February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
They call this the silly season, but that doesn’t mean that politics turns moribund. President Clinton is packing his bags and golf clubs for a return visit to Ireland while Queens Rep. Tom Manton is handing on the baton to the up-and-coming Joe Crowley, and Pete King received due honor from the Ancient Order of Hibernians. Meanwhile, Rep. Jim Walsh and Senator Alfonse D’Amato joined forces this week to push a bill that would allow young people from Northern Ireland, Protestant and Catholic, to live and work in the U.S. for a few years before going back to, and hopefully changing the face of, Northern Ireland.
Politicians! What would we do without them? Yes, we complain about them, disagree with them and often vote them out of office. But, at the end of the day, they are the keys that ultimately unlock so many of life’s daily doors that we find shuttered and padlocked. In the case of Clinton, besieged as he is by alleged affairs not entirely of state, the return to Ireland promises a break and a chance to build on the history he has already been so crucial in creating. We can only hope that ingrates such as the Rev. Ian Paisley step aside for the few days and mutter merely to themselves. Probably not, but the Clintons can expect the warmest of Irish welcomes nevertheless.
Back in the U.S., Tom Manton might also be thinking of a few days in Ireland now that he has decided to call it a political day. Manton has been a straight shooting and hardworking public servant and the Irish-American community owes him particular thanks for his efforts through the years.
The politicians mentioned here come from both main parties but frequently find common ground when it comes to Ireland, an island where such ground can frequently prove elusive. Yes, we should always reserve a healthy dollop of skepticism when it comes to our political representatives. But there are days too when we should be glad to have them. Take a look around the world. Our lot ain’t so bad after all.