AN ARGUMENT being put forward to justify the impeachment of Judge Brian Curtin is that circumstances have rendered it impossible for him to continue on the bench.

WAS Charlie McCreevy rewarded or shafted? It would seem that he was both. He was offered the velvet shaft and invited to jump for the reward of a plum job in Europe.

FIANNA FÁIL came to power in 1997 promising zero tolerance on crime — but this week we have been witnessing a policy of extreme tolerance in relation to the Lorcan Allen affair and the smoking ban.

“ON the eve of his recent sojourn in Europe, President Bush had an unpleasant run-in with a species of creature he had not previously encountered often — a journalist.”

NEWT GINGRICH put up a stout defence of US President George W Bush’s intervention in Iraq on Marian Finucane’s radio show on Thursday.

THE debate on the EU constitution has begun and the chances are that it could become one of the greatest bores of all time because the same old faces are lining up with the same old tired arguments.

ROYSTON BRADY was roasted during the week for supposedly trying to grab the sympathy vote over his claim that his late father, a taxi driver, was kidnapped by the Dublin bombers of 1974.

LAST year people were taking it for granted that George W Bush would be re-elected this November, but the lessons of history would suggest that it may not be so easy. Indeed public opinion polls indicate that he has an uphill battle.

SEYMOUR HERSCH’S allegations that US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and the Pentagon were behind the decision to abuse the Arab prisoners sexually so that they would talk must be taken seriously.

TERRY DE VALERA’S memoir, which was published this week, has some fascinating insights. As the youngest son of Eamon de Valera, Terry provides some up-to-date observations of his own on the international scene.