Picturegate rolls on

My blood has been simmering since I heard about the RTE apology to the office of an Taoiseach last night. And it's not settling.

I just heard Mary O'Rourke being interviewed on Newstalk about the whole mess and she seems to be in agreement with the FF slap on the knuckles to RTE while saying it would be crazy for the Sunday Tribune to apologise. She went on to say (I am paraphrasing) that it was okay for the paper to print such a story because you can't always be sure of what your reading in the printed news is truth while something like RTE's 9pm news is more, well, "gospel". What wasn't "factual" about the report on RTE? I happened to see the broadcast as it happened and I can honestly say they coudn't have reported it more "factually'. I'll link to the Lunchtime show podcast one it goes up so you can hear it for yourself.

I'm disgusted that Cathal Goan didn't have the neck to stand over something that had already been approved for broadcast. Did RTE paint the portraits? Did Cowen have them comissioned? It would be a stroke of genius if he had to try and avert the attention him and his cronies are getting for the shoddy handling of the economy. Why didn't he take the higher ground and offer to buy them if the artist came forward & insist the money be given to charity?

I can't wait to see where this fiasco goes next. RTE are now firmly under the thumb of FF if they weren't already before. Cowen's aggressive attitude & bully tactics (and that of his government) seems to know no bounds. My discomfort living in Ireland under the current government began when I heard Cowen losing the rag on challenge to the opposition and shouting something to the effect of "I'll run this country any way I see fit" a few months ago. This discomfort is turning to anxiety, unease and anger and I'm not going stay quiet about it.

Twenty, Mulley, Suzy, Alexia & many others have written about it & over on Creative Ireland there's a thread lighting up with more crude interpretations. Will they be shut down? Will the FF press office be scouring the internet & demanding posts, threads & images to be removed? Bring it on.

(Image via http://www.creativeireland.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25084)