Question Time Part II

I'm getting a bit sick of the gobshites who live in the Dublin South constituency droning on about how great Shane Ross is and what a fantastic TD he will make. I am quite sure that they haven't bothered their arses conducting any research into whether Ross is worthy of their vote. Instead they rely on the propaganda of Ross's mates in the media to inform their decision. So here are my questions for this squeaky clean paragon of virtue:

• You have been sitting on your arse in Seanad Eireann since 1981. During this time you have continued to pursue your career in journalism and, no doubt, have reaped significant financial rewards from this double-jobbing. Why has it taken 30 years for you to decide that our political system needs reforming? Are you a bit slow or do you simply see a bandwagon to jump on to gain easy access to the riches of the Dáil?


• You claim that you have spent your career challenging big bankers (amongst others). If you were always such a critic of bankers why did you want Sean Fitzpatrick appointed as Governor of Bank Of Ireland? You claimed that one of Ireland's greatest economic criminals was "too dynamic" for the jealous top brass in Bank Of Ireland to appoint. Too corrupt more like. Please explain your apparent amnesia in this regard.


• In your day you were a fanboy of Michael Fingleton, another banker who wrecked this country. You haven't exactly been critical of Fingleton. You once wrote:
  
  "Sure, he earns an awful lot of money (€835,000).
  Sure he has been less than transparent.
  But Fingleton, for all his faults, has delivered
  the only thing that matters in business: profit."
  
  
  He also delivered a steaming pile of trouble to this economy. How can you explain your lack of criticism of Fingleton? Is it because you were one of his bitches, the journalists that he went out of his way to do favours for in return for favourable coverage?


• Your election literature urges voters to "Elect me and like-minded independents to the Dáil...". You then promise to fight cronyism and lead the fight for Dáil reform. If you were serious about having any real impact - surely you and your "like-minded independents" could have formed a proper party with real policies to fight the election. Your failure to do this shows that you intend to sit in the Dáil and engage in the soundbite politics that have marked your 30 years of ineffective Seanad service. Discuss.


• The voters of Dublin South are known for their appetite for one hit wonders like Roger Garland and George Lee. Your candidature is very similar to that of Lee. You are both journalists who have profited from "exposing" things like cronyism. You claim that you do this in the national interest but at the end of the day your investigations are motivated by greed - selling more newspapers and gaining air time. You are both publicity hounds. Will your career as a TD also end as Lee's did? Will you also end up skulking back to your job as a journo hack having failed the voters of Dublin South and the people of Ireland?

ENHANCE YOUR BALLOT PAPER - VOTE "NONE OF THE ABOVE" IN ELECTION 2011.