The day after the day off
It was back to porridge today, literally and metaphorically, as I returned to the Stormont canteen for my breakfast gruel.
During Education questions, Caitriona Ruane "refuted" the suggestion that she had snubbed George Bush. But the minister still didn't provide any detailed explanation as to where she was when the US President toured one of her department's schools.
At the close of the day, 4pm, Kieran McCarthy questioned why MLAs were finishing early after having enjoyed a "day off". The Deputy Speaker David McClarty admonished him, saying that Mr McCarthy might have had a day off but others were working hard in their constituencies. Of course anyone who tuned in to our epic coverage of the President's visit on ´óÏó´«Ã½2 would know that Kieran McCarthy wasn't off, but was in our studio helping us fill time whilst we waited for the President to walk down the Stormont Castle steps.
Although it was good to get some words from the President (apparently the White House took some persuading before agreeing that he should say anything) noone could argue that yesterday's visit was a great day for press freedom. Our reporters were kept well away from the President, who talked to a "pool" camera. The US view, presumably, was that a news conference in London was quite enough, but it did make the visit seem a bit like one very long video news release.
A meeting at Stormont Castle with Gordon Brown seems to have been productive enough for Sinn Fein, with Gerry Adams revealing a £6 million injection into the Irish language broadcast fund. Welcomed by our new Culture Minister Gregory Campbell, the move was described as a "fig leaf" by his DUP colleague Nelson McCausland.
Another thought - after the departure of POTUS and FLOTUS (the President and First Lady of the United States) should we have an FL and a DFL? Of course Iris Robinson doesn't need any more publicity, whilst Bernie McGuinness would hate being in the spotlight. But should they have official status in our system, or is one civil partnership (between the FM and DFM) quite enough to be going on with?
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