Surely THIS ... Rob Ford documents released, video described by police
October 31, 2013 8:55 AM   Subscribe

A Rob Ford video has been found by Toronto cops. Toronto police chief Bill Blair says the video cannot be released or described, and will be placed before the courts because some unnamed person will be charged with extortion. While he never mentions the word "crack", he does say that the video is congruent with what has been described in the media and does not appear to have been doctored.

A huge document dump (read it all here as a 474 page PDF) this morning showed current Toronto mayor Rob Ford, under video and plane surveillance by Toronto police in Project Brazen 2, meeting several times a month with convicted criminal Alexander Lisi, a long time friend and part-time driver for Ford.

Ford (previously criticized for writing a recommendation for Lisi after his conviction for threatening to kill a woman) and Lisi would meet by driving their cars to an isolated location several times a week, leaving behind empty liquor bottles as they departed separately. In addition, on more than one occation, Ford would go to his favourite Tim's on a regular basis, and while he was in the store, Lisi would drop an unidentified package in his car.

Ten highlights from the documents.

Listening to the press conference now: Blair has confirmed that Ford is in a video retrieved from a deleted file on a confiscated hard drive. He won't confirm what Ford is doing in the video: this will be brought out in court as an unnamed person is being charged with extortion. He says that the video is "consistent with previous media reports".

Bill Blair says that he is "disappointed" as a citizen of Toronto, but will not comment further. Ford has not been interviewed by the Toronto police. As mentioned above, it doesn't seem to be a doctored video.

Well, there goes my work day.
posted by maudlin (2007 comments total) 62 users marked this as a favorite
 
Yes, that's the afternoon gone.
posted by sfred at 8:57 AM on October 31, 2013 [2 favorites]


I felt crappy, slept for 16 hours, took a sick day, and woke up to the press conference starting. There goes my...sick day.
posted by avocet at 8:58 AM on October 31, 2013 [2 favorites]


William Gibson is retweeting a lot of good tweets from Toronto Star reporters in the courtoom if anyone is intersted.
posted by Kitteh at 8:58 AM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


Happy Halloween!!!
posted by yellowbinder at 8:58 AM on October 31, 2013


Now I have something to do in my afternoon meeting!
posted by Elementary Penguin at 8:59 AM on October 31, 2013


So he kept buying drugs after the Gawker story. He had to have known that the police were possibly watching him. Guy is an addict, obviously.
posted by (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates at 8:59 AM on October 31, 2013 [5 favorites]


All we have here on the opposite shore of Lake Ontario is an incumbent mayor who was, then wasn't, then isn't not running again. I feel shortchanged.
posted by tommasz at 8:59 AM on October 31, 2013 [2 favorites]


So given that he seems to have the survivability of a cockroach wrapped in an old school twinkie enfolded in Styrofoam the question I have is... how is he not the president of the world already?
posted by edgeways at 9:00 AM on October 31, 2013 [9 favorites]


The Toronto Police investigation, code-named Project Brazen 2...

PROJECT BRAZEN 2: THE CRACKENING
posted by Etrigan at 9:00 AM on October 31, 2013 [50 favorites]


Police News Conference from a few minutes ago.
posted by cmfletcher at 9:01 AM on October 31, 2013


William Gibson is retweeting a lot of good tweets from Toronto Star reporters in the courtoom if anyone is intersted.

Between following him and MeFi's own mightygodking I'd almost forgotten I don't actually track this story on purpose.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 9:01 AM on October 31, 2013 [7 favorites]


Guy is an addict, obviously.

Are there non-addict crack users?
posted by winna at 9:03 AM on October 31, 2013


Why the fuck didn't they wait for one of these drops and bust him in the act?
posted by kaibutsu at 9:04 AM on October 31, 2013 [2 favorites]



Are there non-addict crack users?


Most likely.


I've known people who have used crack every once in a great while who would not be considered addicted.
posted by edgeways at 9:04 AM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


Oh, wait, crap, I got some details wrong.

1) It was a gas station, not a Tim's.

2) Lisi is the one charged with extortion. You can pick your friends, and you can pick your drug dealers, but don't pick a drug dealer as your friend.
posted by maudlin at 9:05 AM on October 31, 2013 [3 favorites]


Are there non-addict crack users?

Many have claimed so, yes.
posted by (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates at 9:05 AM on October 31, 2013


So an alcoholic, crackhead, pathological liar has succeeded in setting back public transportation in Canada's largest city by a decade.
posted by anthill at 9:06 AM on October 31, 2013 [20 favorites]


I mean, if this happened 100 times, just take some drug-sniffing dogs along to walk past the SUV.
posted by kaibutsu at 9:06 AM on October 31, 2013


So an alcoholic, crackhead, pathological liar has succeeded in setting back public transportation in Canada's largest city by a decade.

In fairness, if the provincial Liberals had not made a callous and frankly stupid set of political calculations, he wouldn't have done.
posted by mightygodking at 9:07 AM on October 31, 2013 [6 favorites]


I wonder how the politics of arresting the mayor of the city you serve as a police officer works. I guess you collect a shit-ton of damning evidence, and then reveal it to the public in the process of charging all the mayor's accomplices.
posted by Elementary Penguin at 9:08 AM on October 31, 2013 [4 favorites]


From the massive document released this morning:

"Mayor Ford's garbage: believed to be two empty vodka bottles."

on closer inspection:

"1) Iceberg vodka. 2) Russian Prince vodka. 3) McDonalds receipts."
posted by yellowbinder at 9:08 AM on October 31, 2013 [14 favorites]


Toronto police chief Bill Blair says the video cannot be... described

I can't decide whether he means it descends into incomprehensible psychedelia or it's just too mindblowingly awesome for words.
posted by a snickering nuthatch at 9:09 AM on October 31, 2013 [49 favorites]


I hope every member of Ford's executive council -- and Doug Holyday -- lose their next election. Aiders and abetters, every one.
posted by sevenyearlurk at 9:10 AM on October 31, 2013 [2 favorites]


Ford's a complicated character. I can't help but feel a little sorry for him now.
posted by Flashman at 9:11 AM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


"Project Brazen". I suppose that just beat out "Project Crazy Asshole"
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 9:11 AM on October 31, 2013 [14 favorites]


Are there non-addict crack users?

Perhaps there are some experts in the house, but this data from 2008 is interesting. From Table 1, you can see that for "initiates" of the drug (meaning people who had tried it), within a year three quarters were non-users, 15% were users, but not addicted and about 10% were addicts. Compare and contrast cocaine, which has much higher social, but not addict users, and alcohol, which is even more so.

Crack doesn't seem to be a popular social drug compared to coke, but there is a minority to who seem use it that way and aren't addicts.
posted by bonehead at 9:11 AM on October 31, 2013 [4 favorites]


I can't decide whether he means it descends into incomprehensible psychedelia or it's just too mindblowingly awesome for words.

It could also be the case that it takes place against a background that, by dumb luck, happens to be a Langford basilisk that induces temporary aphasia.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 9:12 AM on October 31, 2013 [4 favorites]


But guys, his Worship said the video does not exist. Case closed!
posted by ricochet biscuit at 9:13 AM on October 31, 2013


> Ford's a complicated character. I can't help but feel a little sorry for him now.

I also feel sorry for him, but I'll process that emotion after he stops f***ing up Toronto.
posted by sixohsix at 9:13 AM on October 31, 2013 [8 favorites]


Best Halloween ever.
I have an exam in an hour and I don't care anymore. Can't study. I just keep refreshing Twitter.
So happy.
posted by chococat at 9:14 AM on October 31, 2013 [4 favorites]


Crack does seem to be quite addictive though, with a high rate of retaining people as addicts, second only to heroin. Cocaine, based on the NSDUH numbers, is less likely to result in addiction, at rates similar to alcohol.
posted by bonehead at 9:14 AM on October 31, 2013


I can't help but feel a little sorry for him now.

