Cllr. Declan Bree is trying to destroy Labour Party says ex FG Cllr. McGarry

by kintama Sun Oct 09, 2005 13:45

Still no word from Mr Mc Garry on his views about the party leaders attack on Declan Bree. It is possible he was waiting until the second complaints committee hearing yesterday before commenting. He might therefore also wish to comment on the introduction of information at the hearing which led to complaints from Bree that this was against the rules of natural justice.
Come on Jimmy dont be so reticent let us know what you think about all facets of the 'Bree Affair'. If you don't want to comment personally I for one would be happy for one of your relatives to speak on your behalf.

by kintama Sat Oct 08, 2005 17:27

Jimmy Mc Garry has hit out at Declan Bree claiming that he has been causing trouble in the local party and must abide by party rules.
Strangely however no comments from the ex - Blueshirt about the accusation against the 'Dear Leader' that he (Rabbitte) engaged ' in activities injurious to the interests of the Labour Party, contrary to article 14 of the constitution'. It seems other party members have lodged similar complaints against Pat.
All in all not a good week for Rabbitte - victims of loyalist terror snubbed by the 'Dear Leader' , an old mate possibly going to be exposed as a bit of a counterfeit and now it seems more than one party member thinks his allegations against Bree were 'scurrilous,unfounded and amazing'.

by Old Boots Fri Oct 07, 2005 12:27

The integrity and honesty of Cllr. Declan Bree in not in question, as he has never denied the fact that he voted out three halting site in SLigo town in the last two years. His record speaks for itself, it is not a matter of undermining anyone but a statement of public record. Haven’t the public a right to know what is really happening?

by A Fianna Failer!! Wed Oct 05, 2005 19:50

I have read with interest all thats been said on the various postings with regards to Declan Bree. Personaly I cant abide his politics or his methods but knowing him as long as I do I have no qualms about vouching for his honesty and his integrity.Its obvious that some of the people trying to undermine him know nothing of these qualities nor have any themselves.
As for the West Ward branch of the Labour party, It appears to me now as being a PD cumann with a red plag tied to the chimney.

by Old Boots Wed Oct 05, 2005 01:34

In reply to Francie

The Sites that Cllr. Bree voted to remove are a matter of public record and can be found on the Sligo Borough Web site I will give you the dates and you can look them up yourself, in fact anyone who is interested can!.
The latest vote was in February this year 2005 when he voted for the main motion to remove the Maugheraboy Site (in the East Ward and as you have said Cllr. Bree County Council electoral area). Check out the minutes of the Borough Council ordinary Meeting of 7th February 2005 Item 11.
I can see why you would get the impression that Cllr. Declan Bree did not vote against the deletion of the Maugheraboy site, its the way its written in the minutes. He voted for the main motion "That Sligo Borough Council delete the proposed 6 unit group housing scheme in the Maugheraboy area from the draft traveller Accommodation Programme 2005-2008” which was carried. The minutes record it as follows - A poll was taken on the original motion which resulted as follows
For : Cllr. Bree, Cllr. D. Cawley, Cllr. McGarry, Cllr. McLoughlin .
Cllr. C. MacManus, Cllr. S. MacManus, Cllr. O’Grady (7)
Against : Cllr. Devins, Cllr. McGoldrick (2)
Cllr. V. Cawley and Cllr. Gibbons abstained
The motion was declared carried.
Cllr. Declan Bree also voted of an amendment to the main motion which was lost, which was “until such time as an alternative access route can be provided via the Inner Relief Road” The minutes record it as follows -A poll was taken on the amendment which resulted as follows :
For : Cllr. Bree, Cllr. Devins, Cllr. Gibbons, Cllr. McGoldrick (4)
Against : Cllr. D. Cawley, Cllr. McGarry, Cllr. McLoughlin,
Cllr. C. MacManus, Cllr. S. MacManus, Cllr. O’Grady (6)
Cllr. V. Cawley abstained.
The amendment was declared lost.


the other two votes were taken in 2003 as part of the Sligo and Environs Development plan. First a site proposed for the “Dental Mirror” site at Cleveragh in the East Ward

