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Read more about: Foreign Affairs 
There’s one trick Fianna Fail can still manage: media management. The Brian Cowen trip to the USA is Exhibit A, with much of the glowing coverage achieved by the simple expedient of getting hacks represented at the same booze-flowing events attended by the politicians. Here’s today’s Irish Times editorial working straight from a press release –”Mr Cowen has secured early access to the newly elected president, the third foreign leader to do so ” — which is an easily checked claim. Obama has already had visits from Japanese PM Taro Aso, Brazilian president Lula, and Gordon Brown, plus his Ottawa pop-in to see Stephen Harper. As Denis Staunton acknowledges, the Obama team benefited from the contrast with the staid Bush years, with the added advantage of the enthusiasm that Mr and Mrs Obama had acquired in Chicago for the day that was in it. And lest we think we were the centre of attention, consider a typical day’s hyperactivity in the White House. There’s goodwill towards Ireland in Washington (but Mick Fealty picks up a lack of ideas about how to use it), and the Obamas are getting the foreign visit thing figured out (ask Gordon Brown). But do any of Ireland’s problems look different on 19 March than on 15 March? For those outside the 400 at the big tint White House party, they don’t. Incidentally, did Senator Chris Dodd use the party to ask someone to check up on his cottage?
FF are definitely geniuises at using every situation as an oppertunity to promote themselves, It is such a pity they cannot use that expertise in the” National” interest or maybe they see the promotion of FF as the most important item in the national interest. More worryingly , it smacks of a re-run of Bertie’s exit, have they any idea that there really is a crisis?????Cowan looked so satisfied —sort of “mission accomplished”