It's A Game Of Two Fingers

Not the fingers you're expecting, sadly, but a slightly more pointedly Scotch take on what could have been a perfectly good beer-based pun. And why? Well, it stems from that old adage that's so often applied equally to the beautiful game and politics: it's a funny old game.

Two stories then so completely unrelated as to make the expression 'diametrically opposed' redundant. In the first, Liberal Democrat leader the lovable Charles Kennedy has finally owned up to what everyone guessed all along admitting that, och, he does have a drink problem. As it stands the large majority of his MP's have told him to get the hell out of office, in a move that should be noted for it's liberality and democracy. Kennedy's not budging without a proper election, and reasonably so.
I never really can get my head around saying I agree with Lembit Opik, meteorite conspiracist that he is, but I believe he's spot on here: alcoholism isn't your standard spin-and-sleaze scandal as can be found in the corridors of the Palace of Westminster most Friday afternoons. It's a disease - I'll dispense with the platitudes assuming you're well aware of the condition, suffice to say, no-one chooses to be an alcoholic just like no-one can 'snap out of it' once in the grip.
To admit a problem to oneself is a major step and now he's being hounded for not admitting it (until now) in front of 60 million people? Give the poor guy a break. If he lied, it was with no malice, and as he's been dry for two months is it not feasible that actually he's a perfectly capable and competent political leader?

On the other hand, Gorgeous George hits Channel 4. Not as you're thinking, maybe he's finally given Krishnan Guru-Murphy the slap that he so obviously wants to do, but no, he's gone and placed himself into Celebrity Big Brother. George Galloway on celebrity reality TV. Those words have a hint of the sinister about them, do they not? Like the world is possibly collapsing quietly around our ears, like all that we've held dear has crumbled in our hands as really old biscuits. I refuse to watch the programme on principle, but it'll be kind of interest keeping up to date with goings on via a third party. Will he be there, hectoring Pete Burns about Nicaraguan trade agreements with the USA? Will he take up the inevitable debate with Maggot from Goldie Lookin' Chain about the complexities of the American legal system and the pitfalls of retaining ones' principles in the face of tremendous government pressure?

It remains to be seen. Meanwhile, some have taken umbrage.