I got the PD election postcard in my post today and if ever anything showed a party’s capacity for self destruction, this is it.

It is quite literally a Postcard from the Edge of the political abyss. It contains no positive message and no policy. It is totally negative in its content and only urges voters to vote PD to keep Labour out and offers no other reason.

Is this all a party can offer after 10 years in office?

The election card is a precious part of our political system. Every candidate is allowed free postage to send a card or letter to every registered voter free of charge. How could a serious party abuse this privilege simply to abuse another party with no positive indication of what they propose for the future.

I cannot imagine that Mary Harney as leader would sanction such a postcard. She has been replaced by people who have no sense of the dignity of politics. The free election postage was established by democrats who wanted every candidate to have an equal chance to tell the voter what they believed. Today Michael McDowell insulted this precious heritage by sending out hundreds of thousands of cards to voters to denigrate his opponents without offering a single positive message of hi sown.

That is why he is at 2% in the polls. That is why he will not be Tanaiste in a few weeks.

Today’s Irish Times poll has certainly excited the attention of voters. I think the phoney war is finally over and the real election is now on. I met so many people today who talk about change and who expect a change in a few weeks. I spent a lot of time talking to people at shops and in the street and everywhere there is this sense of change.

One woman showed me a copy of Community Voice,our local free newspaper. It’s election supplement rather mischievously shows a photo of me with Bertie and Brian Lenihan. It was taken at a public function some months ago at the new Castleknock Hotel , one of the routine public functions I attend as local TD. The paper used the picture to illustrate the possibility that Labour will join with FF in a Coalition. How little they know Pat Rabbitte. He has invested everything he has in this Alliance for Change project. I know Pat Rabbitte well as I have to deal with him regularly as Finance Spokesperson. Believe me, he is determined to see this project through and give Ireland a new Government.

I have mentioned the schools issue time and again in this diary. Today it took a new twist with a message from a parent about serious building defects at an old respected school in the area. We are campaigning about new schools. Now it seems we need to look at some of the old ones too to make sure they are of a high enough standard to carry on their tasks.

It was a long day. After the usual evening canvass I went to a social function to meet another group. The campaigning hours have just got longer. From now on its dawn to midnight.