US - Sinn Fein's weird trip to Washington

Aye, now this is a wee strange tale I'll be telling you now, to be sure, to be sure.

Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams made a trip to Washington, or was it two trips? I'll let you decide.

Here's the BBC's version of the trip.

White House open again for Adams

Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams has had a far warmer reception in Washington than he did on his last St Patrick's Day visit, when the doors of the White House were slammed in his face amid mounting criticism of the IRA.

Strangely the rest of the BBC story tells us how Sinn Fein were "frozen out" from the White House and

Snubbed by Senator Edward Kennedy - the father figure of Irish America - like other Northern Irish politicians they were also barred from the traditional St Patrick's Day reception at the White House.

And according the BBC's version, the IRA's fundraising in America is still strong.

Figures reported in the Belfast Telegraph suggest the ban may not be having a huge impact on the party's US fundraising efforts.

Between May and October 2005 it took in $147,737 (about £80,000), compared with $160,844 in the same period in 2004, the paper said.

In the BBC's alternate universe this means the "White House [is] open again for Adams".

In a galaxy far far away, Adams had another trip to Washington as reported by the Times (UK)

Adams finds US snub is a bitter pill to swallow

But last year he was removed from the invitation list for the President’s shamrock ceremony because Mr Bush was angry over the IRA’s involvement in the Northern Bank robbery and the continued paramilitary violence that led to the murder of Robert McCartney.

This year, the Sinn Fein leader was allowed back into the White House. But he was not asked to a private, more intimate, meeting with Mr Bush.

And what about the fundraising?

Mr Adams sought to make light of the $100,000 bill for his trip and the frosty reception he had received from the President. “At least I got a free breakfast,” he said. “Look here, Washington comes and Washington goes — but the Irish-Americans have remained constant and they have kept their faith in us.”

But the income that Sinn Fein receives from the Irish-American lobby has fallen to less than $1 million a year. Donations to the respectable and charitable American Ireland Fund dropped by more than a quarter in 2004.

I told you it was a strange wee tale.
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