For one fleeting moment yesterday, the Dáil thought Fianna Fáil had a new leader and the Government a new Taoiseach.
Minister for Finance and Fianna Fáil deputy leader Brian Cowen was taking the Order of Business in the absence of the Taoiseach and Tánaiste. He was sitting in the Taoiseach's seat and during a Dáil division pressed the electronic button reserved for Mr Ahern in Dáil divisions.
This was observed by Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny. "I note that the Minister for Finance inadvertently voted for the Taoiseach," he remarked.
Ceann Comhairle Rory O'Hanlon rushed to assure the House that there had been no changing of the guard on the Government benches.
"For the record, the Minister for Finance notified the Chair that he inadvertently pressed the incorrect button," he said. "He did so before the division was announced, and it was amended accordingly."
Sinn Féin's Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, addressing the man tipped to be Mr Ahern's successor when he finally retires to tend to his hanging baskets, remarked: "The temptation of the vacant chair was too much."
Fine Gael's Bernard Durkan wondered about the progress of the Electronic Communications Bill.
"In view of the Minister's mistake in helping his colleague to vote this morning, it is very important legislation," said Mr Durkan.
"It is important that such a Bill is brought before the House so that in future he does not allow his thumb to slip and cast his colleague's vote."
Addressing the Fine Gael benches, Mr Cowen said: "I am glad to be in a position to say that many more buttons will have to be pressed on the deputy's side of the House before the Opposition reaches our number."
Mr Durkan, with the new-found confidence Fine Gael displays these days, warned Mr Cowen that he should not bet on it. Labour's Brendan Howlin suggested the Minister should not tempt fate.
When Mr Durkan said it was a nice gesture by the Minister to so promptly bring his mistake to the Ceann Comhairle's attention, Mr Cowen replied: "We are so honest in my [Laois-Offaly] constituency that we only have to vote once to get three out of five seats."
Labour's conference in Tralee this weekend was in the mind of more than the party. Conscious, perhaps, that some Fianna Fáil Ministers have been publicly courting the party as a future coalition partner, Mr Cowen said: "I hope the decision the Labour party takes this weekend will not be in terms of its surrender at the next election."
Labour's Joe Costello remarked that his party did not surrender. "We man the barricades," he said.
As for Mr Cowen, he continues to press the right button for many backbenchers in any future leadership stakes.