REMEMBER?

The FAUX News gasbags and their guests used to point to Ireland as an example of the Free Market Fairy at work.  Here are three examples:

(1) Fox News Network
February 17, 2009 Tuesday
SHOW: FOX HANNITY 9:00 PM EST
Is U.S. becoming United Socialist States?
BYLINE: Sean Hannity, Kirsten Powers
GUESTS: George Allen, Gilbert Gottfried
SECTION: NEWS; Domestic
LENGTH: 2366 words

GEORGE ALLEN, FORMER SENATOR: I don't think so. I think a lot of Americans are very disappointed. I think that they realize something needed to be done.

And I think what folks would like to see is not just a criticism and tenacious defense. They want to see conservatives creating their engines. FOX covers NASCAR, and we do need to start our creative engines. And I think what people wanted to see is make that our country is more conducive for investment and jobs.

What are the factors there? No. 1, the tax policy. Your regulatory policy. The quality capabilities of people and the cost of energy in our country.

And what we should have been doing is for the Scots across the water. Look at what Ireland did. They have the best tax rates in Europe, and instead of being...

HANNITY: Eleven percent.

ALLEN: They're the Celtic leaders (ph). And so what we need to reduce our taxes on business and on energy. We need to be using American coal, American oil, American natural gas.

(2) Fox News Network
January 9, 2009 Friday
SHOW: YOUR WORLD WITH NEIL CAVUTO 4:00 PM EST
Interview With Arizona Senator John McCain
Enhanced Coverage Linking
Senator John McCain
BYLINE: Neil Cavuto
GUESTS: John McCain
SECTION: NEWS; International
LENGTH: 3540 words

MCCAIN: Well, first of all, I would like to see business taxes cut.

We have a business tax now of 35 percent. Ireland has 11 percent. We are going to have to export-driven recovery. That has got to be part of this recovery. And, if it is cheaper to do business overseas, companies and corporations are going to go overseas. We used to be the lowest business tax in the world.

CAVUTO: Right.

(3) Fox News Network
February 3, 2009 Tuesday
SHOW: FOX HANNITY 9:00 PM EST
Interview With Mark Steyn
BYLINE: Sean Hannity
GUESTS: Mark Steyn
SECTION: NEWS; Domestic
LENGTH: 2077 words

STEYN: Yes. Britain is going bankrupt, and one reason it is going bankrupt is because it's got a big government. In Wales, the government accounts for 71 percent of the economy. In northern Ireland, it's 77 percent.

Big government is where successful nations go to die. It's as simple as that.

HANNITY: But -- it is interesting, because when Ireland cut their business taxes, the economy rebounded, because they're withdrawing all the business to Ireland.

STEYN: Yes, exactly. And you know I'd be in favor of that. If they want to stimulate the economy, they'd cut the -- the corporate income tax rate in the United States is 35 percent. It's -- in Ireland it's 12 percent. If -- you're an American business, if you're Sean Hannity Enterprises, U.S., Inc., you might want to think about becoming Sean Hannity Enterprises Ireland, Ltd., because that -- you'll get a 2/3 cut in taxes right there.

This is the latest about Ireland's economy:

Moody's cuts Ireland to junk, warns of second bailout
By Walter Brandimarte and Carmel Crimmins

NEW YORK/DUBLIN | Tue Jul 12, 2011 7:29pm EDT

NEW YORK/DUBLIN (Reuters) - Moody's cut Ireland's credit rating to junk on Tuesday, warning that the debt-laden country would likely need a second bailout -- just the latest move amid heightening concerns about Europe's ability to address its debt crisis and prevent it from spreading.