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COMMUNICATIONS MINISTER Pat Rabbitte claims comments he made which appeared to discredit Labour’s own election policies were taken out of context – and given an unfair spin by broadcaster Vincent Browne.
Appearing on RTÉ’s ‘The Week in Politics’ in December, Rabbitte was discussing Labour’s pledge to maintain child benefit rates, when he was accused of not explaining how the promise could be undermined by a further economic slump.
Rabbitte responded by saying, “Isn’t that what you do during an election?” – a comment widely picked up to mean that parties made flippant election promises while seeking office.
“Even Seán O’Rourke has corrected somebody on the panel who has put the same construction on it,” Rabbitte said in an interview with TheJournal.ie.
I was explaining how it came about that we weren’t able to deliver on that promise on child benefit. And he interrupted me to say, ‘You didn’t explain that at the time, you kept it simple.’
And I said, ‘Isn’t that what you do during an election?’ Meaning, ‘Keep it simple.’ Keep the message simple. Keep the ad simple.
(YouTube: ConorStitt)
Rabbitte said the incorrect spin on the comment was “mischievously originated by Vincent Browne, who knows well [that] that’s not what happened.
“You can’t write an essay along with an advertisement and say, ‘I’d like to draw your attention to the lovely rotund baby and explain that we we’re doing here is looking after child benefit’,” he said.
“Vincent Browne deliberately, and mischievously, took it out of context, and has got some mileage for it.”
Asked if he truly believed any misrepresentation was deliberate, Rabbitte said:
Ah well, maybe I shouldn’t say that. Vincent is a lovely fella, but overly given to entertainment on occasions.
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You didnt say election promises were worthless, you showed us time and time again.
All u are is a horrible little liar
Rabbitte: “isn’t that [lying] what you tend to do during an election?”.
If that is not Rabbitte saying that election promises are worthless, I don’t know what is.
He makes my blood boil, to think this man will walk away with a massive pension, I hold the people that voted for him responsible.
As the old adage goes “actions speak louder than words”, and in this case the actions of the Labout Party while in this coalition government has been noting short of treasonous. At every step they have betrayed their country, it’s people and the very foundations and beliefs on which the party was founded upon. They are nothing short of a disgrace.
The Party claims to be a socialist party based on four core principles, Freedom, Equality, Community and Democracy. What a joke. At every step they have betrayed all of these core principles, betrayed not just those they represent, not just those who elected them in the hope they would bring about some change but they have betrayed the very principles on which the party inself in founded.
When you take all this into consideration it isn’t all that surprising that their politicians should then lie, that they’d scheme and and go on national TV and let slip one lie then tell others to cover that up. No, not that surprising at all.
A useless excuse of a man
He know he can say what he bloody well likes cause he definitely has no intentions of standing in the next election. That’s why the cabinet is full if pensioners, so they can do what they like then use a pizz poor excuse to not face the people again…. Then off for a nice job on the board of a bank they help keep in business. The revolution will not be televised
The electorate in this country are brain dead. We all say FG and lab will be wiped out for all the lies, but when FG win the by election in Meath east im not so sure we’ve seen the last of these chances.
The electorate in this country are brain dead
Why should anybody support or take any notice of a party, who by there own admission said they lied.
Petra What would you know about it! Mupp et
Poll time green thumb if you will never vote for labour again
so there are definitely 21 fools online this morning
30 at the moment
I notice they have no comments to make, even ff supporters have more balls then labour
You might not have said it but your actions prove it daily
Hehehehehehe!
Took the spin doctors a long time to come up with an alternative explanation.
The have failed to change the facts tho.
You promised you wouldn’t touch children’s allowances, you broke that promise first budget.
Let the judge the evidence.
Years ago I had great time for Pat I taught he was “genuine”
Now I wouldn’t even open the door for him!
Larry
Are you a teacher?
C’mon, what does he care if you ever vote Labour again. He will retire before he election like a lot if others I’d imagine. He’ll have a lovely fat pension and whatever perks they get. I’d think a few of the older Fine Gaels will do the same. So then they’ll leave it to the younger ones to clear the mess. Just the same as FF did. All they care about is themselves and looking after their cronies. The rest of us can go whistle for all they care.
Will never get a vote out of the people in my house again. Every time i have a conversation with any of my friends about politics ( which seems to be a lot) they all say they will never vote for him again.
Pat, you don’t need to say it.
Grow a spine Pat !
I guess pat and labour better sit down and ponder where it all went wrong come the next election. Some how ive a feeling the labour party will be wiped out by the people of this country. Theres only so many times they can say we inherited this mess from the last government. Grow a pair of balls and stand up for the people of this state who voted you in.Or is that to much to ask.
Well said, inherit seems to be one of their favoured words. They try to make out they would have run the country differently if they had been in power during the good times, I think NOT.
At least we all have the comfort knowing that this little sewer rats party are a spent force in Irish politics.
