your comments
Chris Watson from Hengoed
He's a man of strict morals and has been faithful to the people of wales a great leader he will be missed when he retires, throughout his office he has never retreated when the bugle has been blowing.
Graham Cooper from Salisbury
I was happy to see comments about Rhodri from Jack Nelson from Kentucky. Both were my friends in Richards Hall at Harvard. Rhodri and I went on two long-distance trips together; to New Orleans (at New Year) and San Francisco in the summer. The former included our being put under two days house arrest in Mobile Alabama simply because I appeared Cuban and was not carrying a passport. Rhodri was indeed intellectually bright. And it was difficult to drag him away from the political columns of the Sunday New York Times, Newsweek, Time magazine etc to engage in less intellectually demanding excitement. We last met while passing through Heathrow in the eighties; but I have been unable to elicit a response from him since.
Lyn Bishop
Rhodri Morgan the face of wales? I do hope not, but at least he is as disliked here as gordon brown is in the whole country. That's what i like about the labour party - consistency.
Ellen from Barry
I have found Rhodri Morgan very approachable and friendly and I understand that he is a devoted family man who is very hard working and passionate about leading Wales into a fairer future for all her people. He has been a very worthy First Minister of our country and I will be sad to see him go. He's refeshingly unconcerned about his looks.
Erin from Boise, USA
I'm an American living/studying in Wales and I've done a fair bit of research on devolution and the new Welsh Government and I have to say that many of your comments are ignorant. For example, the comment about Global Warming - if Wales was to turn into the Mediterranean, then there would be very little of it left, rising ocean tides would decimate the coast. I can understand you don't respect your First Minister - I don't have much respect for my President at this point, but Rhodri Morgan done a lot to further the interests of Wales, along with the rest of the Welsh Assembly. I must say that I would rather have a quirky, politically able First Minister who cares about his country's interests than Bush. Lastly, if you're going to complain, then do something else about it. Run for office yourself or take the time to go vote. If you really don't like the way things are going, it IS possible to make a change.
Hywel Jones from Newport
I agree with David that Rhodri Morgan is a total embarrassment to Wales. Morgan is content to hang about for the next couple of years, doing nothing much at all - except attending functions and saying stupid things about the world around us, while doing nothing to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels. He may be able to speak one or two languages, but he lacks the ability to comprehend.
J Truscott, Wales
Couldn't run a whelk stall with one whelk on it
Richard from Penarth
There is only one way to describe Rhodri - the Clown Prince of Wales. If it looks like a clown, talks like a clown, behaves like a clown...
Nina from Cardiff
Rhodri Morgan seems to be ok but I think he and his colleagues should focus on things like the health of the nation, social care, education, improving transport, affordable housing. Does the Assembly really need to spend so much money on itself and could these funds be better used to serve Wales as a whole? How about a parliament along the lines of the Swiss set-up where you have a number of equal delegates instead of one leader and subordinates?
Anthony Morgan, Caerphilly
Rhodri Morgan had a reputation as an interfering, belligerent windbag 20 years ago and he has not changed a bit, in fact if anything he has become worse. I am embarrassed to see him as the Welsh Leader and what a joke he (and Wales) must appear to the English, Scottish and Irish. His gaffes with Royalty and general lack of manners are just unbelievable. The sooner he disappears the better for the Welsh nation.
John Roland from Abergavenny
I thought you had to achieve something to be famous?
Alan, Aberdare
Rhodri has become the Labour Party's leading clown in the assembly talking shop. Like all of them in that expensive white elephant he's there for his own glory and is number one fan of the Rhodri Morgan appreciation society. If he's the best that can be offered to Wales then there really is not much hope for us, if indeed there ever was under a Labour regime. I also tend to agree that Ron Davies was a man of more substance than Rhodri and his whole gang put together. I don't give a damn about Ron's indiscretions either as I judged him on his sincerity. The whole Labour gang is like a nodding dog that agrees with everything that the Blair regime threw at us, and that includes the erosion of Human Rights in Wales, and Britain in general. Rhodri Morgan has been the arch colluder in that disgraceful sell out of our liberties.
Steve, Cardiff
I've been in hospital at Llandough for just under 5 weeks waiting to have tests relating to my heart ... I was astounded to find out that Rhodri Morgan was admitted on Sunday, moved to the Heath on monday and released on Wednesday having had his angiogram and treatment conducted, when there are over forty people waiting at Llandough hospital for the same treatment. I know that there are always going to be emergency cases but a lot of people feel that he has used his position as First Minister to jump the queue.
