From the Whitehouse website a rare insight into the holding of a cabinet meeting under Obama. I know the Irish cabinet confidentiality rule will be rolled out here to say why it couldn’t happen but I would support any insight into how politics works here from my perusal of youtube comments and facebook groups the past few days. Some people think for example that Deputy Gogarty is an opposition TD. Very few people know how a bill is debated, amended and passed in the Irish parliamentary system. (cf. The Civil Partnership Bill).

There is a huge opportunity here for a TD or Senator, television programme or even the government press office to do a series of short videos explaining how the Irish political system works.

Back to Obama’s cabinet – it meets rarely and of course there are different responsibilities and obligations to one such as the Irish government. I wonder if Ministers leave their phones outside with post-its’ attached? In fact this may be a solution for the Seanad’s Cathaoirleach who is still having problems with Senator’s phones interfering with the sound system! But I wouldn’t want him getting any ideas that would stop the tweets!