Was everybody not saying that about FF at the last election??
They will give something in their last 2 budgets to keep the masses happy and forgetful.
Transcript of what was actually said: [From The Week In Politics on RTE 1].
Sean O’Rourke: “[in the run up to the election] You kept it really simple – protect Child Benefit, vote Labour!”
Pat Rabbitte [as if this should be obvious]: “Yeah well…I mean…isn’t that what you tend to do during an election?”
He made the mistake of letting people know what he really thinks.
The people will make NO mistake of letting Rabbitte know what they really think at the next election.
He won’t run again. My blood f*cking boils.
And this man is minister of communications !!! Not doing a very good job at it – will get rewarded at next election with what he deserves
He won’t have the balls to face the people. He will head off into the sunset with his golden pension!
We have no choices. What we do at the next election will make no difference until we start voting radically. We vote in the same shite bags in all the time. Next time it will be mr Martin and he will break his promises again. FF, FG, LAB, they share the spoils no matter what because even in opposition we pay them to do nothing. Their wages should be slashed to that of a guard or a teacher and then we’ll get people who really want the job and not the pot of gold that goes with it.
I’d rather be ‘entertained’ by Vincent Browne than hoodwinked by Pat Rabid, ooops! Rab bite, Rob it or whatever!
Whoever voted for this guy would want their heads examined!
I think it’s time to let the greyhounds out of the trap for you Mr.Rabbite.Bug’s Bunny would do a better job.!!
He doesn’t give a flying f**k. He got his plum pension. I do believe there is a case for treason when election promises turn out to be lies.
Mr rabbit you are that dense you cannot decipher that you are compounding the lie with more lies
True Larry,,, especially when he rants on about the savage cuts etc on the people…and now he whistles a completely different tune!
The electorate will show exactly what they feel about labour at the next election.
Poor Mr Wabbit. Mr Wabbit was misquoted. “They’re always doing that, misquoting me and putting a bleddy spin on things, and that’s what’s wrong with this little country,” he says. Or maybe I’m misquoting him.
He even gets misquoted by The Journal when he does his interview about being misquoted. Or did he really really say “that we we’re doing here” in that interview?
Or maybe Mr Wabbit was just talking about “that wee-wee we’re doing here”. Yes, that must be it.
Rabbitte, there was no mistake, no spin was put on it by Browne. I watched that interview several times. You unwisely said what you said. You cannot resile from it now. More lies.
maybe he is relying on the publics goldfish-like memory
See you on the scrap heap labour. The worst kind of cowardly spineless sleave en liars you can get. You guys better not end up knocking on my door during your next election lie fest
When in the history of the state has any party ever carried its election manifesto through in its entirety?
Does this guy think we are all gombeens labour are a bunch of liars and traitors to the people of this Country
Our government will have an excuse to break every promise they ever made, All except the promice to the banks “promissory note”
Here’s a promise Rabbit,
You’ll certainly be taken out of context at the next election. File under big blathering Waste of space.
he will probably come out next week and say the journal took his “tits on a bull ” comment out of context too,,, saying he is waiting on a final oireacthas report on said bull!!
But it will have to go to committee first
Can someone give that Rabbitte a dirty sock and ask him to shut the f. up. We know what he said and trying to spin it some more doesn’t make any difference.
They ARE worthless unless they involve taking our money
This guy is a waster
March against the austerity imposed on us by Rabbitte and his Labour 4.5% Party today, commencing Central Bank, Dame Street at 12. March to Garden of Remembrance via O’Connell Street
I predict labour will be wiped out next election in two years if not sooner,but the will have their pensions like ff some of them will take the money and go,i live in dublin sw where the cant come out in public without bein confronted;
Yet another Minister found out to be incapable of doing his job ….. Or being Honest and representing the people
Keep digging Mr rte rabbitte the hole will soon be big enough for you
I guess it is what is known as changing the system from within.
In my opinion, The Signatories to The Irish Proclamation in 1916 died in vain given the economic mess that has been created in this century by successive Irish Governments. What have we got to show for our so called “independence” as we approach The Centenary of 1916? An Irish Government with the authority to pillage the electorate, to which they are in no way responsible, while at the same time go with cap in hand to The Troika for an approving clap on the back for meeting targets which inflict hardship on the average Irish working man and his family. I doubt 1916 would have ever happened if Those Giants of Men knew then, what we know now……..
I’m no fan of Labour or Fine Gael, but I’d vote for them a thousand times before voting for Fianna Fáil. People’s memories are very, very short.
Three wrongs don’t make a right
why vote for any of them? vote for direct democracy, vote for yourself
@Barry Sure I dont trust myself to get the shopping right. let alone run a country.
I see, if you need some help I’ll do it for a smallish fee
I saw that interview and Rabbitte definitely made that comment about election promises. There was no ambiguity and there’s no wriggling out of it Pat!!
So now he’s telling lies about telling lies! What a fool.
A fat mental feeble minded fool
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