George Lee
Posted on | February 9, 2010 | 66 Comments
I find the stick he’s getting over his resignation a bit weird. Sure, he might have given it longer. He probably did expect to be more involved, however naive that was. And he probably has damaged Fine Gael (though not as much as Enda) and let down the people who voted for him.
Yet he has walked away from a career in politics. Politicians, for the most part, are a bunch of self-serving, mendacious, power hungry cunts who are in it for what they can get out of it, rather than any great desire for public service.
Look at all the quotes about how he never fitted in or how he ‘looked down’ on people. Maybe he just didn’t want to be like them, the ones who have come up through the system and been corrupted by it. From local to national, the politicians of this country are hardly people to admire, are they? I’m sure there are some that work hard and do their bit for the people they claim to represent but ultimately it’s a cunt’s profession, and if George Lee decided he couldn’t be that kind of cunt, then what’s the problem with him walking away?
Does it suggest Irish politics needs change? Probably. Will it ever change? Unlikely. Too many vested interests to protect, family seats and business connections and everything else. He might have fucked up and gone into it thinking he could make a difference but it must be better to walk away now than hang on for the sake of hanging on.
And now he can go back to RTE. Better the cunt you know, as they say.
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February 9th, 2010 @ 9:58 am
My impression of him on the radio and on tv is that he forgot to take his medication. As Peter Alliss said of Jean Van Der Velt during The British Open – ” He’s gone gaga!”
George Lee has gone gaga too.
February 9th, 2010 @ 10:05 am
kenny hasn’t a clue. the blueshirts are going around patting themselves on the back over poxy local elections success, when they should be asking how the fuck they managed not to win the last general election. they seem to think Richard Bruton is an economic genius..does anyone remember their last general election manifesto, as regards the housing bubble it was FF with bells on! If Kenny and Bruton had been running the place during the bubble we’d be in the very same mess now. Once again irish politics stamps out intellect and talent, while rewarding parish pump cronyism and back scratching, who u know not what u know. FF/FG tweedledum/tweedledee, so depressing…
February 9th, 2010 @ 10:17 am
Itchy – perhaps, but better to go a bit gaga than get assimilated into the cess pit of Irish politics, I’d say.
holden – good points, the worst, most unpopular FF government in history and they still haven’t been able to take advantage.
February 9th, 2010 @ 10:21 am
He could always join the Greens………………BWAHAHAHHAHAHAHA!
February 9th, 2010 @ 10:31 am
holden Says:
February 9th, 2010 at 10:05 am
kenny hasn’t a clue. the blueshirts are going around patting themselves on the back over poxy local elections success, when they should be asking how the fuck they managed not to win the last general election. they seem to think Richard Bruton is an economic genius..does anyone remember their last general election manifesto, as regards the housing bubble it was FF with bells on! If Kenny and Bruton had been running the place during the bubble we’d be in the very same mess now.
- they managed to lose the last election because the vast majority of Irish people are dense, thick cunts who voted for Fianna Fail
- If Kenny and Bruton were running the place there’d be no bubble. Fianna Fail are the corrupt cunts who wrecked the country; not Fine Gael. Just in case you haven’t noticed. Read Garrett Fitzgerald writings and you might get a clue. FF went into power with the PDs who insisted that you can run an economy with a miniscule income tax-take. Fianna Fail policy; not Fine Gael policy
Fianna Fail policy wrecked the country; not Fine Gael.
February 9th, 2010 @ 10:46 am
Hard to know what’s going on really. Was he a FF plant? Anyway, you cannot succeed in politics in Ireland unless you are inherently corrupt. Politicians don’t run countries. They serve their masters. He must have decided not to do that.
February 9th, 2010 @ 10:48 am
itchy, agreed that it was FF policies that wrecked the country, but FG definately did not challenge the FF economic orthodoxy during the bubble and their last election manifesto is testament to that. If you think FG with their big farming constituency would have done anything to tackle the problem of inflated land and property prices you’re mistaken. As for Garret Fitzgerald, i’d agree with nearly everything he’s written on this,the problem is Kenny and Bruton don’t. Fitz is out in the long grass now, more’s the pity too. wouldn’t have seen hin going around with some piss-poor Yankee rip-off ‘sign the contract’ bullshit at the last election.
