former government minister.
The pity, of course, is that McAleese can never escape from the constitutional box she is in, which mandates that the role of Irish president is essentially a symbolic one. On her visits to the U.S. McAleese has impressed everyone she met, in contrast to many Irish politicians, with her integrity and intelligence.
“Intelligencer” believes that the best speech ever made by an Irish politician in recent years was McAleese’s address to the Irish America magazine Top 100 awards dinner in 2002, in the aftermath of September 11. She proved that night what an amazing orator and politician she is.
Pity really that she will never get the chance to run Ireland as taoiseach (prime minister). She would surely do a tremendous job.
An Anti-American President?
IF by a strange twist Michael D. Higgins did win the presidency he would be the most anti-American official elected in Ireland, perhaps in history.
Higgins was a valiant campaigner during the 1980s against American excesses in Central America and has continued his activism into U.S. actions in the Middle East.
While one could understand the opposition to Iraq, Higgins was equally vitriolic about the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan despite world opinion that the war was justified in the wake of September 11.
Once can only imagine what kind of activist president Higgins would be if elected. Certainly, it would hardly be a surprise if he went about humiliating the American government in some way.
Boston Pols and The Presidency
WHAT is it about the water in Massachusetts that almost every politician elected there since 1956 has seen himself as a potential president of the United States?
We start, of course, with John F. Kennedy, who succeeded in his quest. Then there was brother Bobby (okay, he was elected from New York but was a Boston native), Ted Kennedy, Paul Tsongas, Michael Dukakis and now, Senator John Kerry.
It is hard to think of any other state that even comes close to that kind of record. Only JFK out of all that list has gone on to be president, but Kerry appears to have a fighting chance.
Yes, that was what they said about Michael Dukakis who roared out of the Democratic primaries as a 15-point favorite to beat George Bush Senior. Bush handily defeated him by the time the race was over.
Kerry on Irish Issues
INTERESTING to note that Senator Kerry’s statement last week in Irish issues was his first major one in his Senate career. While he was co-sponsor of many resolutions he steered away from the Irish issue in the main while in the Senate.
That may not have been his choice. Indeed, insiders say that Kerry was under no illusions that the Irish issue belonged to Senator Ted Kennedy in the Senate and that it would not be politically wise for him to try to corner it. As a result he did not have a high profile on it.
Irish Exodus for St. Pat’s
THE St. Patrick’s exodus is already planned from Ireland to America, with Irish Prime Minster Bertie Ahern heading to Washington, D.C. for the big day. Ireland holds the presidency of Europe for six months this year, which will mean that Ahern will have much more than Irish issues to discuss with President George W. Bush.
Also coming is Environment Minster Martin Cullen to New York, while a host of other ministers will no doubt be wending their way westwards over the period.
Meanwhile, Sinn Fein will also be out in force in America. Party leader Gerry Adams will be in New York on Sunday, March 14 at O’Neill’s restaurant in Manhattan before heading to Washington. And former Northern Education Minister Martin McGuinness will also be in the U.S. over the Irish holiday.
Irish Consul Visits Ferry
CIARAN Ferry has just passed his landmark one-year stay in jail in Colorado after being arrested by U.S. immigration officials last year.
Ferry was visited by the Irish consul general recently, the first time that any Irish official was able to meet with him. Unlike other visits it was an open one, which allowed for consultation without any Perspex glass between them.
Ferry was arrested after trying for a green card despite his IRA record. He and his American-born wife had fled to Colorado, her home state, after he was threatened by Loyalist paramilitaries in Ireland. Ferry was involved with the IRA for a time during The Troubles.
Ferry’s application for asylum was rejected in November and he has been held without a bail hearing for over a year now. The Irish consul’s visit and efforts by several Congress-man to bring the issue up with the administration may however, pay off in the weeks ahead.
Calling All from Carlow
OUR own Georgina Brennan will be guest of honor at the Carlow Association dinner on Saturday, March 13 at the Southgate Hotel in Manhattan.
Georgina, a native of Carlow Town, won the prestigious Independent Press Association 2003 award for feature writing, a great honor for a young journalist. Further info on the dance can be had from Mary Ann Schaefer at 718-549-7364.
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