Speculation is rife – rife, I say – about what Brian Cowen is going to announce any second now. As the pronouncement is coming from a hotel rather than government property it’s safe enough to assume that he’s speaking in his private capacity, so… Stepping down as party leader, but staying on as Taoiseach? It’s technically possible. The Taoiseach is elected by the Dáil after all.
It would just be really strange. He’s actually going to continue running the country from the dustbin of history. A first.
But it’s easy to imagine that cooler heads within Fianna Fáil have pointed out to him that they must go into an election with a different leader, and if there’s going to be time to get one he needs to get out of the way. God, that’s got to hurt.
What I cannot imagine is, who the hell will want that job?