February 9th, 2010 @ 11:00 am
FG are going nowhere with Enda Kenny. He’s not liked. He comes across as a finger wagging teacher on a power trip.
They need Bruton to lead the party and if they get into coalition with Labour, they I can see Joan Burton and Bruton making a good pairing on finance. Gilmore is tolerable as long as he stops saying ‘Gubberment’.
February 9th, 2010 @ 11:22 am
I don’t believe I have admired someone as much as George Lee for a long time. There are those who think he’s throwing his toys out of the pram but that’s because it’s so unusual to see a politician with real principles.
Not the ‘leaving the party for 2 weeks’ kind of Fianna Fail nonsense by the likes of McDaid et al.
Too many in Fine Gael, especially Kenny and Bruton, obviously saw George Lee as a threat, a real contender for leadership and, as such, did their utmost to sideline him.
Best quote: Olivia Mitchell on 6 one: “Well, Enda gave George chairmanship of an economic group. Of course, the group never met…”
Watch Fine Gael plummet in the next opinion poll. Fianna Fail must be dancing in the aisles today. Bastards.
February 9th, 2010 @ 11:32 am
Holden
I challenge you to a duel!
(apologies for earlier snide digs; this country is getting me down this a.m.)
February 9th, 2010 @ 11:41 am
He may have been a bit nieve thinking that he would be the party’s Finance spokesperson.Bruton is a senior civil servant with the sense of entitlement to go along with it,and he was never going to give up his position.
Deafening is the silence from people that support Lee’s decision,they are out there but the spin doctors have been busy since he announced it and it will be Fine Gael circling the wagons to protect the teacher…
I honestly think that he went into politics,because the economy is so fucked,and that this crisis called for swift action and new thinking,what he didnt realise is that Irish Politicians dont like that,they would rather be the most important people on the titanic and just like playing the balme game with each other while financially fucking us up the ring-piece..
He’s better off out,I dont think he deserves the flak he’s taking at all..
It proves though that FG are just the same as FF…
Labour will benefit from this in the end..
February 9th, 2010 @ 11:44 am
filler, thinking of Labour in power makes my mickey go soft
February 9th, 2010 @ 11:44 am
If it made it go hard,I’d be worried for you..
February 9th, 2010 @ 11:50 am
FF and FG are the classic illusion of choice trick. In order for the controlling elite to maintain power, they present two apparently opposing forces. So people think they have a real choice. But they don’t because both forces are under the control of the same people. In Ireland, that’s people like Smurfit, Dermot Desmond and Tony O’Reilly’s family, The Vatican and NATO.
February 9th, 2010 @ 11:58 am
One would hope that after the lousy experience of several months in the sewers of the Dail, if he decides to take up his previous position in RTÉ that the quality of his reporting would be all the more riveting.
There’s a simple dignity in realising and accepting that you’re wasting your time flogging a dead horse. Or a lame one.
February 9th, 2010 @ 12:02 pm
He can hardly report objectively on politics/economics now. He’ll always be accused of having an agenda, whatever he says.
February 9th, 2010 @ 12:06 pm
He said yesterday that he wouldnt see himself reporting or commenting on politics or economics..
So maybe he could present Winning Streak..Him and Derek Mooney
February 9th, 2010 @ 12:08 pm
He could go in drag as George Lee Templebar
February 9th, 2010 @ 12:12 pm
“I dont think gambling the €2000 for another go would be a prudent financial move Maureen”..
February 9th, 2010 @ 12:13 pm
I honestly suspect that Fine Gael’s strategy for the whole of the current crisis is to lay back in the tall grass and let FF flounder and take the flak.
This would explain their apparent inability to oppose effectively. Any party that can’t sort its arse out to haul FF over the coals at this point is doing one of two things- allowing the Govt to suffer the death of a thousand cuts or else is just awaiting their turn at the trough.
