Setting the record straight or just getting the ugly blame game out of the way?

BRIAN COWEN’S sudden defence of his record raises a number of questions. Such as why now? And does it stack up?

The Taoiseach has embarked on what’s been described as a “media blitz” in the last 48 hours to defend his tenure as finance minister from 2004 to 2008. There was a 7,200-word speech to a North Dublin Chamber of Commerce function on Thursday night, followed by an interview on RTÉ Radio yesterday and then a briefing with political correspondents. This from a Taoiseach who is much more circumspect about engaging with the media than his predecessor, Bertie Ahern.

So why now? Mr Cowen’s explanation is simply that the time was right. Up to now, he says, he has been focused on solving the banking crisis. All the main Government policies on that front – the bank bailout, NAMA, etc – are now in place. So Mr Cowen felt he could proceed to “set the record straight” and counteract the Opposition “revisionism”.