People and Politics

Ireland needs a Tea Party this election and almost had one

Let's face it if American was ripe for political revolution in the last election how ripe is Ireland right now?

The latest opinion polls from the weekend show voters indicating that 15 percent of them will vote for independents, rather than any of the established parties.

That sure smells of revolution, but the problem Ireland has is that there is no organized Tea Party to take advantage.

Rush Limbaugh leads charge on Obama birth certificate again

Just when you thought American politics was getting back to some real bipartisanship and progress...

Rush Limbaugh among others is calling again for Obama to produce the long form of his birth certificate to prove he was born an American.

The right wing web was aflame yesterday with stories that Hawaii governor Neil Abercrombie had not found the version of Obama's birth certificate , though Abercrombie himself had said nothing on the topic.

Irish finance bill passes first critical vote -- now certain to pass

The Irish finance bill passed its critical first step in the Irish parliament today after two independents withdrew their opposition to the bill.

They had threatened to vote against it, triggering an immediate General Election.

One of them, Michael Lowry, announced that he and his colleague Jackie Healy Rae would now back the bill after consultations with the Finance Minister Brian Lenihan (photo).

Parting shots -- As young Irish leave photographer captures their bitter fate

An Irish photographer has begun taking parting shots of young Irish emigrants leaving the shores for foreign lands.

Keith Olbermann could end up at Fox News after quitting MSNBC

Could Keith Olbermann end up at Fox News?

Not as crazy as it sounds.

Now that the leading light of MSNBC has abruptly quit he is a free agent.

U.S. the land of no return for many immigrants who went back to Ireland

Many Irish who returned home to prosper in the Celtic Tiger have been left high and dry.

Thousands left America when the going was good. Many splashed out big money for overpriced houses and waited for the boom to continue.

It didn't.

A smoking gun letter reveals Vatican directly ordered pedophiles be protected

READ MORE-  Vatican asked Irish bishops not to report clerical abuse to the police

READ MORE- New York Times criticizes Vatican over pedophiles

The latest expose on the Catholic Church in Ireland and the pedophile scandal is truly extraordinary.

Glenn Beck revealed as clearly anti Semitic -- names eight Jews out of nine on his most dangerous list

Glenn Beck has always insisted he is not anti-Semitic, giving the usual spin that ' some of my best friends are Jewish'

But his actions speak louder than his words.

On his show on Thursday night he revealed who he considered the nine most dangerous people were.

Political coup to replace Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen said to be underway

Reports are now circulating that Brian Cowen may well step down this afternoon. Mary Coughlan the Deputy Prime Minster will takeover on a temporary basis and a Fianna Fail election for leader would take place next week.

An election is now likely to be sooner rather  than later if this happens and a date around February 17th has been discussed.

Earlier today Irish Times journalist Brian O'Connell  tweeted that two ministers in Cowen's government, Finance Minster Brian Lenihan and Foreign Minister Micheal Martin, will lead an attempt to topple Cowen at a parliamentary meeting on Thursday at 3pm, Irish time.

Time to stop the hate rhetoric after Gabrielle Giffords shooting

Congreswoman Gabrielle Giffords is a "very wonderful perky young woman, very popular in Arizona, a wonderful woman" is how Congressman Jerry Nadler described his friend.

Giffords is a Jewish American. Her husband Mark Kelly the astronaut was named in Irish America magazine's Top 100 last year.She told Dana Bash of CNN that she had attended midnight mass at the Vatican this Christmas after flying to Rome.

Rhetoric in Arizona has been very violent in the past few months. It has been sad to witness the type of naked threats and inflammatory laws that have been passed in that benighted state.

Fianna Fail wipe out predicted in latest poll

Fine Gael, the main Irish opposition party, has increased its lead in the first poll of the new year and now are at 35 per cent, 14 per cent ahead of the Labor Party which stands at 21 per cent.

The poll makes clear that Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny is almost definitely the next Prime Minister of Ireland when the election is held, likely in March. The party has positioned itself as the only one not in hock to major labor unions or big business.

The current main government party Fianna Fail have slumped to just 14 per cent in the Red C/Paddy Power poll, level with Sinn Fein which is an extraordinary result for both parties.

Race hatred and ignorance of Mexicans is at root of anchor babies fight

Sad to say an Irish American legislator originally from New York named John Kavanagh appears to be a major figure in stirring up race hatred of Mexicans in Arizona.

He is leading the latest argument over anchor babies which will be upped a notch this week when senior figures in the Republican Party mount an effort to turn back the 14th amendment which states that everyone born on American soil is a U.S. citizen.