Something no one has done that is blindingly obvious is to table a Reform or Anti-Corruption bill.
Thats very significant. I’d like to see ‘Independent’ FF TD’s justify their opposition to such reforms in their constituencies.
Very suspicious of Fine Gael and Labour in this regard.
February 9th, 2010 @ 12:27 pm
joke in sam smyth’s column this morning re George’s future prospects with RTE…rte’ s latest production starring George Lee and Charlie Bird…celebrity big baby.
February 9th, 2010 @ 12:37 pm
I’ve a lot of time for George Lee. He was one of the people Bertie cunting Aherne wanted to commit suicide for predicting the crash. I read a lot this morning about the political mistakes he made as a naive TD. Thing is his mistakes cost the taxpayer nothing. He left before his pension entitlement kicked in but the papers are reporting his parachute payment of 15k. That’s not even a good weekend away racing for the likes of O’Donoghue.
His leaving just highlights how fucked our political system is, it’s all about re-election & entitlements. Is TD the Irish translation for for Cunt?
February 9th, 2010 @ 12:57 pm
Abandon Lee.
February 9th, 2010 @ 1:09 pm
Fair fucks to him.
February 9th, 2010 @ 1:12 pm
George Lee Majors – The Bionic-onomist
He can see around financial corners!
February 9th, 2010 @ 1:32 pm
Shows Irish ‘politics’ is no place for idealism, or ideals.
FG hasn’t the balls for a leadership fight, that’s the only reason Kenny is their leader.
February 9th, 2010 @ 1:34 pm
He’s only gone and done a “Roy Keane”.
I wonder if, on his way out the door, George said to Enda ” ….sure you only from Mayo you cunt. Stick it up your bollix”
February 9th, 2010 @ 1:38 pm
I don’t think George wanted Richard Brutons job, I think he wanted to have a significant input into FG economic policy & this wasn’t forthcoming. FG’s economic policy seems to be to critisise everything FF come up with, but they are producing very little as an alternative & I think this is what got to George.
He got into politics because the country was fucked and getting fuckter, he wanted action now not in two years time when everything would be completely fucked.
The people who say he should have waited and put in his apprenticeship are talentless, useless cunts. They are career politicians who don’t care how long anything takes, they are there for life and the pension & have fuck all to offer the country. Dealing with Mrs Murphy’s medical card & a few fucking potholes will not sort out the mess this country is in but it will get them re elected & this is the problem with Irish politics.
TD’s are doing the work of councillors & social workers & not the job of politics, this is why we have so many fuckin school teachers and sol’s in the dail & so few Economists etc.
Enda Kenny is the problem here, in 2 recent opinion polls support for FF has increased, in the current economic climate this should be impossible & he (Kenny) must take the blame for this.
February 9th, 2010 @ 1:41 pm
Having a talent like George Lee on your team and not using him would be like Rafa Benitez signing a talented player and then not playing him ! (Wait, Is Rafa, Enda Kenny in disguise?)
February 9th, 2010 @ 1:50 pm
Lafsword is bang-on about TDs being councillors. That’s the reason they say “All politics is local”. Well it fucking shouldn’t be.
February 9th, 2010 @ 2:07 pm
Twenty, what about that sense of fucking entitlement abroad in Donnybrook? He took no personal risk here, fucking moppet. And in hindsight, what the fuck did he ever learn from being a economic commentator which qualified him to make change? Should have known better *pfft* “ I was on a break” *bollix* . And incitement on RT fucking E and the political process too.
February 9th, 2010 @ 2:10 pm
HM, you’re right but our ‘system’ works something like this…
We employ public servants to do a job and when we can’t find out why they’re not doing their job in a timely, efficient manner, we elect public representatives to prod the public servants and they expect us to love them when they achieve ‘results’ on our behalf but they found a lot of that stuff tiresome so they set up quangos – like the HSE – to run things so that they would not be responsible and when the quangos – like the financial regulator – screw up then we have commissions of enquiry….
