BERTIE AHERN has spent the last two days wearing the riled face of a man who has been wronged. He has fumed that somebody has it in for him and has planted the political equivalent of an incendiary device just before the Dáil returns.

TWICE before, allegations have been made about the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and donations from wealthy businessman. And twice before they came to nothing.

THERE are 35 weeks ahead of us in which we will find out a lot about Enda Kenny. About his wherewithal. About his competence as a leader. About his credibility as a potential Taoiseach of the country. About his winnability.

IRISH politics has resembled a magicians’ convention over the past 10 days. All the party heavyweights have been waving their magic wands to show how — hey presto! — they will make rival TDs disappear from the Dáil next year.

ROLL up, roll up for your seats on the mystery train ride that takes you through the long and dramatic journey of Michael McDowell’s political career. Yes folks, we can guarantee a spectacular rollercoaster ride.

SOME newspapers go to extra lengths to satisfy their readers. The New York Times has just announced the appointment of its first perfume critic, who will assess and rate the various scents on the market.

MICHAEL MCDOWELL, we were told this week, had depicted himself as the ‘Messiah of Dublin South East’ who had engaged in the “final betrayal”.

ON the day that terrorists struck the Twin Towers in September 2001, a British Labour Party press handler named Jo Moore emailed colleagues to share her bright idea that it would be a good day to issue press releases about bad news or unpopular policies.

THE past 11 days in politics was like the hurricane season. The first big blow came. And then calm set in and, with it, complacency.

IT was Charlie Haughey who came up with the great little silver bullet that every senior Fianna Fáil leader and minister has loaded into the cylinder since then.