Feeling sorry for him left the station a long, long time ago.
posted by chococat at 9:15 AM on October 31, 2013 [8 favorites]


Feeling sorry for him left the station a long, long time ago.

Precisely so. Rob Ford had his chance - had many chances - to simply issue his mea culpa, apologize, and resign - or even just take a leave of absence to go into rehab! - and he would have been politically okay. He decided, instead, to attack everybody he thought was against him and further poison Toronto's political atmosphere. Fuck him. He's scum.
posted by mightygodking at 9:18 AM on October 31, 2013 [29 favorites]


I hope he gets the help he needs.
posted by localhuman at 9:18 AM on October 31, 2013 [7 favorites]


Are there non-addict crack users?

Sure. Are there ones that smoke it chronically despite being in very high-profile positions that are not addicts? Probably not so much.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 9:19 AM on October 31, 2013 [3 favorites]


I am genuinely curious and actually kind of looking forward to the cognitive dissonance I'm going to start seeing from the 'burbs in the next few days. Outright denial? Allegations of video tampering? "Yeah but" arguments? Angry blaming of the "lamestream media"?

If Ford has taught me one thing, it's that weapons-grade denial isn't just restricted to the Tea Party down south.
posted by Shepherd at 9:21 AM on October 31, 2013 [4 favorites]


Lest we lose sight of the worse crime, there's a murder involved. "On Mar. 28, the morning Anthony Smith was murdered, Mr. Ford and Mr. Lisi talked by phone on seven occasions. A photo later emerged in news reports showing Mr. Ford standing with Anthony Smith and two other men outside 15 Windsor Rd., a residence referred to in the document as a crack house."
posted by Nelson at 9:21 AM on October 31, 2013 [13 favorites]


While I want Ford gone (hell, I never wanted him elected), and I despair at the damage he has done to this city, I still feel some pity for him as a human being. I feel a lot of sympathy for his family, especially his kids. This Halloween is the first of many really bad days for them.

(And while I know that their father is responsible for what he has done, this does not diminish one iota of sympathy I feel for his kids.)
posted by maudlin at 9:21 AM on October 31, 2013 [3 favorites]


Feeling sorry for him left the station a long, long time ago.

Just don't leave the station before going to the washroom, and then returning with a white plastic bag you didn't have before.
posted by Kabanos at 9:22 AM on October 31, 2013 [2 favorites]


Lest we lose sight of the worse crime, there's a murder involved.

That's really my question. Crack, whatever---addiction is bad, but ultimately a personal problem. It could obviously be bad for the job, but it's not, in my view an irredeemable moral failing.

Being involved with organized crime, endorsing or concealing murders though, that's something else.
posted by bonehead at 9:25 AM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


I am genuinely curious and actually kind of looking forward to the cognitive dissonance I'm going to start seeing from the 'burbs in the next few days.

A friend of mine is politically very conservative and his response to the Blair press conference was:

"So according to Blair there is nothing in the video that shows criminal behavior from Mayor Ford and he is not under investigation. So Basically Police Chief Blair essentially exonerated Rob Ford and people still think he's guilty."
posted by mightygodking at 9:26 AM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


/reads MGK's comment, measures increased despair level, cries
posted by maudlin at 9:28 AM on October 31, 2013 [3 favorites]


A single moment in Chief Blair's press conference stands out as being unlike the rest (which is reporters questioning him in whether or not the video shows Ford smoking crack, and him repeating that he will not comment on the nature of the evidence save that it is consistent with previous media reports): a reporter asks is he has seen the video, to which Blair responds "Yes." The follow-up question is: was Blair shocked? Blair's response: "I was disappointed." It was a weirdly human moment in the midst of carefully neutral press-conference statements.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 9:30 AM on October 31, 2013 [4 favorites]


Commence last minute alterations to Halloween costumes
posted by fullerine at 9:30 AM on October 31, 2013 [8 favorites]


I'm half crying too. Unbelievable as it is, this is still a long way from over. Until very recently I would have considered re-election inevitable, I still think it is far from out of the question. Blech.
posted by yellowbinder at 9:30 AM on October 31, 2013


A photo later emerged in news reports showing Mr. Ford standing with Anthony Smith and two other men outside 15 Windsor Rd., a residence referred to in the document as a crack house.

So that's what constitutes a crack house in Toronto? Jeez, that would be one of the nicest houses in my neighborhood. Incidentally, as a DC resident, let us know if you guys need any advice in this particular area, we've got lots of experience!
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 9:32 AM on October 31, 2013 [5 favorites]


I am crossing my thumbs for Lisi selling him out for a lighter sentence and ridding us of him once and for all.
posted by Be cool, sodapop at 9:33 AM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


I'm not convinced until I see the video. What prevents them from releasing this?
posted by oceanjesse at 9:33 AM on October 31, 2013


The video cannot be described - there is no language for such abysms of shrieking and immemorial lunacy, such eldritch contradictions of all matter, force, and cosmic order.
posted by Tool of the Conspiracy at 9:34 AM on October 31, 2013 [19 favorites]


I mean, certainly more violent footage from gas station robberies are released, why not release this video, too? It all looks like an absurd amount of wasteful beating around the bush from my POV.
posted by oceanjesse at 9:35 AM on October 31, 2013


I'm not convinced until I see the video.

I've never seen Venice, but I'm pretty sure it exists.

What prevents them from releasing this?

An abundance of caution leading up to a major court case, maybe? I'm still totally amazed we got the court documents and the press conference.
posted by maudlin at 9:36 AM on October 31, 2013 [4 favorites]


I've never seen Venice, but I'm pretty sure it exists.

I flew over it once and was able to tell from the air that it had canals, much like how TPD was able to tell from the air that Ford is a crackhead.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 9:38 AM on October 31, 2013 [3 favorites]


What prevents them from releasing this?

In general why would police release evidence to the public before presenting it in court? Seems like there would have to be some overriding compelling reason other than people wanting to see all the gory details.
posted by edgeways at 9:39 AM on October 31, 2013 [4 favorites]


I mean, certainly more violent footage from gas station robberies are released, why not release this video, too? It all looks like an absurd amount of wasteful beating around the bush from my POV.

"Come at the king, you best not miss."
posted by orrnyereg at 9:40 AM on October 31, 2013 [28 favorites]


"Rob Ford is an addict who needs help" in no way nullifies "Rob Ford is a piece of shit whose downfall should be celebrated with glee".
posted by Lentrohamsanin at 9:40 AM on October 31, 2013 [25 favorites]


For the non-Canadians in the room... why does this guy have any support left whatsoever? Every word I've heard about him suggests he's dangerously incompetent, completely corrupt, and borderline insane.
posted by showbiz_liz at 9:40 AM on October 31, 2013 [2 favorites]


Every word I've heard about him suggests he's dangerously incompetent, completely corrupt, and borderline insane.

That's hardly been a disqualifying characteristic for politicians in the past. (The short version is that there's lots of suburbs vs. downtown angst and Ford is good at tapping into that.)
posted by Be cool, sodapop at 9:42 AM on October 31, 2013 [2 favorites]


What twitter feeds are people following for this?

Also, someone needs to tell the Bike Snob.
posted by Aizkolari at 9:43 AM on October 31, 2013


dangerously incompetent, completely corrupt, and borderline insane....

