Willie O'Dea, the recently resigned Irish Minister for Defence, epitomizes gombeen politics. His comeuppance eventually came when, during the last election campaign, he whispered in the ear of a young reporter in the local provincial newspaper that one of his opponents was involved in running a brothel. When the story was published the opponent threatened to sue for libel. Wee Willie, used to bluffing and bullying his way out of political bother, denied he had ever said it and swore an affidavit to that effect, hanging the journalist out to dry.
There the story might have rested if one of the regular contributors to the political discussion board, Politics.ie, hadn't kept the story alive, pursuing the issue like a dog with a bone over a period of months. To cut a long story short, despite winning a vote of confidence in the Irish parliament, Wee Willie was eventually forced to admit he had committed perjury and reluctantly resigned, still - paradoxically - protesting his innocence of any wrong-doing. The full time-line is here:
How Politics.ie brought down Willie O'Dea
What makes this story interesting to me is that it demonstrates the power of an individual to effect change. Even if we choose not to accept it, we all have a role to play in Public Affairs. It's easy to complain about politicians and governments but at the end of the day we get what we deserve.
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