The ‘incredible shrinking president’ takes spotlight off Cowen

ALTHOUGH the twitters were tweeting and YouTube was in overdrive, letting the whole of Europe know that our Taoiseach and his team had a tipple at a confidence-raising event in Galway, nobody apparently mentioned it to him at last week’s summit in Brussels.

Afterwards the Taoiseach received the media against a blue backdrop, framed by EU and Irish flags, ready to answer any questions put to him. It was a stand-up briefing – designed to discourage long, probing questions from journalists.

Scrubbed, shining, with a new haircut and bright tie, he completed the profile of a reformed Taoiseach with a smile and shake-hands for the press.