You did? Me too! I was watching the RTE news at 6-1. But RTE’s Political staff David Davin Power and David McCullagh told us on the 9 pm news tonight that the press conference which was shown in part on 6-1 news was actually a State of Nation address!

Actually government press officers and FF handlers spun that line and RTE swallowed it because for the past few months they’ve swallowed everything and been warned off doing any digging into government affairs or allowing the public to express opinions. Brian Lenihan and the Taoiseach have rung RTE on a number of occasions to express ‘their concern’ on the way certain items have been handled.

Tonight’s press conference was held when most of the nation was trying to get home in the slush. Brian Dobson burst into the start of a piece from David Murphy which would’ve told people how much they were being mightily stung for in the public sector pension levy. We transferred live to government buildings to see Cowen at the helm picking at his cuffs in a very nervous manner. Then he did a lot of other things with his hands – in the national interest.

And then after the requisite ten minutes while the golden girls – aka the three Mary’s  – Coughlan, Harney and Hanifin, with a very quiet John Gormley and Brian Lenihan looking on, we went back to studio and a break. Sharon Ni Bheolain told us later that we could watch the rest of the press conference online again making Merrion Street puppet masters happy. Then a few hours later we were being told that the whole charade is a State of Nation address and not a lot of it was shown. (See it online here – Click on ‘Taoiseach Brian Cowen explains the decisions the Government has made to save €2bn’ .)

Cowen and co can crawl back into their bunkers and continue to send out John Gormley and Eamon Ryan for interview by Matt Cooper, Pat Kenny and the like. No wonder the Green Party went up 3% at weekend – they are only members of government that can be relied upon to turn up for a media interview or opening of an envelope.

FF ministers who deign to put head near Montrose will be given every opportunity to knock opposition and avoid all questions which might ask how the feck we got into this state of our nation in the first place.