The Front Pages
In a desperate attempt to clear up the mess he made on a live radio interview on Tuesday morning, Taoiseach Brian Cowen last night issued an apology to the people of Ireland for his below-par performance. Here’s how the headlines look:
‘Cowen tells public he is sorry for his radio performance: No intention to show people any disrespect, says Taoiseach’ – the Irish Times.
‘Taoiseach ‘sorry’ as Martin piles on the pressure: Cowen apology fails to quell fears among backbenchers’ – the Irish Independent.
‘Uproar forces Cowen to say sorry: Taoiseach makes embarrassing apology in bid to save reputation’ – the Irish Examiner.
Looking past the apology, which makes little difference at this stage, we see one senior cabinet minister who’s signalling warnings to Biffo.
Foreign Affairs Minister Micheal Martin didn’t hold back when interviewed yesterday about the Taoiseach’s performance on radio, describing it as “terrible stuffâ€. Mr Martin is considered by many to be a potential successor to Mr Cowen.
Meanwhile, 77% of over 24,000 people who took part in a 10-minute Liveline radio poll said they did not have confidence in Mr Cowen to lead the country or the Government.
