I'm not sure the Americans are getting a clear picture of what is happening with the voting on the Nice treaty. In fact if you search for the word "Ireland" in todays news, all you get are stories about Patricia Ireland leaving the radical-fem group NOW.

From what I can read here in the States, the Irish are being denounced for dropping the taxes for corporations that do business in Ireland, to attract American business investment. The Irish are alleged that they are able to do this because of the massive EU investments in the country, which have caused the Irish economy to float free from Eurpoean hegemony, and that now as one of the more successful scions of the EU experiment, they don't want to rejoin the very comrades who raised them up. According to the AP, Ireland is now getting one half of all US investments in Europe ('way to go Paddy).

In addition there appears to be an editorial concern over the Irish fears of large scale eastern Eurpoean immigration into Ireland to take the lower scale jobs, (a "Rio Shannon" mentality, as one commented, after the Tex-Mex conflicts in the US). The US liberals are commenting on "Irish racism," while the conservatives are worried about black EU helicopters.

At this rate all the Irish need is the bomb, and Europe would have wedgie for decades. What's the true scoop from those on the ground?

If this criticism keeps up, you guys will end sitting at the the table with the US and Israel, listening to the French scream from the kitchen, while Juan, Janos, and Abdul hop your backyard fence... :-)