February 9th, 2010 @ 2:14 pm
The HSE is still the responsibility of the Minister for Health. But how many times have we heard Harney say it’s up the HSE to blah blah blah.
February 9th, 2010 @ 2:15 pm
I wish I wasn’t interested in politics. It’s a life sentence of despair.
February 9th, 2010 @ 2:18 pm
You said it, man.
February 9th, 2010 @ 2:24 pm
indictment even
February 9th, 2010 @ 2:26 pm
The nicest thing you could say about George Lee was that he was incredibly naive. He was probably 4th or 5th in line for a top party finance job, which puts him in about 6th-10th in line for Party Leader position, obviously depending on how his career went in the meantime and whether he wanted it or not.
No influence? No patience more like. Sounds like a case of denied-entitlement.
”what’s the problem with him walking away”
It makes him, the party that backed him, and everyone that helped him get elected look like a joke.
”Does it suggest Irish politics needs change? Probably. Will it ever change? Unlikely. Too many vested interests to protect, family seats and business connections and everything else”
He was the kind of person that the general public wanted to see more of in the role of TD. Clearly by his actions he wouldn’t have given a shit for family seats and all that nonsense. So he should have stayed.
February 9th, 2010 @ 2:27 pm
George Lee went into the job of being a TD expecting to go straight in at the top, no working his way up, no serving his time, no gaining experience, just a top job, or nothing.
Well, now he has nothing.
I voted for the wimp, so I’m not happy to see a grown man acting like a petulant 16 young wan, though, realistically, I don’t know why I’m surprised it all ended in tears.
There is too much canoodling goes on in this country between journalists and politicians, nad now they are interchangable.
Mary McAleese, Pat Rabbit, Diggy Duignan, and loads of others, all ex-RTE and now telling us what to do.
Scary!
Itchy, I’m sick of Garret Fitzgerald, he’s on everything, waffling on. He had his chance when he was in power, and he did fuck all except lick up to Arch criminal Charvet Haughey!
February 9th, 2010 @ 2:38 pm
“There are things in life which are more important than books. I just can’t think of any” – Morrissey
The same can be said of politics.
And since I’m being so eloquent about the matter, can I finish by saying
Fianna Fail and Mary Harney are scum.
February 9th, 2010 @ 2:48 pm
Yippee. Garret Fitzgerald was too smart and too good for politics. He’s a very well read man, highly intelligent and highly respectful. Without men like him, we’d still be in the trees.
February 9th, 2010 @ 2:56 pm
I see neither our Taoiseach nor our President attended the funeral of Tomás MacGiolla, the former head of a parliamentary party.
Anyone know why?
February 9th, 2010 @ 3:02 pm
Couldn’t agree more twenty, he was far too honest to ever be a politician, it just goes to show how broken the system is. He realised politics in Ireland is a charade, he said so last night on Frontline (the only time I’ve ever watched it, it was actually alright), the only way he could live with himself was to walk out and say what was wrong. It was the greatest service he could have ever done for the people who voted for him. Maybe now we can have a proper debate about the state of affairs in Leinster House.
http://apintofplain.wordpress.com
February 9th, 2010 @ 3:04 pm
Speak for yourself, Holey, as far as I’m concerned, no man is too good for serving the public who pay his wages!
You make him sound like a saint, and that’s just fantasy!
He wasn’t doing anyone a favour, taking a job which he was really bad at!
Those kind of “favours” we can all live without, methinks!
February 9th, 2010 @ 3:12 pm
I was speaking for myself Yippee.
February 9th, 2010 @ 3:16 pm
As for Fitzgerald being too good, I meant that he wasn’t corrupt. You have be a player if you want to stay in politics.
February 9th, 2010 @ 3:32 pm
holemaster, re ‘Tomás MacGiolla, the former head of a parliamentary party’ wasn’t he also former head of a paramilitary party, the stickies, might be why Pres & Taoiseach weren’t at funeral. am open to correction on this though…?
