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It is remarkable

Comments

1. At 10:49 AM on 10 May 2007, Big Sister wrote:

   How will you decide which of them to interview, Eddie? Or will you make it a double act?

   Should we be placing bets on the two who've called you?

   
   I'll open the betting with Peter Hain and Harriet Harman.

2. At 11:11 AM on 10 May 2007, Perky wrote:

   Cynic.

3. At 11:11 AM on 10 May 2007, DI Wyman wrote:

   Eddie, beware the Ides of May

4. At 11:13 AM on 10 May 2007, Fearless Fred wrote:

   Maybe it's just a more sophisticated avoidance tactic. They're offering up the lower-down ministers so that they don't get pestered themselves...

5. At 11:22 AM on 10 May 2007, Franz Lieber wrote:

   "I'm sorry, none of our journalists are available for interviews today, but here's a statement..."

6. At 11:27 AM on 10 May 2007, wrote:

   Well, there's a shock.

   Both contenders for the deputy leaders job, at a broad guess?

   Will Hilary Benn risk a repeat grilling?

   Say yes to the education deptartment, and insist on Adonis.

   Si.

7. At 11:45 AM on 10 May 2007, wrote:

   Before this government I don't remember there ever being 'nobody available' to talk to the media.

   Might not have been the Minister concerned, but at least someone from the Press Office would have been sufficiently briefed to give a meaningful sound bite.

   All changed now eh!

   The Press Office is now the Department of Spin ... remember when it used to be full of civil servants merely presenting the authorised version to the masses?

   The politicians were all sent on media training courses, so the interviewers adopted Today's (I use my capitals with care!) aggressive style, then the politicians upped their game with better courses, so the interviewers adopted new tactics...

   And then in came New Labour and the bullying went the other way!

   What annoys me most is that a few years ago big companies started having 'nobody available' syndrome too when it suited them, eg on Watchdog and Money Box.

   So much for accountability...

   Fifi

8. At 11:45 AM on 10 May 2007, Big Sister wrote:

   Actually, thinking about it, one of them's bound to be Bleary Biker, isn't it? She LOVES going on shows.

9. At 12:38 PM on 10 May 2007, wrote:

   Good stuff! You can get them on and then ask them about the contents of that leaked memo that we're not allowed to know about.

10. At 12:59 PM on 10 May 2007, wrote:

    Well, why don't you ask one of them about the ID Cards Cost Report which is being published today?

    Ooops, no, I guess the Home Secretary isn't one of the ministers offering to speak to PM this afternoon! Or is he???

    I know that burying bad news in a busy news day is par for the course for Labour....but this is a new low! Because the legal obligation was for them to have published it a month ago....do you think it got lost in a box, somewhere, with all the other piles of paper in the home office only to be pulled out yesterday?

    Sorry if I sound really cynical, but however cynical this governments drives me to be, surely I can never be as cynical as their spin doctors!!!!

    Grrrrr!

    Hmmm...I wonder what other things they don't want us to notice are coming out today???

11. At 01:02 PM on 10 May 2007, Gillian wrote:

    Please resist.........give us a break! Just report what happened today, we'll have enough analysis in the weeks to come.

12. At 01:06 PM on 10 May 2007, wrote:

    I would like Bush to accompany Blair and resign.

13. At 01:25 PM on 10 May 2007, barry morris wrote:

    It's very interesting that ministers are keen to talk, could it be that they are now trying to line up a job in Brown's cabinet ?

    The 2 "slimiest" must Harriet Harman & Jack Straw

14. At 01:32 PM on 10 May 2007, Gossipmistress wrote:

    Roberto what a fantastic idea! Maybe that was what was in the leaked memo......

15. At 01:57 PM on 10 May 2007, wrote:

    You COULD say two Government Ministers were willing to talk to us today, but we were far too busy and declined their offer..... :-)

16. At 02:00 PM on 10 May 2007, wrote:

    Fifi (7),

    "So much for accountability..."

    ...if you should undertake to appeal or complain to one of these great corporations on behalf of your community, you would discover something most remarkable: you would find that these organizations are organized expressly for the evasion of responsibility. They are structures in which, as my brother says, "the buck never stops." The buck is processed up the hierarchy until finally it is passed to "the shareholders," who characteristically are too widely dispersed, too poorly informed, and too unconcerned to be responsible for anything.
    

    The ideal of the modern corporation is to be (in terms of its own advantage) anywhere and (in terms of local accountability) nowhere.
    Wendell Berry

    The same applies to corporate "governments".

    xx
    ed

17. At 02:27 PM on 10 May 2007, wrote:

    And now, a ! Whee!
    xx
    ed
    

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18. At 06:23 PM on 10 May 2007, Frances O wrote:

    Have there ever been any of these abusive users posting malicious comments on the frog?

    Just wondered.

    
    (A FEW SECONDS LATER)

    Oh, it seems I'm one.