Government survival is a slap in the face for media critics

WHEN Michael McDowell removed his teeth from Bertie Ahern’s leg long enough to whisper “We’ve survived,” it was an awful let-down to two groups.

The first group was the small cohort of Fianna Fáil backbenchers who live for the day when they can tell the PDs where to stick it.

The second group was a much larger cohort of media, who’d had a great run, first threatening Bertie with McDowell, then threatening McDowell with political ruin for not delivering on the anti-Bertie threats. For one brief shining fortnight, journalistic noses scented the distinctive aroma of giblet soup, the giblets to be donated by Bertie.