Weiner's Irish Trip

AN interested visitor to Ireland this past week was New York Congressman Anthony Weiner, who spent a week or so traveling around the Emerald Isle and meeting with various government leaders.

Weiner, of course, is a major contender for New York City mayor in 2009 and may well be the Democratic front-runner at this point, though no doubt City Council President Christine Quinn may have a thing or two to say about that.

Weiner ran a close race the last time in the Democratic primary and narrowly missed being the contender. His trip to Ireland once again signals that the Brooklyn-based candidate is gearing up for the race already, though the election is still two years away.

Weiner has also interested himself in the immigration issue and how it affects the many Irish who live in the New York area. He is often considered a protg of Senator Charles Schumer and certainly shares his former boss's energy and incredible work ethic.

While in Ireland he visited Dingle, Co. Kerry and went on a boat trip to see Fungie, the legendary dolphin. No doubt he will be swimming in much more shark-infested waters after he announces officially for mayor.

Paisley/McGuinness No More?

REPORTS in Ireland state that the love in between Northern Ireland First Minister Ian Paisley and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness may soon be over as Sinn Fein supporters believe that Paisley has benefited most from the very public affection the two have enjoyed.

Sinn Fein supporters point out that McGuinness is the equal of Paisley in rank under the power-sharing relationship, but that the Sinn Fein minister defers to the older man on every occasion, giving the impression that he is the lesser of the two.

Paisley's supporters in the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) are also incensed apparently at the many pictures of Paisley and McGuinness clearly enjoying each other's company, which appears to be a genuine fact and not done just for the watching cameras.

In the future insiders say there will be far less public appearances of the two men and, while they will continue to work together amicably, the honeymoon period is over.

Bertie's New Job?

ALTHOUGH Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Bertie Ahern has just recently been re-elected to another five-year term in Ireland, which will be his last, already speculation is mounting as to when he will step down.

This is not untypical in the Irish media, where there already seems a huge degree of boredom now that the election is over and the same faces are back in power.

There was a flurry of comment last week that Ahern will take up a newly created European job in 2009 once the new European Constitution is enacted. The constitution calls for a head of the Council of Europe, a job that would involve dealing with member states.

When the job as president of Europe became available a few years back there was much speculation then that Ahern might go for it. However, he expressed little interest in it.

It seems unlikely he would want the new job either, even though he will definitely be stepping down at some point during his second term.

Ahern is famously most at home in his native Ireland, and moving to Europe might represent a huge stretch for the new grandfather who gives every indication he intends to stay in his current job as long as he can.

Brown Getting it Right

IF you want to see a politician on top of his form then new British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is definitely it. Northern Ireland ministers who have dealt with him find him very well briefed on even the smallest of details and very concerned about getting the North right.

He is playing a blinder on Iraq, beginning the drawdown of forces from Basra which is what his constituents all over Britain have wanted for years.

Brown managed to do so without any talk of defeat, even though Iraqi Shiites were driving through the streets claiming a British surrender. Frankly, most British, like most Americans, just want their troops home and don't particularly care about how it is achieved.

Brown has done it in a way that has not given too much offense to the U.S., however, even though he is clearly moving away from the Tony Blair line of complete support for Bush's policies. He has also begun to neutralize Iraq as an election issue in the next British contest.

This week too, Brown reached across the aisle and picked two opposition figures to head up important committee assignments, a move that won him warm plaudits in the press.

Little wonder that polls are now showing that he will easily win a first term in his own right if the election were called soon.