In a recent interview Derry's new mayor, Joe Miller of the DUP,
cited Oliver Cromwell as the political figure he most admired.
It's worth noting that Cromwell is famous for the sacking of
Drogheda in 1649 when most of the two thousand defenders were
slaughtered and the remaining handful shipped off to exile in the
West Indies
Mayor Joe said he admired Cromwell for his ``diplomatic skills and
diplomacy.'' And everyone else hates him for his butchering skills
and butchery.
The Irish Times this week confirmed what any political internet
surfer has known for a long time - Sinn Féin's website is the
best Irish political site by far.
``If Sinn Féin was as good at elections as it is at putting
together websites,'' the Irish Times said, ``it would be one of the
biggest parties on both sides of the Border!''
Their marks out of ten were: Artistic impression: 9; Technical
merit: 8.
Check it out.
In Dromintee, South Armagh Martin McGuinness was canvassing with
some local Shinners last week. A bunch of young schoolboys
approached one of the locals and asked what all the fuss was
about. It was explained to them that it was about politics, and
elections.
The lads responded with confused looks, so an ever-helpful
canvasser told them some of the basics of political campaigning:
``see, if you think you need a new school,'' he told them, ``you go
to your local representative and ask him to get you a new school.
The same for a new football field''.
The boys puzzled for a minute then one asked: ``And what if we
want a swimming pool?''.
Cut to Martin McGuinness and Conor Murphy, who were canvassing at
a front door. The 15 wee lads ran up, pulling at their sleeves
and squealing: ``Mister, mister will you get us a swimming pool?''
Martin - a future Minister for Inland Waterways? - said ``Aye,
I'll get you a swimming pool. I'll bring a digger and make a big
hole and fill it with water. Aye, you'll get a swimming pool''
Needless to say the boys left, confident that uncle Martin was a
summer version of Santa Claus. And now Martin better fulfill his
electoral pledges or Sinn Féin will have lost the future votes of
the whole Dromintee district...
![[An Phoblacht]](http://republican-news.org/graphics/title_gifs/aprn.gif)