Harney and Gormley seek a statement of clarification from Bertie Ahern on Mahon Tribunal evidence - no threat to the Government

Today PD Senator- and candidate for the party leadership- Fiona O’Malley called on Bertie Ahern to clarify his sworn testimony to the Mahon Tribunal. Her comments must be seen against the background of the PD leadership race. It is generally believed that Cllr Ciaran Cannon is ahead in the race. This was a nice stroke by O’Malley to garner soft publicity. In making the statement she had nothing to lose.

Later Mary Harney was asked by journalists to clarify her position on the issue. In a carefully crafted answer she agreed with O’Malley’s statement but referred to her good working relationship with Bertie Ahern. She was especially careful not to dump too heavily on the Taoiseach. She said she had confidence in all members of the cabinet. The PDs have signed on for the duration of this Government. They have no intention of withdrawing from the government. They are window dressing. This should not be too surprising as they come from the FF gene pool and have never supported any other major party in Government. A PD apologist speaking to Damian O’Reilly on RTE today waxed lyrical about Harney’s courage. A formula of words is not courage. Withdrawal from Government would indicate serious disquiet.

Green Party leader John Gormley has said Taoiseach Bertie Ahern should make a clarifying statement following the latest evidence at the Mahon Tribunal. Mr Gormley said such a statement would be in the best interest of the Taoiseach and the country at large and could be made at the Tribunal. Mr Ahern is not due to appear at the Tribunal for two months. Both Harney and Gormley were especially careful in their choice of words. Since the formation of this Government they have consistently stated that it is the tribunal's function to make judgements. Today’s comments from Gormley and Harney mark a change in emphasis designed to buy time and mollify party supporters. They mean little else. The PDs and Greens have no intention of withdrawing from Government.

Aspiring FF leadership candidate Dermot Ahern said that FF would look after its own business. That comment is open to several interpretations. Undoubtedly pressure on Bertie Ahern has begun to increase from within FF with several councillors expressing concern. The Taoiseach is due to address the Joint Houses of the US Congress on April 30th so a leadership heave appears unlikely within the next two months. One thing is certain. This Government will remain in power for the next four years. The PDs and the Greens have the political clout of a butterfly.

Mike Huckabees support for Fair Tax boosts his campaign

One of the reasons for the upsurge in support for Mike Huckabee is his advocacy of the Fair Tax Plan. The Fair Tax Plan has spawned a huge and mushrooming grassroots movement. Increasingly supporters are swinging in behind the Huckabee campaign.

What Is The FairTax Plan?

The FairTax is a bill before the U.S. Congress—called H.R. 25 in the House and S. 25 in the Senate—that replaces the federal income tax with a national retail sales tax of 23% on new goods and services for personal use, eliminating the following taxes:

• Personal Income Tax (Federal Tax)
• Social Security (FICA) Tax
• Medicare Tax
• Estate Tax
• Gift Tax
• Capital Gains Tax
• The Alternative Minimum Tax
• Self-Employment Tax
• Corporate Tax..............................

Taken from:

FairTax Made Simple

In summary:
The existing tax code would be eliminated. In order to make up for that revenue, a national sales tax would be payable on all goods sold in the United States. A "prebate" would return all of the money you paid in for taxes up to the poverty line. The taxation code would be simplified the paperwork would be reduced to just a few pages and an army of taxation consultants would disappear. The IRS (Internal Revenue Service) would be abolished. Retailers would send in the tax money they collect, and then you would be sent a prebate at the end of the year.