McCartney Stories This MorningHere's a
good backgrounder in an Australian paper.
Previously unheard of graffiti of "IRA scum out" emerged on Belfast's streets while a new expression was adopted for the paramilitary force: Rafia – a hybrid of the street word for the Provisionals "Ra" and the Mafia. Since then, the half-hearted response of IRA leaders and their Sinn Fein spokesman Gerry Adams have only strengthened the backlash.Sinn Fein
takes it on the chin from the combined backlash over the McCartney murder and the Northern Bank robbery.
The Irish Times/TNS mrbi poll put support for the party at 9%, down two points since January and three points since last October.
Mr Adams’ personal popularity was put at 30%, down 12 points since January and 21 since October.Note: This reflects their popularity in the Republic of Ireland, not Northern Ireland (where it is higher but dropping).
Hat Tip:
KittyMore on the troubles
facing Sinn Fein as their 100th anniversary as a party is celebrated this weekend.
The party has also seen itself frozen out of mainstream politics after it failed to endorse two unanimous Dáil motions calling for an end to all criminality and for witnesses to the McCartney murder to go forward to the PSNI.