Dental Mirror Site
Cllr. Cummins proposed Cllr. McLoughlin seconded “That the provision of a halting
site at the former Dental Mirror site at Cleveragh Demense is totalling inappropriate
(Ref. 249(4)) and therefore be removed from the Draft Sligo and Environs
Development Plan 2004-2010.
A poll was taken which resulted as follows
For : Ald. Bree, Cllr. Dolan, Cllr. Gibbons, Cllr. Lyons,
Ald. McGarry, Cllr. McLoughlin, Cllr. MacManus,
Cllr. O’Grady (8)
Against : Cllr. Cummins (1)
Ald. Devins and Cllr. Cawley abstained
The motion was declared carried
and the second site was at Shannon Eighter the North Ward area.
Plan Area, North Ward (Ref. 48)
Cllr. Cawley proposed, Ald. Devins seconded and it was unanimously agreed “That
the halting site planned for Shannon Eighter be deleted from the Plan as proposed in
number 48”

Check out the minutes of the Borough Council Special Meeting of 28th July 2003 Items 5.1 and 13.

Thats three refusals in two years by my counting but don't take my word on it check it out for yourself.


Francie
I hope that this information has answered your question

by kintama Mon Oct 03, 2005 00:33

The Indymedia archives shed an interesting light on the extent of the local difficulties facing Mr Rabbitte. If Pat succeeds in dumping Declan Bree then presumably Mr Mc Garry will be a front runner for candidacy in the forthcoming GE.
In Feb 2004 Martin Cadden a Labour candidate had this to say about Jim Mc Garry, 'down the years he has been totally opposed to everything the Labour Party has stood for'.
Cadden is gone Bree might not be far behind could it be the standard bearer for Labour will be part of the grotesque Animal Farm style metamorphosis from Rabbitte to Blueshirt.

by kintama Sat Oct 01, 2005 01:23

Poor Pat it looks as if a local difficulty could derail his plans to take power with the Blueshirts.
Who will rid him of this turbulent Socialist?
Pat must look wistfully back to the days when a local difficulty like this could have been sorted out with a bit of a slapping behind the stickie social club.
Hard to imagine Young Labour freshers of the future sporting Rabbitte badges but Bree now that could be a different matter altogether.
The release of the Rossport 5 can be put down in no small part to the wave of popular support they received.
Pat should take the hint but Stalinist discipline is a hard habit to drop.

by Francie roberts Fri Sep 30, 2005 20:20

Old Boots - What Halting Site has Bree voted against?

by Francie Roberts Fri Sep 30, 2005 20:18

Cllr Bree did not vote t remove the Maugherabot Halting Site. He, along with the SF cllrs voted for this site, with a diferent access road into it to stop increasing levels of road traffic through adjacent housing estates. But he voted for the site. Not against. And that site is in his council ward.

by Old Boots Fri Sep 30, 2005 10:02

I have read through the comments attached to the lead article. There has been much criticism of Cllr. McGarry and his daughter on both a personal and political level stemming from the fact that he voted to remove the proposed travellers accommodation site at Maugheraboy. While it has been noted that two Labour Party Councillors voted in favour of removing the site the second Councillor has had no worthy criticism what so ever, while Cllr. McGarry’s daughter has had comments about her spelling of all things.
The second Councillor who voted to remove the Traveller accommodation site from Maugheraboy was Cllr. Bree. This has been over looked WHY?.
Is there one law for Cllr. Bree and another for everyone else? This was not the first traveller accommodation site that Cllr. Bree voted out.

by Mike Thu Sep 15, 2005 00:14

Considering the fact that

Cllr McGarry voted year after year to impose bin charges in Sligo while Labour members were campaigning against the charges.

Cllr McGarry supported and voted for the privatisation of the Refuse Service.

Cllr McGarry consistently opposed the liberal agenda relating to divorce, homosexuality, abortion, even opposing the abortion information amendment.

Cllr McGarry is opposed to the Government holding a referendum to insert an article on non-alignment and neutrality in the Constitution.

Cllr McGarry supports the U.S. using Shannon -even while Labour members were marching against the war - McGarry voted against a motion calling on the Government to halt US warplanes using Shannon.-

Does this make him a socialist or a conservative?

Or has he found the light since joining the Labour Party?

Also why didn't FF want him to join when approached them after he got the boot from FG?