Bush II, Putin, Silvio Berlusconi, Hugo Chavez... and those are the ones at least nominally democratically elected more than once.
posted by edgeways at 9:48 AM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


NewsTalk 1010, the station that broadcasts the Ford show on Sundays, is live right now with very conservative host Jerry Agar and former Ford staffer Mark Towhey. Might be worth breaking out the headphones for this one. Live stream.
posted by maudlin at 9:49 AM on October 31, 2013


I wonder if Don Cherry will include this video footage in his next Crack Rock 'Em Sock 'Em.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 9:49 AM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


If you'd like more absurdity, here's what Ford's office looks like at this very second.
posted by Copronymus at 9:50 AM on October 31, 2013 [9 favorites]


Correct me if I'm wrong, but the video in question is the one seen by both John Cook at Gawker.com and several reporters with the Toronto Star? Yeah, I think calls to release the video before passing casual judgement are pretty thin. Many reporters have seen the video. The police chief has substantiated their reports without going into details himself. I don't think that's really under question anymore.
posted by muddgirl at 9:52 AM on October 31, 2013


For the non-Canadians in the room... why does this guy have any support left whatsoever? Every word I've heard about him suggests he's dangerously incompetent, completely corrupt, and borderline insane.

Quickly unpacked, probably only semi-accurately:

- for a long time, the out-of-metro residents of Toronto -- significantly more than 50% of the population -- have felt overshadowed and underserved by the city, and many resent the downtown core in the same way that, well, the rest of Canada sort of resents Toronto. Ford campaigned on a broad populist right-wing "screw those downtown folk" kind of platform, which really resonated with them.

- Ford was the only right-wing candidate among a large slate of left-wing candidates, and ran on a "cut the fat, the gravy train stops here" message that resonates well with low-information voters that can't be bothered to learn what is meant by "fat" or how a city actually works. Again, this is especially powerful for people who don't know and aren't particularly curious about the downtown economic engine that drives the city.

- Ford was, by many accounts, an exceptionally good representative when he was a councillor. A genuine call-me-24/7-and-I'll-fill-in-the-pothole-my-damn-self guy. This won him a lot of goodwill in his district, and a lot of the Ford faithful have had extraordinarily good interactions with and memories of the guy. That being said, just because you're great at doing a plié doesn't mean you're fit to manage the Royal Ballet. Once again, a lot of people who aren't super curious about how cities really work don't really grasp the distinction.

- Canada hasn't been immune to the 50 years of work the right wing has put into the "left-wing media" propaganda that's spread across all of society over the past few decades. So if you're not really into a lot of reading, and tend to think of yourself as a red-blooded victim of the effete liberal elite, you'll buy into the narrative of Your Guy Ford being a victim of the harassment of the Lamestream Media. See: Sarah Palin 2008. She still has millions of fans. Millions.

- Ford is also rich as hell, and throws lavish parties in the park every year with free food. He's avuncular, jovial in public-facing situations, and plays the "just one of the guys" card extremely well.
posted by Shepherd at 9:53 AM on October 31, 2013 [41 favorites]


The only cobweb in my house right now is the wee one holding my house spider Gladys. She stays, it stays.
posted by maudlin at 9:53 AM on October 31, 2013 [3 favorites]


Mayor emerges from house to find press on driveway, pushes cameras off property. A non-story really, given that he always acts this way towards the press. But there is an interesting tidbit in there:

"Get off my property!" Ford yelled repeatedly, pushing some cameras directly, including the CBC's. The mayor dropped what appeared to be his dry cleaning in the small tussle. (My emphasis)

Given what we now know about Richview Cleaners, the media may have missed a great chance to crack open this story.
posted by Kabanos at 9:55 AM on October 31, 2013 [3 favorites]


Toronto police chief Bill Blair says the video cannot be... described



"No...no words to describe it...poetry! They should have sent a poet! So beautiful! So beautiful!"
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 9:56 AM on October 31, 2013 [13 favorites]


Any word on what the original Project Brazen was? Was that another attempt to catch Rob Ford, or was it some other brazen public official? Because you can't give something the name of a sequel without raising such questions.
posted by filthy light thief at 9:56 AM on October 31, 2013




> So an alcoholic, crackhead, pathological liar has succeeded in setting back public transportation in Canada's largest city by a decade.

Give the man some credit. It's much longer than a decade.
posted by The Card Cheat at 9:59 AM on October 31, 2013 [6 favorites]


Toronto police chief Bill Blair says the video cannot be released or described

Clearly, Ford was buying drugs from Cthulhu.
posted by GenjiandProust at 9:59 AM on October 31, 2013 [8 favorites]


A Canadian mayor implicated in illegal activity? You don't say!
posted by Alexandra Kitty at 9:59 AM on October 31, 2013


why does this guy have any support left whatsoever? Every word I've heard about him suggests he's dangerously incompetent, completely corrupt, and borderline insane.

It is the Tea Party dynamic. He has painted the previous administration (under Mayor David Miller, who graduated summa cum laude from Harvard) as being hopelessly elite and out of touch while he is the common man (dropped out after a year at Carleton University, a solidly middle-of-the-pack Canadian university. In Toronto politics, Ford spent ten years as a councillor and (on preview) as a couple of mefites above relate, was exceptionally good at the retail-level "call me and I will help" aspect of politics. He is also a millonaire and ran on a platform of cutting the waste at City Hall. When he was a city councillor, he was famous or infamous for insisting thatcouncillor's budgets were needlessly high, so every year when he submitted his expenses, they would be a single taxi far of eight dollars or something, as he had paid for everything else out of his own pocket.

As well, he has a two-hour weekly radio show on talk radio, where he plays up his view of stories and his records. Callers and guests who disagree are unlikely to get on the air.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 9:59 AM on October 31, 2013


For the non-Canadians in the room... why does this guy have any support left whatsoever? Every word I've heard about him suggests he's dangerously incompetent, completely corrupt, and borderline insane.

Isn't it similar to gerrymandering following the amalgamation of Toronto?
posted by KokuRyu at 10:00 AM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


"Who's thinking 'sex tape'?"--Colby Cosh
posted by No Robots at 10:02 AM on October 31, 2013 [2 favorites]


So basically, a minor embarrassment to the Ford administration, one which will be quickly fixed in the next election when he promises to do something about those overpaid city librarians. During his next victory party, hundreds of pictures and videos will be taken off him snorting coke off of a dead hooker's stomach, an event that will be dismissed by the suburbs as " totally overblown by the media". You heard it here first, folks.
posted by happyroach at 10:02 AM on October 31, 2013 [5 favorites]


showbiz_liz: "For the non-Canadians in the room... why does this guy have any support left whatsoever? Every word I've heard about him suggests he's dangerously incompetent, completely corrupt, and borderline insane."

For the non-Canadians in the room that are Americans: Same reason the USA elected GWB. Same reason they're not up in arms over NSA revelations.

Less facetiously: AFAICT it's due to the suburbs having disproportionate electoral pull over Toronto politics, and he appeals to the baser emotions of the right-leaning suburbs (i.e. seeing the central city as sucking all the "good hard working tax payer dollars" in projects like public transit and such).

That's my own understanding as a Wisconsinite who has a single friend up there, so... I'm biased and limited in info, but I think that might be fairly accurate.
posted by symbioid at 10:03 AM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


/listens to Scarborough residents interviewed on NewsTalk 1010, constructs logarithmic scale for despair
posted by maudlin at 10:03 AM on October 31, 2013 [3 favorites]


> For the non-Canadians in the room... why does this guy have any support left whatsoever?

Because the finger thing means the taxes!
posted by The Card Cheat at 10:04 AM on October 31, 2013 [3 favorites]


For the non-Canadians in the room... why does this guy have any support left whatsoever? Every word I've heard about him suggests he's dangerously incompetent, completely corrupt, and borderline insane.