Don Williams from Radyr
In reply to Eric Jones of Bryncethin, Rhodri Morgan was brought up in a welsh speaking family. I attended junior school with both him and his brother. I may not have agreed with all his decisions but believe a few more politicians like him would be of great benefit to the Welsh people. Thank you Rhodri.
Peter Stockham, Cardiff
Rhodri is a disgrace to Wales - all he seems to be interested in is sporting freebies. Remember his insult to the memories of the D-Day participants when he felt it was more important to brown nose Terry Matthews.
Mick from Barry
Here's something about Rhodri you may not know. He was a pretty fine athlete in his younger days - recording 3 hours 1 minute for the Cardiff Marathon 25 years ago. We at Les Croupiers Running Club in Cardiff are always pleased to welcome Rhodri to present the awards at the end of the Welsh Castles Relay at Cardiff Castle each June.
Howard Williams from Neath
Why were people surprised when Mr Morgan was sidelined by the Labour administration in Westminster? Many years on he has demonstrated all too clearly why this was so - He's incompetent, an intellectual lightweight and something of a buffoon, in short an embarrassment to the people of Wales, are as most of his colleagues. We should disband this 'Fred Karno' outfit, send them back to the town halls and classrooms saving the Welsh people both money and continuing embarrassment.
Terry Winterflood, Wrexham
I have just retired from the police force in London, married a woman in North Wales and have lived here for five years. I think that Rhodri Morgan has all the right ideas,and I wish him well with the latest situation in the National Assembly.
Jacqueline Morse from Newport
I am really proud of Rhodri Morgan as my political leader in Wales. Here is a man who can converse equally well in English or Welsh; he can vanquish political opponents with great eloquence, or even the shortest retort, in either language; he has worked his socks off for all of us in Wales and I wish him every bit of luck for the future. He will be extremely difficult to replace.
Gareth from London
I think Rhodri Morgan is a disgrace to Cardiff and Wales.Where was he when the D-Day celebrations were taking place in Normandy - at a golf course.....!!!!
David from Penpedairheol
I think Rhodri Morgan is a total embarrassment to Wales. His views on issues such as Global Warming are a joke!
"If we have weather like the Mediterranean in years to come, then that must mean they will have weather like the Sahara. So how could that do damage to Wales?" - What?!!!?
Oh and let's not forget the recent racist joke about Ian Paisley!! This person represents what I expect from a drunken punter in the Welsh Valleys more than a First Minister. Get him out is what I say!
Tony from Church Village
We met Rhodri Morgan while out as a family enjoying a leisurely bike ride beside the Taff near Cardiff. He was very friendly and 'down to earth' as he took a few moments to talk to us while passing us with his friends/family.
Jack Nelson
I was Rhodri Morgan's friend at Harvard and I heard him speaking Welsh with his father on the telephone. He read and wrote Welsh as well. His father was a Professor of Welsh Language at Swansea, I believe. Rhodri was a great fellow when we were living in the same building and on the same floor at Harvard. We had loads of fun. He was extremely bright, and had a wicked sense of humor and fun! If you are out there Rhodri, Greetings from Jack Nelson in Kentucky. Happy New Year!
Eric Jones Bryncethin
Where did Rhodri learn to speak Welsh?
Shelagh from Coventry
I would like to say a big 'thankyou' to Rhodri Morgan for bothering to come to an (albeit big and international) English Language Teachers' conference (IATEFL} in Cardiff on the morning of the wedding of Charles and Camilla. He had been scheduled for later, in which case he could not have made the wedding, but took the trouble to change the schedule and come first thing. He delivered an apposite, entertaining and erudite talk in which there were many complicated threads of argument but he did not leave a single one hanging, and that without notes. By just turning up he won many friends from many countries. If nothing else, it shows a generous person who is ALSO able to plan his day. However, we also saw a highly intelligent, educated politician with a wider view of humanity and history. Sadly there are not too many of those around. I think we would do well to value such qualities.
Rog from Pontypridd
If Ron Davies had been rather more discreet, we would all be saying, 'Rhodri who?'. Let's face it - the Assembly is a farce and a complete waste of time anyway. Let's get rid of Rhodri & co and use the money we save to convert the remaining A470 above Merthyr to a good dual carriageway all the way to the north Wales coast...(and I'm a socialist so there's no 'Plaid Gripes' going on here!!!)
First Minister of the Welsh Assembly