Was it not the case that he had approached the PDs to stand in the 2002 general election but wouldn't run for them unless Mary Harney promised him a senate nominating should he fail to win a seat?

by john Wed Sep 14, 2005 02:06

yes people are unhappy with the direction labour have moved in (some of us have long given up in the party). But other than that when someone stands up for the weak in our society and is attacked for doing so, it's not so unusal that he or she will get some support.
As far as I can see the FG led government will be no different to the FF led one, because at the end of the day ff and fg call the shots, labour hasn't even made any demands to support fg! All inda is saying is he's a better manager! Real reforms there, even FF are offering child care (which is more than labour have offered)
your father and bree both have long records, and really this fight see's both on the sides they always were on. A genuine social democrat standing up for the weak in society against a fg nimby who is afraid to upset his middle class base so shafts the travellers. is mise john

by Darragh Tue Sep 13, 2005 17:26 darragh25 at hotmail dot com

Now we are getting to the crux of the matter! The publican down the road is not having it, is that it!?!?!

Kind of reminds me a little bit of that idea we had once about Cafe Bars, when the little men in government forgot to run it by the big boys in the pub business before putting it out to the peasantry!

Same ol, same ol, how could Labour be seriously expected to run the country when they can't sort out a halting site without it turning into the mother or all splats!?!?!

If you think we have bad governance now, wait til the Kenny-Rabitte dream team get into government, I wouldn't trust these two to run a Roma chip shop, never mind the country.

by Pub Spy Tue Sep 13, 2005 16:42

The proposed site was too near Councillor McGarrys Pub..........

by Maugheraboy Resident Tue Sep 13, 2005 16:38

Nicola McGarry said: 'As i have stated before the reason the proposed halting sites were voted down by two labour councillors was the unsuitability of the proposed sites'

What was the problem with the two proposed sites, particularly the Maugheraboy site?

by SH Tue Sep 13, 2005 15:08

No nomination for Dillo then for the general elections. Perhaps it will go to McGarry's daughter, shes obviously deepy ideological and such a true activist that she unflinchingly stands up to these socialists in the Labour party in the name of her father and her leader.

by dillos the man Tue Sep 13, 2005 14:07

From Todays IT

Madam, - I have read with great interest the recent exchange of letters between Pat Rabbitte, leader of the Labour Party, and the Sligo Labour stalwart, Cllr Declan Bree (September 6th and 10th). As a Labour party member, I would like to add some comments of my own.

In my view, it is a disgrace that the party leader should attack Cllr Bree in the manner he did. As Cllr Bree pointed out in his letter, his record on the issue of Travellers' rights is absolutely sound. Why is Mr Rabbitte so keen to condemn him, but silent when other Labour councillors fail to endorse what is required if local authority targets with regard to Traveller accommodation are to be met?

Equally, the complaint made against Declan Bree - that he brought the party into disrepute by refusing to apologise for publicly describing his fellow councillors' vote against a Traveller accommodation programme as disgraceful - should be thrown out.

In any political party there is likely to be robust debate from time to time and Cllr Bree's comments must be seen in this context. The pursuit of this complaint is also a waste of time and energy that would be better spent on building up the party and the broader Labour movement.

The truth is that we need more people like Cllr Bree active in the Labour Party, because as countless reports and inquiries have shown, the treatment of Irish Travellers with regard to accommodation, health and education leaves a lot to be desired and this ought to be a real concern for the left.

I note that there have been a number of political clashes between Cllr Bree and Mr Rabbitte, notably over whether or not Michael D Higgins should have been proposed for the presidency, and over the question of a pre-election pact with Fine Gael.

I sincerely hope that Mr Rabbitte's attacks on Cllr Bree and the complaint that has been submitted against him are not in any way an attempt to silence him or others who hold different views to those of the party leadership. - Yours, etc,

PAUL DILLON, Bellewstown Bridge, Drogheda, Co MeatH

by Watcher Tue Sep 13, 2005 10:47

I think you will find that Labour are acting more like the SP. A long line of shafted SP/CWI dissidents could confirm this.

by JC Tue Sep 13, 2005 00:23

Nicola

A most profound statement

Your Daddy will be proud of you. And so will Pat Rabbitte and all the comrades in Labour Youth