Have you been to Canada? You remember that scene in New Jack City where they go inside the building taken over by the crack cartel? That was filmed in Ottawa.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 10:04 AM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


Rob Ford is a lot like Dick Cheney, no matter what he's implicated in, war crimes, smoking crack, election rigging, any manner of super-villain level crimes, he will never be held accountable (or killed) until all 7 horcruxes are found and destroyed.
posted by T.D. Strange at 10:05 AM on October 31, 2013 [36 favorites]


But -- but -- he said there was no video! And I believed him!

So it wasn't all a conspiracy? It wasn't all the Toronto Star out to get him? It wasn't that the reporters were lying? It wasn't that he never smoked crack? It was just as they said it was?

On top of Ford's considerable legal and political problems arising out of this -- which may or may not vanish depending on how quickly he exists, and the goodwill attached to that -- he's set himself up for a juicy lawsuit courtesy of the reporters he slammed as liars.

His problems are just beginning, really. And I do have a certain sympathy for addicts who exercise poor judgement because they are addicts.

If there's anything long-term that I want to see come out of this, it's some mechanism for council to review and possibly remove. I don't know how the mechanisms of that would work, particularly to prevent abuse, but surely the municipal government hasn't been well-served by an intractable crackhead at the helm.
posted by Capt. Renault at 10:07 AM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


I really do think he's done, electorally*. I mean, he won the election due to a) vote-splitting on the left, b) a surprisingly focused campaign, and c) a statistically-significant number of voters taking a flyer on him because they liked his message. Next time out a) might still be in play, but b) is shot because the Bay St. money won't be backing him and he's going to have a bunch of interns running things instead of slick operators like Kouvalis and c) he's gonna be down to his core base who will vote for him no matter what. 25%-30% isn't gonna be enough to win an election unless there are like six candidates splitting the vote.

* take this prediction with a salt lick, because I was convinced that the good people of Toronto would come to their senses before 8:30 PM on Oct. 25th, 2010
posted by The Card Cheat at 10:08 AM on October 31, 2013 [2 favorites]


b) a surprisingly focused campaign

Have you ever seen someone on coke clean a fridge? You wouldn't be surprized after seeing somebody bore a hole in a butter dish to get out a stain!
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 10:15 AM on October 31, 2013 [3 favorites]



> Ford's a complicated character. I can't help but feel a little sorry for him now.


damn you, empathy.
posted by philip-random at 10:17 AM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


I for one, am SHOCKED that there is governing going on in here!
posted by blue_beetle at 10:22 AM on October 31, 2013


I don't know much about this guy, but I do remember him from one of the most bizarre reporter-questions-politician segments that I've ever seen. The reporter was asking him some uncomfortable questions which he clearly did not want to be answering. Then totally out of the blue, Ford's aide starts yelling at the reporter, something like "WHY DID YOU CALL HIM A FAT PIECE OF SHIT?!"

The reporter is taken aback and starts saying he didn't. The aide just keeps going: "YES YOU DID! I HEARD YOU! YOU CALLED HIM A FAT PIECE OF SHIT!"

Then Ford joins in, "WHY DID YOU CALL ME A FAT PIECE OF SHIT!" Both Ford and the aide are yelling and yelling and yelling, "WHAT DO YOU HAVE AGAINST OVERWEIGHT PEOPLE?!" "YOU TRULY ARE A BIGOT!" "THAT IS A VERBAL ASSAULT!" "WHAT A CRUEL AND DISGUSTING SENTIMENT TO CALL AN OVERWEIGHT PERSON A FAT PIECE OF SHIT!" "ADMIT IT, YOU CALLED HIM A FAT PIECE OF SHIT!"

The reporter keeps protesting that he said no such thing, but Ford and the aide just keep going. Eventually they hounded the reporter out of the room, literally following him as he was walking out (yelling the whole time), and I think even blocking his access to an elevator so that they could yell at him some more.
posted by Flunkie at 10:27 AM on October 31, 2013 [8 favorites]


It's true, Canada is basically a big huge New Jack City. Toronto is generally referred to as The Carter up here.
posted by mannequito at 10:27 AM on October 31, 2013 [3 favorites]


While I doubt most Canadians are paying attention, the Rob Ford story has eclipse the Duffy / Wallin Senate scandal thingy.
posted by KokuRyu at 10:28 AM on October 31, 2013 [4 favorites]


And I do have a certain sympathy for addicts who exercise poor judgement because they are addicts.

To put it more bluntly, I have a certain sympathy for junkies who perpetrate evil shit.

Which speaks to that sort of overlooked part of the by now rather tired tired junkie narrative we've been immersed in for decades (via any number of movies, TV shows, books, songs ... and so on) --- that many of the most evil people in the world are junked up on some substance or other, it's how they manage. And I say this both from personal experience (nobody has ever fucked me around professionally more than two "functional" heroin junkies I had the misfortune to have dealings with), and historical observation (all those Third Reich functionaries gulping the Vodka while they perpetrated various mass exterminations).

Beware of those whose principal devotion in life is to some substance that relieves their emotional pain.
posted by philip-random at 10:28 AM on October 31, 2013 [4 favorites]


Flunkie: This is what you're talking about.
posted by The Card Cheat at 10:30 AM on October 31, 2013 [4 favorites]


25%-30% isn't gonna be enough to win an election unless there are like six candidates splitting the vote.

I expect the vote-splitting to occur mostly among the right-wing candidates in the next election. I have a feeling the left will coalesce fairly quickly around one front-runner (probably Olivia Chow if she runs). Rob Ford will be in tatters but will still run, and will still have his small hard-core base. But there will be a collection of "right-of-center, peace order and good government, but-I'm-not-crazy-like Rob" type candidates that will be trying to scoop up the voters that desert Ford. They will split the vote and lose.
posted by Kabanos at 10:30 AM on October 31, 2013


I don't know much about this guy, but I do remember him from one of the most bizarre reporter-questions-politician segments that I've ever seen. The reporter was asking him some uncomfortable questions which he clearly did not want to be answering. Then totally out of the blue, Ford's aide starts yelling at the reporter, something like "WHY DID YOU CALL HIM A FAT PIECE OF SHIT?!"

I believe the term was "fat fuck", the reporter in question is the excellent asshole John Barber, and, yes, he did call Ford a fat fuck.
posted by KokuRyu at 10:30 AM on October 31, 2013


nobody has ever fucked me around professionally more than two "functional" heroin junkies I had the misfortune to have dealings with

"Never trust a junkie" -William S. Burroughs
posted by vibrotronica at 10:31 AM on October 31, 2013 [4 favorites]


Flunkie, that's this video. I think John Barber did mutter something as he turned away, and that's George Mammoliti, a city councillor, not an aide, who starts the shouting.
posted by maudlin at 10:31 AM on October 31, 2013


I swear to God none of us have that video bookmarked. It's just really easy to find.
posted by maudlin at 10:32 AM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


yes, he did call Ford a fat fuck
I listened several times when I saw it earlier, and a few times just now. I just don't hear it. When does it happen?
posted by Flunkie at 10:34 AM on October 31, 2013


It's the damndest thing. Seems like every time the heat gets a bit too much for Harper, the newest episode in the bizarre saga of Rob Ford is revealed. As my dear departed grandmother used to put it: I'm not talkin', I'm only sayin'.

The regressive conservative culture of Ford Nation won't go away if we get rid of Rob Ford. It'll just sprout a new head, hydrastyle. So maybe getting Ford apologists to reconsider their stance on drug issues is the best long-term good to hope for out of this whole fiasco?
posted by erlking at 10:34 AM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


2) Lisi is the one charged with extortion. You can pick your friends, and you can pick your drug dealers, but don't pick a drug dealer as your friend.