February 9th, 2010 @ 3:42 pm
That was a long long time ago though and he split from them in favour of peaceful means. He’d be very respected in the area of worker’s rights and human rights in general. He grew up in other words.
Nobody official from FG either as far as I know.
February 9th, 2010 @ 3:51 pm
Is going to funerals just to be seen not part of the same sleveen politics we all despair of? Maybe we should start going to funerals to say goodbye to people we like than all traipsing in to funerals of people we didn’t know or like just to keep up appearances…
February 9th, 2010 @ 3:58 pm
It’s not the individual, it’s the Office of President or the Office of Taoiseach who attend.
February 9th, 2010 @ 4:10 pm
spot on El Cuno, spot on
February 9th, 2010 @ 4:20 pm
No he’s not.
It’s not Mary McAleese, the woman who attends. It is the President of Ireland. It’s not Brian Cowen, it’s the An Taoiseach. It’s an important distinction.
It’s simply the State showing respect for a former parliamentarian.
February 9th, 2010 @ 5:10 pm
Yeah I know what you mean but i still think it’s pointless. Faceless individuals whos job entails attending funerals of people they’ve never met? What a load of old shit
February 9th, 2010 @ 5:14 pm
Speaking of shit. I’ve been holding one now for three hours. I’m off…. for a while.
February 9th, 2010 @ 6:00 pm
Ya lazy cunt, why hold it for 3 hours?
February 9th, 2010 @ 6:28 pm
They didn’t attend because the people who he represented were working-class. There’s no votes for FF by attending that funeral. Not alone is our president an FF’er; she’s an unelected head of state. Mary McAleese is on my ever lengthening shit-list. Another religious fruitcake who plays the game for the catholic church at all times. She makes me want to puke. Remember Albert Reynolds thought he was getting the job until Bertie fucked him over too? President Albert or President Mary? Jesus. That’s like the offer of “Death by hanging or death by firing-squad sir?”
February 9th, 2010 @ 6:29 pm
It’s like a car ferry Peader. Why head off when you’ve only a couple of cars on board. You wait until full, then go for it.
February 9th, 2010 @ 6:30 pm
She’s another Opus Dei Itchy.
February 9th, 2010 @ 8:15 pm
Totally agree twenty, I think it says a awful lot about how broken our political system is.
February 9th, 2010 @ 8:50 pm
Time for one of these in Phoenix Park
February 9th, 2010 @ 11:04 pm
Bring yer knitting maggot…
February 10th, 2010 @ 1:06 am
How much do you reckon Twenty would pay to be the executioner for Bertie?
February 10th, 2010 @ 9:12 am
Yeah I don’t get it. Any time I hear anyone talkaing bout it on radio seems to be saying he should have stayed with for years and years until the political system swallowed him up and turned him into one of them. WhaddoIknow but that seems to be completely missing the point of injecting some fresh blood into the system.
February 10th, 2010 @ 10:07 am
Georgie is a twat. He is pderfectly within his rights to quit FG or any other party. He has no moral right to quit on the people of his constituency.
This shambles of a government will not last very long. He could have left politics after the next election.
“What did you do during the emergency daddy?”
“I ran away son.”
February 10th, 2010 @ 11:00 am
Unfortunately the only hope is Fine Gael. Labour will never get the numbers and even if they did as a wise man once said; socialism is a great idea until you run out of other people’s money.
I joined Fine Gael five years ago because I could see we were heading for economic disaster. The election of George Lee validated my decision – I felt I was supporting a party which could bring in a new era of competence and integrity. I having second thoughts now.
February 10th, 2010 @ 12:35 pm
He shouldn’t have resigned, he should have switched party or gone independent.
February 12th, 2010 @ 3:43 pm
Anyone who can look back at George Lee’s career with any clarity knows he’s a self-serving, mendacious, power hungry cunt too. Telling Stagg to fuck off, reisgning from the greens citing a loss of confidence in leader John Gormley or pulling a GeorgeLee are all ways to be the only honest person in the eyes of a public who are increasingly disgusted with their leaders. George knows everybody’s not so gullible, but enough are.