McCain fails to draw the Irish political crowd

IRISH political parties have clearly indicated their preference for the next president of the United States by not sending a single representative to the Republican convention where John McCain will be officially nominated as candidate.

In contrast there will be six Irish politicians, including two party leaders and two ministers, at next week’s Democratic Convention in Denver, where Barack Obama will accept his party nomination in front of a crowd of 75,000 on Thursday night.

Obama’s rival for the party nomination, Hillary Clinton, will make a speech at the convention on Tuesday.

Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Mary Hanafin and Transport Minister, Noel Dempsey, will both travel to Denver, where they have been invited to take part in the International Leaders’ Forum and will also have opportunities to attend the convention.

There will not be a member of government present at the Republican convention in Minneapolis in the first four days of September. A Fianna Fáil spokesman said ministers will have returned to work by then and will be busy with cabinet commitments.

Labour leader Eamon Gilmore and former party leader, Ruairi Quinn, will both attend the Democratic Convention.

A Labour spokesman said they would not be sending a representative to the Republican Convention because they have little in common with the party. “We would have relationships with parties in Europe and around the world with whom we share common values, but we would not see ourselves as sharing similar values with the Republican party,” he said.

Fine Gael, who would have more in common with the Republicans, said the party’s general secretary, Tom Curran, will travel to the Republican convention, as part of a delegation of the European People’s Party.

Party leader Enda Kenny will attend the Democrats’ International Leaders’ Forum. FG Donegal North East TD, Joe McHugh, will also travel to Denver, and said he will use his time to discuss the undocumented Irish immigrants in the US.

Mr McHugh said he hopes he will have a chance to discuss this issue with Senator Obama and his team, including Irish liaison officer Carol Wheeler.

“We need an agreement and it must be bilateral. We need to work with the Americans, but we need political leadership from everyone on this island, North and South. This convention gives me a major opportunity to champion the cause of the Irish in America, and I intend to make the most of this opportunity,” he said.