Lisi was being a good friend - the extortion appears to have been directed to those who held the video (I imagine it was along the lines of "give us the video or happens") and not the subject of the video.
posted by davey_darling at 10:34 AM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


Flunkie, I hear a vague mutter as Barber turns away around here. It's arguable but plausible. Should have hired someone from Etobicoke with an iPhone to film that scene, I guess.

davey_darling, that seems about right.
posted by maudlin at 10:36 AM on October 31, 2013


Lisi was being a good friend

With friends like these, who needs narcotic suppositories?!?
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 10:37 AM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


Seems like every time the heat gets a bit too much for Harper, the newest episode in the bizarre saga of Rob Ford is revealed.

Exactly my thought. Harper must be smiling right now.
posted by nubs at 10:37 AM on October 31, 2013 [2 favorites]


I listened several times when I saw it earlier, and a few times just now. I just don't hear it. When does it happen?

Just as Barber turns away he mutters something like "you fat fuck."

Having had experience with John Barber in the past, I can believe he said it.
posted by KokuRyu at 10:39 AM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]




Exactly my thought. Harper must be smiling right now.

Or would be, were he capable of feeling joy.
posted by Homeboy Trouble at 10:40 AM on October 31, 2013 [16 favorites]


Really? I mean, you can hear background noise including voices the whole time, but I don't hear anything obviously from the reporter between "An-" and "Answer the question". And for most of the time between the two, you can see his mouth and/or cheeks, and they're not moving.
posted by Flunkie at 10:41 AM on October 31, 2013


I am a crack user and I don't consider myself "addicted" in the classic sense. I can go for weeks or months without but sometimes feel like going on a "run" or "mission". My use durations have shortened over time, since I learned that the point of diminishing returns is reached very quickly with crack.

I was surprised recently by a friend who offered me a hit of crack out of the blue, never knew he used at all. I hadn't had a hit for a long time, but accepted one. You too might know people whom you would never imagine using crack whom are indeed crack users.
posted by telstar at 10:41 AM on October 31, 2013 [4 favorites]


"Never trust a junkie" -William S. Burroughs

Problem is, the functional ones are often invisible. Or it's way too easy to just not believe the evidence, because the image of the junkie the various media have painted for us over the years generally doesn't include those individuals who can hold down a job, charm a crowd, get elected mayor of a darned fine city.
posted by philip-random at 10:45 AM on October 31, 2013 [3 favorites]


I've just watched the video a dozen times, I hear nothing at all, even slowed down the video, certainly nothing that could be heard as "fat fuck".
posted by Cosine at 10:46 AM on October 31, 2013


Or would be, were he capable of feeling joy.

Hmm, sounds like it's as if he's somehow burned out his serotonin receptors or something.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 10:46 AM on October 31, 2013


get elected mayor of a darned fine city.

Or Washington, DC.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 10:46 AM on October 31, 2013 [2 favorites]


Stephen Marche at Esquire has an excellent idea: "You could put that video in movie theaters, charge three hundred bucks a ticket, and build a new subway line with the proceeds."

Meanwhile, the afternoon host at NewsTalk 1010 is playing aghast at callers who still support Ford. /pets pretty, pretty mute button
posted by maudlin at 10:47 AM on October 31, 2013 [5 favorites]


Barber turns away in frustration and then back to Ford. At 1:04 in the video, he shouts at Ford “Answer the question!” Watching his mouth movements, however, it’s clear that the sentence concludes with three additional words that he neglects to speak out loud (or that at least were quiet enough to not be captured by the microphone).

Barber certainly does not deny saying those words in this interview either.
posted by KokuRyu at 10:49 AM on October 31, 2013


Your moment of zen: subway, subway, subway done RIGHT, damn it.

One reason why Ford's Scarborough subway idea gained so much traction was the horrible decision to call the many proposed variations of that proposed line the "Downtown Relief Line". It would serve the inner suburbs, but it sounds like one more gift to the downtown elites.
posted by maudlin at 10:53 AM on October 31, 2013


Barber certainly does not deny saying those words in this interview either.

Note: Ford also actually never claims that he is NOT a fat fuck.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 10:53 AM on October 31, 2013 [6 favorites]


> /listens to Scarborough residents interviewed on NewsTalk 1010, constructs logarithmic scale for despair

Yep. Most of my neighbours here in Toronto Ward 35 would need something a lot stronger than the current dossier to make them think twice about voting for someone other than Ford next time. To them, he's a real battler.

Even though I have important things to do today, I really want to head down to the local Tim's and soak up the gossip. None of it would do my blood pressure any good.
posted by scruss at 10:59 AM on October 31, 2013


OK, I see that now, and it is plausible that it was a mouthed-but-inaudible "fat fuck", but it's interesting that it is well after the point where multiple people have claimed to have heard him say it.

It's not as he turns away. It's several seconds after that. He says "An-", he turns away, he turns back, he says "Answer the question", and then he mouths but does not say (or says very quietly) something (which is plausibly "you fat fuck").
posted by Flunkie at 11:00 AM on October 31, 2013


It's not as he turns away. It's several seconds after that. He says "An-", he turns away, he turns back, he says "Answer the question", and then he mouths but does not say (or says very quietly) something (which is plausibly "you fat fuck").

Did you transcribe this directly from P.G. Wodehouse?
posted by No Robots at 11:04 AM on October 31, 2013 [3 favorites]


I'm just trying to enjoy this for what it is and not get my hopes up re: Ford getting booted out of office and/or not seeking re-election just yet.
posted by orange swan at 11:07 AM on October 31, 2013


John Cook from Gawker on NewsTalk 1010 right now (live stream). Interesting: the tipster who connected Gawker to video sources was a social worker in the neighbourhood.
posted by maudlin at 11:10 AM on October 31, 2013


If the Leafs make it to the playoffs this year (and they might) all will be forgiven and forgotten.
posted by KokuRyu at 11:11 AM on October 31, 2013


I'm mostly just glad that my monthly allowance of Toronto Star articles resets tomorrow. Because Robin and Kevin must be writing up their giant fuck yous to everyone who doubted their original reporting about now, and I'm looking forward to reading them.
posted by jacquilynne at 11:11 AM on October 31, 2013 [2 favorites]


jacquilynne, incognito mode is your friend. :)
posted by Hutch at 11:14 AM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


Actually, the Toronto Star doesn't know about incognito mode for browsers*. Unlimited reads by just opening up new windows.

*works for Chrome, not sure of other browsers.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 11:15 AM on October 31, 2013 [2 favorites]


or what Hutch said.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 11:16 AM on October 31, 2013


portmanteau, you put it much better.
posted by Hutch at 11:17 AM on October 31, 2013


Please let's not forget that in addition to the gerrymandering forced amalgamation that grafted the right-wing '905' suburbs onto the city of Toronto, the Canadian right-wing establishment was solidly and actively behind Ford's mayoral run. From planting their reigning Machiavelli (Kouvalis) in Ford's team, right through to licking envelopes, the right-wing machine brought their A-game to get this fool elected Mayor.

I'm still confused though why they left Ford home alone after electing him, instead of playing his strings like a harp.
posted by Artful Codger at 11:17 AM on October 31, 2013 [2 favorites]


The live feed of the Mayor's office is hilarious.
posted by sweet mister at 11:17 AM on October 31, 2013


Ford has arrived at City Hall, about to make a statement. Maybe.
posted by maudlin at 11:17 AM on October 31, 2013


I think it is worth it to start paying for subscriptions to the Toronto Star and the Guardian if it means helping pay for quality journalism.
posted by KokuRyu at 11:17 AM on October 31, 2013 [2 favorites]


Live feed of City Hall.
posted by maudlin at 11:18 AM on October 31, 2013


> I'm still confused though why they left Ford home alone after electing him, instead of playing his strings like a harp.

