Bertie Ahern - the latest victim of The Curse of the Good Friday Agreement

So Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is the latest leader to fall victim to The Curse of the Good Friday Agreement.

Almost all the other major players have already fallen from grace since the signing of the agreement 10 years ago and, in some cases, their political parties have suffered severe reverses.

Tony Blair - forced out by his own party.
Bertie Ahern - victim of the Mahon tribunal.
David Trimble & UUP - decimated at elections by DUP.
John Hume & SDLP - easily outflanked by Sinn Fein
Bill Clinton - disgraced and almost impeached.
John Alderdice - hated even by the Alliance Party
David Irvine RIP
Gary McMichael & UDP
Monica McWilliams & The Women's Coalition

Each of these men would claim the GFA as one of their outstanding political achievements, yet all essentially left office under a cloud of one sort or another.

So who’s left standing? Of the main leaders in Castle buildings, only Sinn Fein’s Gerry Adams. And rumour has it that Gerry may have just cause to feel nervous.

And look who’s going to outlast (just) Bertie - the Rev. Ian Paisley, who’s hanging on as First Minister until after the NI Investment Conference (7-9 May).

Who would have thought, witnessing the abuse of Paisley by fellow loyalists on the night of the GFA signing, that he and the DUP would be cock of the walk in NI politics today?

That politics sure is a funny game.

What odds Gerry to be gone by end 2008?