Lift limbo adds to bad week for Bertie

IT never rains but it pours. And for Bertie Ahern, a troubled weekend was followed by one of the most miserable Mondays of his political career.

It was bad enough that he was taking it in the neck all weekend over the payments he received during his separation proceedings. But when things go wrong, they can go very wrong.

Yesterday, Bertie decided that he would stay schtum about the donations controversy and concentrate on what he is best at, meeting the plain people in Ireland.