Trump, Michael D, a 'nasty' bishop and a circus

Well, talk about a hectic few days. First there was Donald Trump, then there was Michael D, then there was Mariann Budde, then there was the ignominious circus in the Dáil and then there was, finally, a somewhat humiliating elevation (if that’s the right word) of Micheál Martin to the position of Taoiseach. It is a much diminished position because of the shenanigans that preceded his election. It is, even more so, a greatly diminished Dáil where the great and the good showed just how capable they are of childish, foolish and unpardonable behaviour. 

On second thoughts, to suggest that the behaviour was childish does a great disservice to the children of the nation. Grown men, and women, behaving in such fashion in the Dáil, a place where decorum and good manners is expected, should be subject to some sanction. They should be docked a week’s pay, no a month’s pay, in the absence of a red card. But then, they were elected by the people so maybe it’s the electorate who should get the red card.

We will begin with Mr Trump. In my view he is an out and out disaster, but a considerable majority of the American people elected him to be their president and we, here on this side of the Atlantic, who have such great respect for the democratic process, no matter how much we fear policies that might reduce our cosy little economy, have to take him as we find him. And no matter that we might not agree with his political outlook we have to admire his performance. 

In his election campaign, he promised the American electorate that he would deal harshly with illegal immigrants, he told them that he would bring down inflation, he told them that he would slim down government, he told them he would settle the war in Gaza, he told them he would settle the war in Ukraine on his first day in office, he told them that he would impose tariffs on China and the EU, he told them he would rename the Gulf of Mexico, he told them that he would drill, baby, drill, he told them he would bring overseas American companies back to the good ole USA, he told them, in short, that he would Make America Great Again. And he delivered.

Mr Trump made more promises to the American people than FF/FG, the Greens, the Shinners, the Lab/Soc Dems, the People Before Profit and the Independents combined made to the Irish electorate in their pre-election promises. Of course, the Irish electorate don’t expect that promises made before an election will be delivered upon, but, say what you like about Mr Trump, on his first day in office, he hit the ground running and delivered a whole swathe of actions to fulfil his election promises. You could contrast that with the first day of “action” in the resumed Dáil. We might think, some of us, that Trump is a nutcase, but he looked a positive action man and a genuine politician as against the rabble that we elected to represent us.

We were, of course, saved by Michael D. He was in pole position to be Person of the Week (Trump’s claims notwithstanding!) for his clear, cool, diplomatic rejection of those people who libelled the Irish nation as Jew haters and accused the President himself of disseminating anti-Semitic propaganda. He told those representatives of the Jewish community in Ireland who wanted him to ignore the Holocaust Commemoration Service, to which he had been invited as the main speaker - a task he has performed with distinction in previous years - to get stuffed. 

He was, of course. more diplomatic but the message was the same: he would not stand down as the main speaker at the commemoration, leaving those who sought to shun him, stewing in their own juice. As I write, the commemoration is still to be held, but it will be interesting to see how it plays out.

Michael D won’t mind being shunted into second place as the Person of the Week Award is given to a little-known Episcopalian bishop by the name of Mariann Budde. Well, she was little known up to last week, but by God, she made an impression by calling on President Trump to show a little mercy to the illegal immigrants and the gay communities in the US. 

This little slip of a woman made her plea at a prayer service in Washington attended by Mr Trump, his wife and a somewhat bemused vice-president Mr J.D Vance. It took courage to look Mr Trump in the eye and request that he row back somewhat on what was a key policy plank of his campaign - the return of the illegals to Mexico and an intolerant approach to gays, lesbians and transgender people. She will be regarded as naïve by many people but it took courage to challenge the President in the way she did.

Mr Trump took a different view and labelled her a “nasty” woman. It’s an adjective he uses to describe women with whom he does not agree, or rather with those who disagree with him. Bishop Budde might do well to consider her position, otherwise she might end up in a gulag on Mars when the President and his friend Mr Musk finally establish their colony on that little planet.

There was no need to send in the clowns, they were already in the Dáil which might more realistically be renamed the Big Top. We have had many disastrous days in the Dáil but not even Ballymagash in its prime could match what was witnessed in our lowest of the low chamber. 

The ructions were so contrived and so ill-considered that it was hard to believe it was carefully planned. The ultimate objective was to ruin Micheál Martin’s day and if that meant that the reputation of the Ceann Comhairle was torn to shreds then so much the better. It was sad to see so many so-called professional commentators take for granted the horse-doodoo pedalled by the politicians that Ms Verona Murphy, with not more than a week in the job, being described as “damaged” and not likely to survive.

Ms Murphy did not get to where she is today without being capable. She has come through the school of hard knocks and will be around for a while yet. The reality of her position is that it is impossible to maintain order when confronted by an unruly mob which won’t listen and continues to bark baloney.

I’m afraid I can’t accept the bona fides of the opposition groupings when they claim that they were left with no alternative but to create a fuss. The situation about whether a few TDs were opposition or government and whether they could take opposition speaking time to question ministers was hardly the threat to democracy that Mary Loo and her co-conspirators would have us believe. It was much ado about nothing. It was a matter that could be solved in minutes with a bit of goodwill. But goodwill does not exist when politicos decide to have a go. And therein lay the problem. Upset that the people had preferred a dose of the same, delivered by FF/FG and a few Independents, the Shinners, Labour, Social Democrats, People Before Profit and a few (other) Independents decided to throw a tantrum. It was poor form.

Now, if they had decided to make an issue of the fact that the Government decided to adjourn the Dáil for two weeks, just a single day back at work after their month-long Christmas break, then maybe a rumpus of such magnitude might be justified. Such a decision could certainly be defended, unlike the circus that the public was treated to. The justification for the adjournment is that ministers need time to read into their briefs. I wonder. Dara Calleary, to whom goes congratulations on a well-deserved promotion, would need only half a day with Michael Ring to gain command of his portfolio.

Thought for the Day 

Everyone can master a brief but he who has it: To slightly misquote Shakespeare in Much Ado about Nothing.