Irish Election - Coverage of Irish Politics, News and Current Affairs

Dominique Moisi in the FT: The gold medal for selfishness may once more be given to the Irish, who have followed the ingratitude of their No vote on the Lisbon treaty with absolute contempt towards the search for a collective solution to the financial crisis. The European spirit is low and a “European political will” [...]

Cathal Coleman out at my alma mater emailed the details of his adult education course on Democracy this morning. The course is called The Worst Form of Government: Democracy from Plato to Marx and full details are in the pdf.

Bertie at the Tribunal - The Money Trail | Keith @ Granite Shavings
Keith has a great post tying together the threads of Bertie's evidence at the Mahon Tribunal

McCain’s Dishonour
Obama takes the gloves off and the US Election gets dirtier. Take a gander at his new ad attacking McCain's dirty campaign.

Female Clinton Supporters In Focus Groups See Talent, Mudslinging In Palin’s Speech
Very interesting instant focus grouping of Palin's speech. It remains to be seen how the issue of sexism becomes resolved for the Hillary supporters who remain to be won over - how does Palin need to come across to get support? As tough as [...]

Plugged-in politics hits our shores
Online politics hits Australia

The Dail Ministers: Mary Harney
Dail Minsters profile of Mary Harney. Words dont do it justice, just go read it.

Politics Gets Personal
How the Conservative party square the politicisation of personal life and their belief in the small state.

A second Irish referendum? Eurocrats have a better idea
Dan Hannan at the Telegraph reckons the plan in Brussles is not for a second referendum but instead to parachute in sections of the Lisbon Treaty via legislation.

The Empire of Rights
"Are Americans and Europeans simply more compassionate than Asians?" asks Ian Buruma. Asking why it is that Chinese and Malaysian warships are not sitting of the Burmese coast with food. Thought provoking? Or a bit prejudiced?

Even Habermas is Sceptical
Jurge Habermas once argued that the EU could provide a model for a new constellation of democratic politics allowing for transcendence of national partisanship. Now he is not so sure - the EU response to Lisbon is tending towards authoritarianism

Did the Commission Lie About its Own Poll?
Openeurope asks whether the commission engaged in a little bit of number fudging in the run up to its poll being released. If it didn’t I am thinking that political leaking took place from elsewhere in the system.

Seaweed may fuel cars
but it will smell awful

ABC News: Tech + Politics: Crush or Lasting Love?
Is the love affair between the internet and politics a long term phenomenon or just a fad?

McCreevy Urged to Resign
Charlie McCreevy was urged to resign over his comments on the EU Treaty. Should he go?

Referendum: Populism -v- Democracy
The concept of a referendum gets the opendemocracy treatment in light of our vote last Thursday. Scepticism about its merits as fully democratic are examined and its a very interesting read.