Jesus Wept

by Pedant Mon Sep 12, 2005 21:57

I doubt if Labour Youth, should they exist, are going to bother with criticism from a person who can't spell "libel"

by nicola mc garry - labour youth Mon Sep 12, 2005 20:01 nicola.mcgarry at nuigalway dot ie

i see i've stumbled upon the declan bree fan-site. some of the nonsensical comments here while amusing at best and misleading at worst are possibly not worth replying to. however i will reply to them because i don't like to see untruths go unchallenged. Firstly the statement did come directly from me and i stand by it. As i have stated before the reason the proposed halting sites were voted down by two labour councillors was the unsuitability of the proposed sites. It's completely disgraceful that an issue as sensitive as traveller's rights be used as a distraction to try and fix attention away from the real issues at hand. Would Councillor Bree have been so blaise about the blatant unsuitability of a site were it proposed to be built in the east ward? I think not. what is the real issue here? are the declan bree infantry outraged because they were played at their own game? Because their hypocrises and petty games were exposed and laid bare for all to see. Now the public are aware of the real issue. And you don't like it do you? Socialism is concerned with fair-play. Councillor McGarry was excepted in to the local party by it's loyal members, he was elected as a Labour Party Councillor by the people of Sligo. All fair and democratic. The issue is now redundant. So i suggest that Camp Bree do a little soul-searching. Maybe they are simply unhappy as i said in my statement with the direction the Labour Party is moving in. I believe that's the real issue and that Councillor McGarry is merely being used by them as a scapegoat.

by Tir na Nog Mon Sep 12, 2005 08:49

There is no youth in the Irish labour Party.
How can 20 TDs over 50 years of age be described as youthful??

by Kat Sun Sep 11, 2005 17:30

Will Pat Rabbitt apologise for his remarks, which were obviously based on incorrect information.....or is Cllr. Bree going to sue him for liable?


I notice there is silence from Labour Youth on this (and the remarks made by their representative in Sligo) ... where are you Mr. Cantillon or Cllr. Lacey?

by Chekov Sat Sep 10, 2005 15:27

"Chekov do you have any evidence that the labour party “got” a member of their youth wing to say this, rather than her doing it off her own initiative?"

As the LY member above points out, I would have thought it was obvious to anybody. However, I have an open mind and will reconsider my assumption when the disciplinary proceedings against the young lady are initiated. I won't be holding my breath.

by Aged Socialist Sat Sep 10, 2005 14:54

Well Done Declan...................Dont let the bas***S grind you down!! Pat R.and Co. are a disgrace to the Labour Movement and have turned their backs completly on the principles of social justice!Their tactics, lies and dishonesty in dealing with you and the issue of supporting the rights of the traveling community have shown them to be ideal partners for Fianna Fail or the PDs next time round........good luck to them.
Perhaps Enda K. shoukd check his well stocked wardrobe for missing jackets and blue shirts!!

by Allen Sat Sep 10, 2005 13:45

(The following letter was published in todays "Irish Times" - 10th September)
I am absolutely shocked that the leader of the Labour Party, Mr Pat Rabbitte, would attack a fellow party member, a current councillor and former Labour Party TD in a letter to your paper (September 6th)

That he should chose to make his attack in such a public manner on the basis of scurrilous and unfounded allegations - and indeed allegations which I read of for the first time in your paper - is particularly shocking.

Mr Rabbitte writes that “in Sligo Cllr Bree used his position as Mayor to stop an accommodation site going into his own electoral ward and sought to put it into the ward of a colleague that already has three such sites.”

The minute book of Sligo Borough Council for February 2005 will confirm that the only proposal in regard to my ward, the East Ward, was an amendment to the Traveller Accommodation Programme to the effect that a location be sought in the ward for the provision of apartments for newly wed young travellers. The minutes will confirm that I, as Mayor of Sligo, and the other councillors, supported the said amendment.

In all my years as a political activist and in my 31 years as an elected representative I am proud of the fact - and the record will show - that I have always striven to protect the rights of minorities, whether immigrants, Travellers or other groups

This must surely be the first occasion in the history of the Irish Labour Party that a Party Leader has attempted to vilify and smear a Labour Party colleague in such a manner.

Let me point out that the only complaint or allegation against me is that I brought the Labour Party into disrepute by refusing to apologise for publicly describing my fellow Councillors’ decision to vote against Sligo’s Traveller Accommodation Programme as disgraceful.

This complaint is to be investigated by a specially convened complaints committee on the decision of the General Secretary of the Labour Party, presumably after discussion with the Leader!

