According to Máirtín’s latest
“In the meantime, let’s stop the discussion about whether Hillary will or won’t be the peace/political envoy here and get on with the business of delivering on the campaign promise of an envoy appointment and delivery of the added promise of a business envoy..”
Well, let’s stop pretending that the US Secretary of State will be anything other than the US Secretary of State. But whose “campaign promise” does Máirtín mean? Hillary’s? She lost that particular race, remember? Barack Obama, on the other hand, appears to have decided the outcome of his promised review of the political envoy post. Perhaps Máirtín, and the Belfast Telegraph’s Jim Dee in Boston, should ask Obama’s “Dream Team” to explain it to them?As I said previously
The key to understanding the previous mis-briefings is that this represents a climb-down by Hillary Clinton from her previously stated position noted by Brian, and an acceptance of the position as stated by Barack Obama – which caused such outrage at the time amongst certain Irish-American lobbyists.
In particular, the Clinton-supporting Niall ODowd.
Irish Voice publisher Niall ODowd, who supported Mrs Clinton in the Democratic primaries, said the statement was unclear but warned that any weakening of US input in the North would be completely unacceptable to Irish-Americans. A special envoy continues to be vital and necessary, he said. Wholehearted American support and involvement will also be vital in resolving the upcoming issues of policing and devolution.
And here’s Niall Stanage again on the exaggarated importance of the Irish-American vote, and that of the influence of the Irish-American lobby.