Political hypocrisy alive and well

TO quote Shakespeare, “Goodnight, sweet prince” — though CJ was a prince to a few and sweet to many in general — particularly the Keane Edge — the tide of public opinion will ebb and flow.

Was he a man of conviction or convention? On balance, I think that, like most Irish politicians and churchgoers, CJ was a convention politician and religionist.

He liked to say, “I stand on my record.” Indeed! That was his prerogative. For me his greatest crime was that of hypocrisy during the PAYE demonstrations when he warned us we were living beyond our means and needed to tighten our belts — while he was loosening his to gorge upon the hapless taxpayer.