I leave it to your readers to decide who is bringing the Labour Party into disrepute.-

Yours, etc,
Cllr DECLAN BREE,
Labour Party,
Sligo.

by An Aged Socialist! Sat Sep 10, 2005 13:44

If my memory serves me correctly, it would appear that Councillor Jim McGarrys new Pub "Mooneys" is across from the Showgrounds and not a stones throw from the proposed halting site at Magheraboy( the one he voted against!)..........maybe thats why the "wee socialist" has taken such a dislike to the Traveling Community..............They dont tip!

by Tribesman Sat Sep 10, 2005 13:19

It seems the Labour Party are using the same tactics as the SWP - right wing fascists

by Fellow traveller Fri Sep 09, 2005 22:16

Bree’s been around a long time fighting the good fight in the North West. He organised the Connolly Youth in Sligo in the 60’s when socialists were considered heretics. Bree and the CYM were attacked by the employers, the clergy, cops, F.F., F.G., S.F., Labour - by everyone! Yet they refused to throw in the towel.

The military files released this year after 30yrs highlighted the whereabouts and activities of suspected “subversives'‘, including Declan Bree as well as others such as Tomás MacGiolla, Desmond Greaves, Desmond Fennell, Cathal Goulding, Captain James Kelly and Ruairi Ó Brádaigh.

Bree has been to the fore in every progressive campaign down through the years - Civil rights, housing action, Vietnam, family planning, the divorce and abortion referendums, against the war on Iraq, supporting strikers, and countless local issues.

Whether its travellers rights, gay rights or rights for asylum seekers and refugees Bree has made his voice heard.

He was elected to the Council as a socialist in the mid 70’s and has been re-elected at each election. He and some of the Graltons from Leitrim organised a Sligo Leitrim Socialist Party in the 80’s and that merged with Labour sometime in 1990 or 1991.

Even when he went into Labour he stuck to his views as a Connolly socialist. He opposed the bin charges, he spoke out on Northern Ireland, he campaigned against the Nice Treaty, and he was carpeted by Dick Spring on numerous occasions.

Bree’s most recent opposition to Rabbittes pre election deal with Fine Gael and his opposition to the European Constitution hardly won him friends in the higher echelons of the Labour Party

I don’t think this ‘investigation’ is going to change Bree’s views

by LY member Fri Sep 09, 2005 21:35

I don't know anyone in LY who has these views. It is obvious that an individual LY member would not have issued a statement like this without consultation.

i.e. her father (Cllr. McGarry) wrote it and she put her name to it.

He didn't even have the honesty to put his own name to it. Well that is a low as it can get. I've seen it all now.

by DTC Fri Sep 09, 2005 21:27

“getting a member of the youth wing to claim he is having a 'midlife political crisis' - all sorts of nasty ad-hominems in there.”

Chekov do you have any evidence that the labour party “got” a member of their youth wing to say this, rather than her doing it off her own initiative?


“Low, nasty, muck-slinging, slimy and typical of the political class.

Jesus, indymedia trolls don't have a patch on ye.”

Sorry Chekov, but nowhere else in this country will you find comments as "nasty, muck-ringing and slimy" as the posts put up by indymedia regulars.

by Kat Fri Sep 09, 2005 21:25

The new stalinism of Rabbitt & Co. , is right wing, more like fascism....

Bree was only a young radical teenager in the 1960s, sure Ruriri Quinn was a Maoist and Charlie Bird was in the Communist Party at teh same time.

Joschka Fischer was throwing petrol bombs and Danny Coeh-Benit was tackling the French establishment.

McGarry was probably in Opus Dei at the time. His track record speaks for itself

from a previous thread-

Cllr McGarry voted year after year to impose bin charges in Sligo while Labour members were campaigning against the charges.

Cllr McGarry supported and voted for the privatisation of the Refuse Service.

Cllr McGarry consistently opposed the liberal agenda relating to divorce, homosexuality, abortion, even opposing the abortion information amendment.

Cllr McGarry is opposed to the Government holding a referendum to insert an article on non-alignment and neutrality in the Constitution.

Cllr McGarry supports the U.S. using Shannon -even while Labour members were marching against the war - McGarry voted against a motion calling on the Government to halt US warplanes using Shannon.-

http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=71768

by J.V.S Fri Sep 09, 2005 21:11

Rosa said "Classic stalinism, it would make even a swimmie blush its so blatant. Seems like Labour have its share of control freaks."