They might have tried before they realized how unmanageable he really is.
posted by The Card Cheat at 11:18 AM on October 31, 2013


what a day to take a sick day
posted by avocet at 11:18 AM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


I agree with the Mayor's door. It is indeed a Happy Halloween.
posted by jacquilynne at 11:20 AM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


The live feed of the Mayor's office is hilarious.

Yeah - loving the banter from the press! They should run stuff like this during the credits of all news casts.
posted by Kabanos at 11:24 AM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


My bet is he announces he's taking a leave to seek treatment for substance abuse.
posted by The Card Cheat at 11:25 AM on October 31, 2013




Please let's not forget that in addition to the gerrymandering forced amalgamation that grafted the right-wing '905' suburbs onto the city of Toronto,

Please stop that. The 905 suburbs, like Mississauga, are not part of Toronto. The former boroughs / inner suburbs are all 416 (and 647, and whatever the new one is). And the inner suburbs aren't reliably "right wing": they have a proportionately more working class and immigrant population than central Toronto. Some small c conservatism, some populism, some anxiety, some loyalty to someone who was really good at constituent service, etc.

Yeah, the Tory machine helped get Ford elected, but it's a huge simplification to call the Ford voting block "right wing suburbs". He did surprisingly well in central Toronto, too, if I recall correctly.
posted by maudlin at 11:26 AM on October 31, 2013 [11 favorites]


aw they killed the sound
posted by Kabanos at 11:28 AM on October 31, 2013


It cuts in and out. I think there may be a LOT of people on that feed. Just guessing.
posted by maudlin at 11:29 AM on October 31, 2013


Here we go ...
posted by maudlin at 11:30 AM on October 31, 2013


Somebody lives in Texas the 'burbs.
posted by symbioid at 11:31 AM on October 31, 2013


So much for that prediction. He's really just going to try and ride this out.
posted by The Card Cheat at 11:31 AM on October 31, 2013


Wishes he could say something, but he can't. It's before the court. Can't say more.

No reason to resign. Going to return his phone calls. Will do the work elected to do.


He looks WHIPPED. Talking very softly. He walks away.
posted by maudlin at 11:31 AM on October 31, 2013


Not resigning.

And not defending himself because he hasn't read the whole report? Is that what he said?
posted by jacquilynne at 11:32 AM on October 31, 2013


What the heck was that?
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 11:32 AM on October 31, 2013


The media folks sort of blew that in their excitement, didn't they.. Seems like if they were a bit calmer they might have got more out of him.
posted by davey_darling at 11:33 AM on October 31, 2013


He's refusing to address the allegations because they're "before the courts" and he's not going to resign because he's Rob Ford, basically.
posted by mightygodking at 11:33 AM on October 31, 2013


He did surprisingly well in central Toronto, too, if I recall

He had at least 30% support in most ridings. Map.
posted by Kabanos at 11:33 AM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


Somebody lives in the 'burbs.

Used to live in Scarborough (a good chunk of that time on welfare), and I am now a middle class home owner in the Junction. I just get tired of the "right-wing 905 suburbs" talk. As much as I despair of what I hear from my former neighbours, they ARE my former neighbours -- real people, not cartoons.
posted by maudlin at 11:34 AM on October 31, 2013 [5 favorites]


I bet Dougie's back there, smiling. "Problem SOLVED."
posted by The Card Cheat at 11:34 AM on October 31, 2013


The media folks sort of blew that in their excitement, didn't they.. Seems like if they were a bit calmer they might have got more out of him.

Yeah, absolutely. He was still talking when they started shouting over him.
posted by saturday_morning at 11:35 AM on October 31, 2013


Maybe, but I'm sure it would just have been more bullshit about doing his job, working for the taxpayers, etc.
posted by The Card Cheat at 11:37 AM on October 31, 2013


I was out to lunch on suggesting it was the 905 that was amalgamated. brain fart. Sorry. Nonetheless, that amalgamation was a cynical calculated move by the Harris team to tip the city towards the right, and it left the city a dysfunctional, underfunded mess.
posted by Artful Codger at 11:38 AM on October 31, 2013 [4 favorites]


Anyone who thought Ford would say anything other than exactly what he did hasn't been paying attention. This is what he does and what his circle enables him to do.

Also to be noted: if he did resign, Norm Kelly would become the Mayor
posted by dry white toast at 11:43 AM on October 31, 2013


S'ok, Artful Codger. I agree that the Tories have a fuckload to answer for.

In addition, NewsTalk 1010 is kicking the CBC's ass right now covering this. They've got Clayton Ruby on right now wondering why the cops never swooped in or got a phone tap based on what they saw during surveillance. Why did the collected drive from June just give up the deleted / recovered video two days ago, after the judge's order to release the warrants?

Let's see how the Ceeb does after 3 PM when the local drive show starts. It might be hard to turn away from potential mayoral candidate John Tory's show on NewsTalk, though.
posted by maudlin at 11:45 AM on October 31, 2013


He did surprisingly well in central Toronto, too, if I recall

He had at least 30% support in most ridings. Map.


ACK – WRONG – my mistake – that's a map of something completely different! Here is the map that was circulated widely. But I think it incorrectly presents a hard polarization that wasn't there. This one from wikipedia does a somewhat better job. Both Ford and Smitherman had significant support across all ridings I think. Also recall that mayors are not elected by ward, but by overall city-wide vote count.

Regardless, I can't imagine anything that close in the next election.
posted by Kabanos at 11:46 AM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


I'm relieved that the truth finally seems to be coming out. Well, the truth about the video at least. The truth about Rob Ford being a liar, a bully, unable to work productively to get anything done for our city, not in the office very much, who would rather coach football than chair the executive council meeting (arg!!) - that has been clear as day for a long time. In my opinion,

I also feel quite sad for this man, and I hope that this is the last day that he is mayor of our city.
posted by beau jackson at 11:52 AM on October 31, 2013


Who was Lisi threatening with extortion? Ford?
posted by KokuRyu at 11:54 AM on October 31, 2013


> Who was Lisi threatening with extortion? Ford?

No, Lisi was allegedly threatening whoever had offered up that video.
posted by Artful Codger at 11:59 AM on October 31, 2013


Councilwoman just now: "People's memories are short. We don't know what the issues will be in 11 months."

Sure, true, but somehow I'm thinking crack smoking is one of those things that they tend to recall about a candidate.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 12:00 PM on October 31, 2013


Who was Lisi threatening with extortion? Ford?

It hasn't been made explicitly clear, but I presume he was attempting to extort those that held the Ford crack video.

"Blair also announced on Thursday that Lisi faced additional charges of extortion, namely that “the accused made extortive efforts to retrieve a recording.” No court date is set yet for Lisi."
posted by davey_darling at 12:01 PM on October 31, 2013


So, does Toronto have to pay for his legal defense?
posted by edgeways at 12:02 PM on October 31, 2013




Councilwoman just now: "People's memories are short. We don't know what the issues will be in 11 months."

Sigh. The issues in 11 months will still be transit, traffic, infrastructure decay, the homeless, social housing... same as they've been for the last 20+ years.

Thank Zeus the Pan-Am games are here in 2015. Some stuff might actually get done next year.
posted by Artful Codger at 12:11 PM on October 31, 2013


"People's memories are short. We don't know what the issues will be in 11 months."

Murder?
posted by kaibutsu at 12:12 PM on October 31, 2013 [7 favorites]


[Toronto] Sun publishing special afternoon edition on Rob Ford controversy
TORONTO - We are not lying!

