US elections set to struggle without Callely after whip scuppers odyssey

AMERICAN democracy was briefly braced for an unexpected intervention last night as it was revealed none other than Ivor Callely had placed himself on standby to monitor elections in the home of the brave and the land of the free (lunch).

The shameless senator may have stopped listening to the escalating all-party demands for him to quit the Upper House over his extraordinary expense claims that even the gardaí have taken an interest in, but Ever Ready Ivor was all ears when a taxpayer-funded travel opportunity to the States arose.

Ivor’s buddies at the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe had invited him to represent the Oireachtas as an overseer of America’s mid-term elections on November 2, he told Leinster House authorities – there was just that little matter of his 20-day suspension from the Seanad for “intentionally misrepresenting” his normal residence in his expense claims.