Who the hell is Frank McNamara? The Irish Times says he is a "well known musician". Where is he well known? Not by this blog anyway.

The Times goes on "Mr McNamara, who was music director of the Late Late Show on RTÉ for 20 years, was the arranger and producer of two consecutive Irish winners of the Eurovision Song Contest."

Oh that Frank McNamara! Yeah right, I'm sure that makes him a well known musician in certain musical circles but he is hardly well known.

Christy Moore, he is well known. Frank McNamara is unknown, politically speaking anyway.

This reeks of PD desperation.

Reek on harvest moon!

He does look a bit like Michael McDowell though. McDowell with hair..........and a baton!

Labour have brushed off suggestions of a debate between Pat Rabitte and Michael McDowell saying the Tainiste's party is too small to merit a face off with Labour.

RTÉ has written to the parties proposing a six-way leaders' debate before a live studio audience, plus two further debates - one between Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and the alternative taoiseach, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, and the other between the Tánaiste and the alternative tánaiste, Pat Rabbitte.

According to Labour the PDs are a niche party that will contest only a limited number of seats while the Labour Party will contest every constituency.

"We are simply not prepared to accept that the Labour Party or its leader should be relegated to some political second division with the Progressive Democrats."

Ouch!

The irony of McDowell complaining about Labour's proposed tax cut while he adopts it as his own will be lost on the Minister for Justice and the PDs.

They are right, everyone else is wrong. This is the siege mentality of the party which is now down to 1% in the polls. Everyone else is wrong, they have to be, otherwise why are the PDs so unloved, unwanted and rejected by the people?

Tonight the PDs showcased their tax cuts, yes they will keep the tax cuts for the better off and they will steal Labour's and they will bring in a €300 pension.

This is auction politics at its utter worst. McDowell the self-appointed guardian of good government practice and sound finances will give away anything and everything to stay in power as Tainiste.

Michael McDowell has sealed his party's fate tonight as he becomes the Jack Lynch of the PDs who will ruin the economy just to get back into government. For shame Michael, for shame!

Read more about it here.

"Too late Austin Powers, I will give the pensioners of Ireland ONE BILLION DOLLARS to vote for me!"

1. "Sniff-where has my finger been?"

"No valentines card from Harney-again!"

"I want to say this about the speech that Pat Rabbitte made the other night. That speech proves that he is now admitting that he has been talking rubbish for 20 years. He has attacked every aspect of our tax policies. He's voted against them in every Finance Bill. He has denied our argument that tax rates matter. And here he is now saying, after 20 years of empty unsuccessful, hypocritical rhetoric, that he accepts he is wrong. What a sad moment for him."

---Michael McDowell, PD leader on Pat Rabbitte's speech.

Tell Michael McDowell how good you think he is as Minister for Justice by visiting his website and voting in his poll.




Michael is interested in your feelings and opinions on his term as Minister for Justice.

Rules for voting

1. Don't mention the promised 2,000 extra Gardai he promised but never delivered.
2. Don't mention the "last sting of the dying wasp"
3. Don't mention the 1% in the opinion polls
4. DO mention his Wonderful Leadership skills
5. DO mention his crack down on those friends of the criminals - the judiciary
6. DO mention that he is better than Zero Tolerance O'Donoghue

Progressive Democrats policy director Séamus Mulconry has resigned his post just months ahead of the general election.

Mr Mulconry who was appointed to the position two years ago, confirmed yesterday he resigned "after getting an offer I couldn't refuse" to join Edelman public relations as head of public affairs.

With the current polls perhaps he doesn't think he will have a job after the next election and is jumping now?

This is the second high profile PDer to go, in September head of communications Ian Noctor resigned to produce a NewsTalk breakfast programme.

The rats are leaving as Michael steers the PDs towards the iceberg.

Michael McDowell and Mary Harney as respective ministers for justice and health have had golden opportunities to tackle issues at the heart of Ireland's problems, namely Law and Order and the quality of our health and healthcare.