The Toronto Sun is publishing a special afternoon edition of the newspaper Thursday for distribution free of charge at select downtown locations.

The 28-page edition will be jam-packed with startling revelations about the alleged video showing Mayor Rob Ford smoking crack cocaine.
[...]
Read how police detectives had Lisi and Ford under surveillance and see some of the images obtained and presented in police paperwork used to obtain search warrants in the Project Traveller drug probe.

Don't miss out on your chance to collect this historic edition of the Toronto Sun.

Copies will be handed out at the following locations during rush hour:

•Union Station
•Bay TTC station
•Sherbourne TTC station
•Broadview TTC station
•Danforth Ave. (Broadview Ave.-Greenwood Ave.)
•Pape TTC station
•Donlands TTC station
•McCowan TTC station
•Kennedy TTC station
•Main TTC station
•Woodbine TTC station
•Coxwell TTC station
•Greenwood TTC station
•Finch TTC station
•Eglinton TTC station
•Bloor TTC station
•Bay/Bloor Sts.
•Yonge/Dundas Sts.
•Wellesley TTC station
•College TTC station
•College/Bay Sts.
•Dundas TTC station
•Queen TTC station
•King TTC station
•St. Andrew TTC station
•St. Patrick TTC station
•Queen's Park TTC station
Even the most conservative paper is treating this with the same zeal as a new Flash Gordon serial reel being delivered to a 1930s theater.
Emphasis mine.
posted by Theta States at 12:15 PM on October 31, 2013 [5 favorites]


ACK – WRONG – my mistake – that's a map of something completely different! Here is the map that was circulated widely. But I think it incorrectly presents a hard polarization that wasn't there. This one from wikipedia does a somewhat better job. Both Ford and Smitherman had significant support across all ridings I think. Also recall that mayors are not elected by riding, but by overall city-wide vote count.

As a data point in terms of polarization, consider Calgary and Toronto as three-way mayoral elections in 2010. Calgary has 14 wards and Toronto 40 (roughly similar numbers of voters; 22K in Calgary and 17K in Toronto). In both cases, the mayor is elected by a citywide vote.

In Calgary, Nenshi won with 41.7% of the three way (Nenshi/Higgins/McIver) vote. In 8 of the 14 (57%) of the wards, he got within 5% of his citywide vote, and only 4 of 14 wards (28%) was he more than 10% different than his citywide vote; at the extremes, in my inner city ward he got +16.7% (ie. 58.4% of the vote); in McIver's old south suburban ward, he got -14.3% (ie. 27.4% of the vote). So basically within 15% of the citywide total everywhere.

In Toronto, Ford won with 49.9% of the three way (Ford/Smitherman/Pantalone) vote. In only 5 of the wards (12.5%) was he within 5% of this citywide split; the Don Valley area whereever that is. In 29 wards (72.5%) he was more than 10% different than his citywide vote, and in 10 (25%) he was more than 20% different than his citywide vote; in the 70%+ range in Etobicoke, and in the 30%- range in the centre.

I can't say how this compares to other cities, but comparing the two, Toronto was substantially more polarized. There may be any number of causes -- one possibility is that the candidates were more similar (all politicians) and were judged more on a left/right axis than in Calgary, where the three candidates presented very different attractions. In any case, there is some pretty strong polarization in Toronto based on the election.
posted by Homeboy Trouble at 12:17 PM on October 31, 2013 [2 favorites]


Damn, this is probably the only time in my life I'll regret not being able to get to a TTC station.
posted by The Card Cheat at 12:18 PM on October 31, 2013 [2 favorites]


So, does Toronto have to pay for his legal defense?

City of Toronto lawyers don't represent council members or the mayor - you'll recall he hired his own lawyer when the scandal first broke
posted by iona at 12:19 PM on October 31, 2013


Maybe instead of trying to figure out how to sidestep The Star's paywall, today's events are a strong case for ponying up for a subscription?
posted by dry white toast at 12:26 PM on October 31, 2013 [12 favorites]


[Toronto] Sun publishing special afternoon edition on Rob Ford controversy

Choice comment:

There goes the leftist media working itself up into a spin again.
posted by KokuRyu at 12:28 PM on October 31, 2013 [2 favorites]


Even the most conservative paper is treating this with the same zeal as a new Flash Gordon serial reel being delivered to a 1930s theater.

As horrid as the Sun chain is, this is still a major, major news story - I mean, how often is the mayor of a (the?) major Canadian city revealed (by the police) to be a crack smoking drug addict who is associating with people who may yet be linked with attempting to extort, committing assault, and possibly committing murder? Especially when those people are potentially doing these things to protect said Mayor?

This is Major News...and you either cover it seriously or become irrelevant in your own market.
posted by nubs at 12:28 PM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


Maybe instead of trying to figure out how to sidestep The Star's paywall, today's events are a strong case for ponying up for a subscription?

I consider it fairly regularly when I run into the paywall, but $10 a month is just more than I'm willing to pay to read half a dozen articles a week. If it was $30-40 a year, I probably would subscribe, but $120 a year for the amount I actually read of The Star is just more than I'm willing to pay. It's a good deal if you want to basically "read the paper" every day, but if you're like me and you just want to be able to click through to links your friends share on FB or that show up in Spacing's blog, it's a lot.
posted by jacquilynne at 12:33 PM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


Today's Star editorial: Mayor Rob Ford has nowhere left to hide.

[Toronto] Sun publishing special afternoon edition on Rob Ford controversy

IIRC, the last time the Sun felt the need to do this was September 11, 2001. They may be treating this as a matter of some significance.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 12:37 PM on October 31, 2013


The Sun is the newspaper most exposed to being tainted by association with Ford. Also, they are a sensationalist tabloid. For both those reasons, they need to be seen to be on this story.
posted by anthill at 12:42 PM on October 31, 2013


a caller to 1010 talk radio in toronto just said: "we don't know what was in that pipe."

pure, uncut denial?
posted by ecourbanist at 12:43 PM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


Also missing the point, as the guys on air point out.

Who wants to make book on there being a Ford show on 1010 this Sunday?
posted by maudlin at 12:45 PM on October 31, 2013


a caller to 1010 talk radio in toronto just said: "we don't know what was in that pipe."

Criminal VFX artists edited out the bubbles!
posted by jason_steakums at 12:46 PM on October 31, 2013 [2 favorites]


Also: whoa. I think the good bus Toronto Sun just reversed, went forward, and reversed again.
posted by maudlin at 12:46 PM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


a caller to 1010 talk radio in toronto just said: "we don't know what was in that pipe."

It could have been literally any illegal drug, and yet the liberal media is rushing to judgment.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 12:47 PM on October 31, 2013 [4 favorites]


I think a lot of the casual supporters just enjoy seeing him get away with shit. And, tying in other recent news, you can't look past the Lance Armstrong effect.. Lance cured cancer, so he gets a pass, Rob cured gravy (by drinking it all).
posted by Chuckles at 12:47 PM on October 31, 2013 [2 favorites]


a caller to 1010 talk radio in toronto just said: "we don't know what was in that pipe."
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 12:48 PM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


I think Rob Ford's optimum strategy at this point might be to deny the existence of Bill Blair.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 12:48 PM on October 31, 2013 [7 favorites]


Fuck Boston is a pretty funny article tho tbph.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 12:50 PM on October 31, 2013


Gawker knows exactly what they want to be, and it's not long-form investigative journalism of local politicians in foreign countries.

