Shatter’s response - Playing the man, not the ball

In politics, perception is everything.

How a TD or minister is rated, not just by his or her peers but more especially by voters, can make or break a career. The political graveyard is littered with corpses.

Not surprisingly, as witnessed in the Dáil yesterday, when a politician’s reputation is in the balance, the rules of engagement go out the window. In sporting parlance, instead of playing the ball, the focus of the game turns to playing the man, especially when Justice Minister Alan Shatter is involved.