Yet another Fianna Fail politician, Jim McDaid, has strongly defended the excesses of John O’Donoghue (Newstalk 106).
On John O’Donoghue:
I know him, he’s a very, very decent fellow, he’s a workaholic. This whole affair is very unfair on him.
On who’s guilty:
Civil servants make all those arrangements, politicians have no choice but to accept arrangements that are made on their behalf. Politicians have no involvement whatsoever.
On who’s to blame for the negative (false?) public perception of the affair:
The media have vilified John O’Donoghue, they have massively exaggerated the affair; people get angry because the matter is not portrayed in the proper fashion.
On the misuse of a state car:
Sure I’ve often given a lift to people in a state car going to a race meeting or a match in Dublin.
‘On the misuse of a State Car…’ does McDaid mean that the hitchikers were going to a race meeting or a match in Dublin – or that he was (in the State car…) Maybe he thinks that since the car is State-owned it is Public Transport, since the public pay for it (in lots of ways, we are seeing.
On the other three points raised – waddya expect?
They just don’t Fuckin get it!