Gordon Brown and the Despatch Box

Just visited Blaney's Blarney and read about Gordon Brown's habit of thumping the Despatch Box when he speaks. I'm not about to take issue with the thumping, but it seems he holds a pen in his hand while doing so. This leaves black ink marks over everything.

I've met two people like that. One poked at a lacy tablecloth with a ball-point pen, the other poked at my books. Neither made it onto my list of close friends.

I live in Ireland, so Gordon Brown isn't really my problem. But I have to ask why the kind of person that can't be trusted with your books should be trusted with your country.