Thursday, June 18, 2009

Alleged Spindoctor calls Libertas vote loser Simons ‘psychotic bitch’

Ireland's Evening Herald could not resist the spectacle of Libertas's undignified implosion. As reported on the web yesterday the McGuirk/Simons affair has hit the headlines again. This is an added bonus to all anti Libertas campaigners and voters. Expect more in the coming days as Irish journalists rediscover McGuirk's difficult history in political parties and the flame outs he has previously been pivotal to when in them!!! Meanwhile, Ganley is no where to be seen.

keep it coming email peoplekorps@gmail.com





Spindoctor calls Libertas poll failure Simons ‘psychotic bitch’




ATTACK: But anti-Lisbon candidate gives no response to Facebook slur ">

By Kevin Doyle, POLITICAL REPORTER

Thursday June 18 2009

LIBERTAS’S main election spindoctor has described the party's failed Dublin candidate as “a psychotic bitch”.

Press officer John McGuirk has taken a parting shot at the demoralised party, saying that Caroline Simons was the “worst candidate ever”.

Mr McGuirk was party leader Declan Ganley's communications officer during the election campaign in which Libertas flopped, winning just one seat across all of the EU.

The astonishing attack was posted on his personal Facebook page and close sources have confirmed to the Herald that he made the post himself.

Ms Simons finished second last in the race to become an MEP for the Dublin region, polling just over 3pc of the vote.

She clashed with Mr McGuirk in the final days of the campaigning, alleging that a controversial press release was issued without her consent.

The release described an international Jewish organisation, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, as “beneath contempt”.

DISPUTE

And as a result of the dispute, Ms Simons sent a legal letter to Mr McGuirk accusing the spokesman of defaming her.

The contents of the Ms Simon's legal letter appeared in a newspaper this week and it is understood that this prompted Mr McGuirk's online outburst.

He wrote: “John McGuirk is glad to be finally free to tell the world that Caroline Simons is a psychotic bitch who was the worst candidate ever.”

In response to a friend's comment, he then added: “On the record, obviously, since it's on my page.”

When alerted to the Facebook comment, Ms Simons declined to comment. Sounding shocked, she said: “Thank you very much for telling me.” However, she refused to give any further reaction.

The Herald also contacted Mr McGuirk but he, too, did not want to comment.

A source told the Herald that the relationship between the pair soured considerably during the election campaign.

Ms Simons, a solicitor and mother of five, polled 13,514 first-preference votes in the Dublin constituency and was eliminated on the first count.

She has alleged that a number of press releases were issued in her name without her knowledge during the campaign. Significantly, on June 3 the Libertas press office was forced to issue a statement qualifying that an earlier release attributed to the candidate had actually been sent out in error and had not been approved.

kdoyle@herald.ie

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