The Dubya Intervention
Well Hillary Clinton and the Friends of Ireland I could have predicted. But George W. Bush? That one did come out of left field. Apparently the US authorities thought a "Conservative to Conservative" approach might yield results. But it was Ian Paisley who had a close bond to Dubya, not the UUs (famously the former First Minister purloined a paper weight from the desk of the former President and never returned it).
My lasting recollection of Dubya's involvement in Northern Ireland wasn't his visit here, but a few remarks he made from his Texas ranch back in 2004 when he confirmed he'd engaged in some telephone diplomacy then continued, without drawing breath "anything else I can do to help to keep the process moving forward, I'm more than willing to do so.
So listen, I've got to go eat a burger. Thank you, all."
That prompted CNN to dub the burger remark the "best line of the day".
The Conservatives have responded by insisting on the record that they can't force the Ulster Unionists to change their minds. But off the record they are muttering about the Secretary of State Shaun Woodward who they have a suspicion might be "playing politics" with Northern Ireland. The evidence is circumstantial - Mr Woodward was in the States last week, and the stories about US Congressmen and President Bush have appeared in the Labour leaning "Guardian".
One Conservative source claimed that anyone with the slightest knowledge of Northern Ireland would have known that the recent interventions and polls were more likely to push the Ulster Unionists into voting "no" than persuade them to back today's vote. In that context the source asked whether Mr Woodward was naive or was intent on manipulating a situation in which the Ulster Unionists voted "no" and could then be used to make political capital against the Conservatives.
No doubt the Secretary of State would reject that assertion. Right now DUP Assembly members appear to have been rather verbose in dealing with a housing bill before the chamber. We are waiting for the minister, Margaret Ritchie, to conclude before examining what drama if any unfolds in the justice debate.
I'm 
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