Bush cancels St Patrick’s Day party and tells Adams: you’re not wanted her

[DoYouEverWonder]

Feb 27, 2005

US President George W Bush is expected to announce in the next few days that this year’s St Patrick’s Day party in the White House will be cancelled in response to allegations that Sinn Fein members, including leader Gerry Adams, authorised December’s £26.5 million IRA bank robbery in Belfast.

The White House snub will further isolate Sinn Fein from the political mainstream, and comes as a man surrendered himself to police in connection with the IRA murder of a Belfast man that has thrown the organisation into crisis.

<snip>

The White House party was cancelled as a result of lobbying by the Irish government and Prime Minister Bertie Ahern, who is furious over what is widely believed to be Sinn Fein’s complicity in the December bank raid.

<snip>

This will be the first time that Adams and other leaders of the Northern Irish parties involved in the peace process will not be guests of a US President on March 17. The usual ceremony in which Ahern will gift a bowl of shamrocks to President Bush will go ahead, but without the reception that would normally follow it.

http://www.sundayherald.com/48051

[lazarus]

1. obviously

Bush wants to get wasted on cheap green beer all by himself, in private.

[DoYouEverWonder]

2. He just doesn't want to have to bother

sobbering up for the event.

[Bridget Burke]

3. So, it's come full circle since his first St Patricks' day....

Back in 2001, Bush II surprised the world by inviting a special guest to the celebrations: US President George Bush hosts a St Patrick's reception in the White House on Friday which will be attended by Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern and Northern Ireland's political leaders. One surprise guest at the reception is the hardline Democratic Unionist leader Ian Paisley who is participating in the US St Patrick's festivities for the first time.....

... the political context has changed with a new president in the White House who seems to take a low key approach to the peace process.

So far, George Bush has not demonstrated the close personal interest shown by Bill Clinton but Irish American politicians are hopeful that the clock won't be turned all the way back to the days of the last President Bush, who was reluctant to intervene in an area which might upset his relations with his British ally.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1224332.stm

Even this anti-Sinn Fein article places blame for the currently stalled peace process elsewhere: The IRA was on the verge of making a major disarmament move in December to restore the Northern Ireland government, in stasis because of unionist refusal to deal with Sinn Fein. Ian Paisley, leader of the Democratic Unionists, quashed the initiative by demanding that photographs be taken of the event. Eyewitness accounts by a Catholic and a Protestant clergyman, a condition accepted by the IRA, would not have been enough.

www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2005/02/18/st_patricks_gloom/

But "allegations" against Sinn Fein--no, the IRA--or is it the Real IRA--are enough for Bush's folks to blow the whole thing off. Bush's "allies" must be considered; beside the Poodle, would the allies include the folks at Bob Jones University? BJU gave Paisley an honorary degree, back when Strom Thurmond, George Wallace & Lester Maddox; and younger Paisleys are on the faculty.

Besides, the Peace Process was a Clinton thing.

[acmavm]

4. He's not missing much. I doubt that it's much of an honor to party with

this clown anyway.

[tsuki]

9. And Pickles was so counting on serving up ribs and cole slaw at

her first big do with the new chef. :cry:

[tanyev]

5. That's what happens when you don't give W his cut of the money.

[Frances]

6. I hope that Irish Catholics

will wake up to the fact that Bush is as orange as they come.

[robbedvoter]

7. So much for Clinton's peace.

[carnie_sf]

8. So Gerry Adams is

unacceptable and Ian Paisley is OK? Now we know why Blair has been acting like Bush's lap dog all these years.

[VegasWolf]

10. Guess that this means that all those drunks in the WH will just have

to wear red this year.