Even on radio you can picture Ken Maginnis fixing the glowering eye. There was one word Ken didn't want to hear yesterday, he insisted on BBC Radio Ulster at noon, and that was "cynicism". There was a bit of it about, though.
Let no one tell him that the George Cross conferred on the RUC was designed to shore up David Trimble as he prepares for Saturday's Ulster Unionist Council vote. Or that it was a sop to the police and unionists in advance of the implementation of the Patten proposals, Ken told David Dunseith's Talkback programme.
"The thought has crossed my mind," conceded the former RUC boss, Sir Jack Hermon. But he swiftly dismissed the same bad notion. The queen would never be party to such a stunt, he was certain. Then the callers got to work, and they weren't heeding Ken. "This is only a sticking plaster to cover the insults of the Patten report," said a south Down caller.
If the RUC was entitled to the George Cross "then the people of the Bogside should get the Victoria Cross" for what they endured at the hands of the police, complained a Derry man.
"The government is pulling out all the stops to get a Yes vote for Trimble on Saturday," said a Newtownards Protestant.
"It's part of the secret propaganda programme to encourage Ulster Unionists to break their word to the electorate," added the Kilkeel caller.
Cynical or what?
Ian Paisley, cropping up later on BBC's Evening Extra radio programme and on UTV, said the honour to the RUC was long overdue. But in the manner of a football team owner pledging support to his manager just before he sacks him he recalled that the queen also paid great tribute to the UDR just before that force was disbanded.
The burial of the Patten proposals; that was the way to honour the RUC, said the doctor.
A UUC member, Bill White, from south Belfast, argued that Mr Trimble had not deviated from his policy of no guns, no government. It was just a change of tactics. Mr Trimble was taking a "circuitous route" to IRA disarmament, he offered a trifle Jesuitically on the Talkback programme.
Fellow unionist Philip Weir was unimpressed. He didn't actually expostulate, like the little girl in ET, "Gimme a break!" But that was a fair reflection of what he thought of Bill's thinking.
As Saturday looms closer the other main news yesterday was David Burnside telling BBC Northern Ireland he would be voting No if the SDLP did not guarantee it would jettison Sinn Fein should decommissioning not occur.
Mr Burnside probably felt that BBC TV anchorman Noel Thompson was ladling on the cynicism when he wondered if he was adopting this hardline stance because he had his eye on Ian Paisley's North Antrim seat. "It's nothing to do with that," said Mr Burnside coldly, but in the circumstances, surprisingly politely.
And it was all very polite yesterday. But that may have more to do with a policy of the pro-agreement UUP camp to maintain its campaign at full throttle, but not to engage in any slanging matches on radio and television.
So, who will win on Saturday? On Look West on BBC Radio Foyle/Radio Ulster last night pro-agreement unionist David McClarty, from Coleraine, said the Yes side had 50 per cent of the UUC and rising. David Brewster, from Limavady, of the No bloc said it was still "too close to call".