Given Bree's past as head of the Stalinist Youth Movement he should be quite at home with it though.

by Pat c Fri Sep 09, 2005 20:24

I wonder was himself or the other Councillor in the Irish Anti-Apartheid Movement?

I'm sure they were buying South African oranges in Dunnes Stores to their hearts content.....

If Bree was picketing the stores back then, they'd have said he was having a mid life crisis and was being a party man, what ever that means.

The Labour Party and Labour Youth has reached rock bottom with members like this.

Was it Pat Rabbitt who brought his McGarry fellow into the party?

by Alan Maybury Fri Sep 09, 2005 19:59 Shannon

The comments from this young person are a
disgrace , this has all the trappings of conservatism and the establishment, not a member of Labour youth.

Just found this summary of Cllr. Bree. From this brief intro it seems he being going through a so called 'mid life crisis' all his life.

"The Mayor of Sligo, Cllr Declan Bree, has an outstanding record in both local and national politics as a campaigning voice for social justice.

First elected to both Sligo Corporation and Sligo County Council in 1974, Declan Bree was Chairman of Sligo County Council in 1986.He served as a Dail Deputy for Sligo/Leitrim from 1992 to 1997 and on the the E.U. Committee of the Regions 1998- 2003. He is a member of the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party and is the Chairperson of the National Association of Labour Councillors.

A member of Ireland’s radical socialist youth organisation, the Connolly Youth Movement, in the late 1960’s and early 70’s he went on to become National Chairperson of the movement. A founder and former Chairperson and General Secretary of the Sligo/Leitrim Independent Socialist Organisation he has been a lifelong political activist campaigning on issues stretching from the campaign against the war in Vietnam and the movement for Civil Rights in Northern Ireland to the current campaign against the war in Iraq.

He was the Sligo/Leitrim Campaign Director in both Divorce referendum campaigns. Former Secretary of the Gralton Labour History Committee (Leitrim) he was a life long member of the Irish Anti-Apartheid Movement. He was also active in solidarity campaigns with Chile, Nicaragua and East Timor. He continues to actively support the international campaign of solidarity with Palestine and with the Republic of Cuba.

An active trade unionist he is a former member of the Western branch
Committee of the Federated Workers Union of Ireland. He is currently a
member of the Sligo branch of SIPTU. "

by Paul O'C Fri Sep 09, 2005 16:40

“Strip away the flowery language and socialist slogans and what's left … [?]” – The rotting, putrid reality that is the Labour Party.

Time for the Left to move on.

by Ruairi Fri Sep 09, 2005 15:18

Jasus...Labour are going to rip the internal organs out of each other. What a dirty disgrace. This is low level politics by people who should know better.

by Rosa Fri Sep 09, 2005 13:37

I could'nt have made it up, its so good:

"If he stays, I would urge him to be a Party man, respect majority decision and value the Party leadership and his own Party colleagues"

Classic stalinism, it would make even a swimmie blush its so blatant. Seems like Labour have its share of control freaks.

by sligo resident Fri Sep 09, 2005 00:20

For all concerned sligo citizens, here is Jim McGarrys contact details.

Cllr. Jimmy McGarry
mcgarryjim@eircom.net

Address:
Twin Oaks
Oakfield
Sligo

Tel:
Home: 071-9161515
Mobile: 086-6007575

http://www.labour.ie/jimmcgarry/

by Kat Fri Sep 09, 2005 00:15

I can't believe that someone with an ounce of common sense would write this rubbish. Ms McGarry must think we came down in the last shower.

they know Bree has the high moral ground, due to his consistant principled stand, so they try and claim he is have a mid life crisis and he is simply out to destory the party.

Well it's not much of a 'Labour' party if it allows public reps to treat travellers like second class citizens.

Why don't McGarry & Co. come out and say what they honestly think of Travellers, at least FG and FF are honest in that regard.

by chekov Thu Sep 08, 2005 23:32

1. getting a member of the youth wing to claim he is having a 'midlife political crisis' - all sorts of nasty ad-hominems in there.

2. His main opponent in the local organisation sending his daughter out to do a hatchet job in the media?

Low, nasty, muck-slinging, slimy and typical of the political class.

Jesus, indymedia trolls don't have a patch on ye.