General Election battle may be won or lost in televised war of words

BRIAN COWEN was coming down with flu the only time I met him. He had a thumping headache, a sore throat and was rocked with bouts of sneezing.

All of which distracted the civil servants trying to brief him on a complex matter. All of which — he said — slowed down his thinking process.

He listened in miserable silence. He asked terse questions. He never looked happy, but he picked out what was important. He prioritised.