BRIAN Cowen's tongue would raise welts on a rhino. Fianna Fail's ambitious, articulate and gifted health spokesman is a formidable operator and a dangerous political opponent.
His grasp of detail and his ability to marshal facts makes him one of the most impressive Dail speakers, while his wit, intelligence and throttled up voice can bathe his opponents in vitriol.
From being the youngest Dail deputy in 1984, when he filled his late father's seat, the Offaly TD has travelled a hard road. Eight years on the back benches - five of them while Fianna Fail was in power - while party colleagues of lesser ability held public office fed his cynicism and blunted his humour. He discovered that popularity and hard work do not necessarily bring reward in politics.
So when Albert Reynolds moved to overthrow Charlie Haughey in 1992, with the help of Padraig Flynn and Maire Geoghegan Quinn, Brian Cowen was one of the ambitious young TDs who supported the challenge. A few months later he was rewarded with the Labour portfolio when Mr Reynolds, became Taoiseach.
With Mr Reynolds as mentor, Mr Cowen's dislike of the Progressive Democrats and of their high moral tone in government became palpable. "If in doubt, leave out", he told a Fianna Fail ardfheis. And his lampooning of John Bruton on the same occasion caused Alan Dukes to describe him as "Fianna Fail's gurrier in chief". But the brash, abrasive Minister was only getting into his stride.
His record in government, first at the Department of Labour and later at Transport, Energy and Communications, was impressive. He intervened successfully in industrial disputes and showed real political courage in the restructuring of Aer Lingus and the phasing out of the Shannon stopover. The introduction of competition to the commercial semi state sector became his priority.
Controversy engulfed Mr Cowen over the development of the Arcon mine. The Minister was found to hold 1,000 shares in the company. There was a furore. Mr Cowen apologised to the Dail for his oversight in not divesting himself of the £650 shareholding on becoming Minister. But the opposition parties still bayed their suspicion. He was deeply hurt. The iron entered his soul.
The fall of the Fianna Fail/Labour Party government, the creation of the Rainbow Coalition and the rise of Bertie Ahern eclipsed his ambition. He was made party spokesman on agriculture and went on auto pilot.
Mr Cowen has a low boredom threshold. Long meetings with belligerent or whingeing farmers did not amuse. It wasn't until mad cow disease became a national, consumer led issue that he began to fire on all cylinders.
The resignation of Maire Geoghegan Quinn from the front bench saw him become party health spokesman. He immediately got stuck in.
Mr Cowen has grown more aggressive with age. The "droll rawness of this obscure backbencher" has given way to a harsh, inflexible professionalism. His ambition is undimmed. And his ability and experience would be invaluable to Fianna Fail in government. A man to watch. Carefully.