(And yeah, the Fuck Boston post is hilarious)
posted by no regrets, coyote at 12:51 PM on October 31, 2013


Streaming Newstalk 1010 here.
posted by Theta States at 12:52 PM on October 31, 2013


I wonder if the Toronto Sun will highlight this bit from the surveillance report on Lisi and Ford:

269. ...
d) At 9:07 PM, Mayor Rob FORD enters the ESSO Station through the front door .
e) Mayor Rob FORD selects a Toronto Sun newspaper and pays for his purchase .

posted by Kabanos at 12:52 PM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


DC's Marrion Barry, now this guy...Are there ANY MAYORS IN NORTH AMERICA THAT AREN'T ON CRACK?!?!
posted by Cookiebastard at 12:53 PM on October 31, 2013


e) Mayor Rob FORD selects a Toronto Sun newspaper and pays for his purchase .

So the accusations of shoplifting are just lies, then. Vindicated.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 12:54 PM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


Wow, that article in The Card Cheat's comment is crazy. People saying it's only crack, what's the big deal? Others saying that until they see the video it's all propaganda.

They can still like the guy, but it's staggering that they still think he should be mayor.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 1:01 PM on October 31, 2013


Former Ford staffers are taking questions in a live chat at the Sun right now.

(You know that queasy feeling you always had on November 1 when you were a kid? I think I'm going to feel that tomorrow for the first time in years, but it won't be from the chocolate bars I'm handing out tonight.)
posted by maudlin at 1:03 PM on October 31, 2013


I am picturing a giant suit-clad Rob Ford striding around Toronto smashing the buildings of foes and friends alike, then climbing the CN tower and falling to his death when he loses his grip as he reaches out to swat just one more police helicopter out of the air.
posted by jamjam at 1:07 PM on October 31, 2013 [2 favorites]


Rob Ford Office Halloween video (warning! as Bizarre as you expect it will be!) was the great lead up to this.
posted by chapps at 1:08 PM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


Others saying that until they see the video it's all propaganda.

Is there a chance that these are the same people that four months ago were saying that there is no video and who four months from now, having seen it, will declare it is obviously fake? Sherlock Holmes used to lecture people on the dangers of starting from a conclusion and working backwards to the evidence.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 1:09 PM on October 31, 2013


They can still like the guy, but it's staggering that they still think he should be mayor.

Ignoring his personal life, Rob Ford is absolutely correct in saying that he is doing what he was elected to do. His supporters are getting what they voted for in that regard, and are happy to dismiss everything else as attempts to bring him down.

It's a pretty powerful narrative - the outsider, anti-liberal good guy from the burbs comes in and starts cleaning house but runs up against fierce opposition from the "latte-sipping" elite who are obviously in control of the media, police, law, unions and anyone else who oppose the Ford Nation.
posted by davey_darling at 1:09 PM on October 31, 2013


He's lost the Sun.
posted by saturday_morning at 1:10 PM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


Local talk radio show brought to you "by your local Ford dealers" today.
posted by no regrets, coyote at 1:11 PM on October 31, 2013 [4 favorites]


My favorite underreaction:
“Following him constantly, that’s harassment, I’d say.”
posted by muddgirl at 1:13 PM on October 31, 2013


John Tory on 1010 is saying that there are wiretaps and that the contents will probably be explosive.

I suspect that he may not wait until February to declare that he's going to run.
posted by maudlin at 1:13 PM on October 31, 2013


GAME OVER, MAN.
posted by Theta States at 1:13 PM on October 31, 2013


> Ignoring his personal life, Rob Ford is absolutely correct in saying that he is doing what he was elected to do.

But he's not, really. According to Ford For Toronto council scorecard, he's only won 54.7% of council votes since he was elected, which is staggeringly low for a mayor. Remember all the shit he said he wanted to do when he got elected? Close libraries! Lay off tons of city workers! Privatize EVERYTHING. Well, he wasn't able to get much of it done after a brief honeymoon period shortly after he took office (when he killed Transit City and partially privatized garbage pickup), in large part because he's incapable of compromising or building consensus. This opens the door to a candidate (*cough* John Tory *cough*) who can say s/he supports similar policies but can actually get stuff done because they're not a fucking idiot (that last part will be left unsaid).
posted by The Card Cheat at 1:18 PM on October 31, 2013 [2 favorites]


Rob Ford is absolutely correct in saying that he is doing what he was elected to do.

[edit - Card Cheat nails it.]

Rob Ford kicked some union ass when he first got into office; we have some friends who work for the city and they had grudging praise on that score. And he yanked back a hated car surtax. Since then...there was a high-dollar 3rd party audit of the city finances which basically concluded that there wasn't really much gravy to trim, his brother Doug promised us a ferris wheel, then a casino, and Rob's been an obstacle in any transit discussions, with his subway demands, for which there really isn't the funding, cos his political bedfellows the federal Conservatives make abysmally low contributions to urban transit compared to other countries.

So all the serious city issues are just being kicked into the future.

And he fundraises for his football kids. And kisses the odd baby.

So, if that's what he said he'd do if elected, I missed it.
posted by Artful Codger at 1:19 PM on October 31, 2013


Rob Ford kicked some union ass when he first got into office

Pft. The unions entered the negotiations with the city with an initial bargaining position of a wage freeze for the next three years. That was their opening position! Rob Ford did well in his union negotiations because he was playing on the absurdly easy trainer level.
posted by mightygodking at 1:24 PM on October 31, 2013 [3 favorites]


But he's not, really.

So, if that's what he said he'd do if elected, I missed it.

His supporters will still argue that he is doing the best he can for them but he is being held back by his opponents.

I will admit that I haven't studied his political record closely and may have been blowing a bit of smoke up there.
posted by davey_darling at 1:25 PM on October 31, 2013


After all this, just imagine how much celebratory crack Ford's gonna smoke when he wins the election next year. Like, all of it. All the crack. No more crack left for anyone else. Hundreds of crack-requisitioning subways, scouring the city.
posted by Mike Smith at 1:25 PM on October 31, 2013 [8 favorites]


Matt Elliott explains Toronto media for you: "Left-wing news sources: Star, Globe, Post, Sun. Right-wing news sources: That dude calling in to AM radio, comment threads."
posted by maudlin at 1:29 PM on October 31, 2013 [10 favorites]


maudlin, I just noticed we are neighbours...on that note, notice the east end bias of free Sun distribution? Nothing west of University, and not even St George! /not at work today anyways
posted by avocet at 1:30 PM on October 31, 2013


avocet, you're right. I checked even for Keele station, but I guess it was too close to High Park yuppie scum and the New Queen St. West of the Junction.

Now Matt Elliott remembers that it's Halloween and decides to scare us: "In an alternate universe: @towhey still chief of staff, Ford goes to rehab over summer, comes back and delivers Scarborough subway, wins."
posted by maudlin at 1:33 PM on October 31, 2013


TIL that there's a Canadian politician named John Tory, which is kind of like an American politician named Bob Republican.
posted by Halloween Jack at 1:39 PM on October 31, 2013 [11 favorites]


I love how The Star has repeatedly used Humbertown Plaza to represent Ford Nation Ground Zero.
posted by Evstar at 1:39 PM on October 31, 2013 [2 favorites]


Toronto's other two major dailies, the Globe and Mail and the National Post have joined the Star and the Sun in saying that Ford must resign.

You have no idea how high up this thing goes.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 1:40 PM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]




The Globe piece is from Marcus Gee. (I was surprised, too, until I clicked through and saw his byline) The Invisible Editors at the Globe have not posted anything yet on this.
posted by maudlin at 1:43 PM on October 31, 2013


TIL that there's a Canadian politician named John Tory, which is kind of like an American politician named Bob Republican.

More accurately it would be a politician named Bob Gop.

(for the information of others, "Tory" is the colloquial term for Conservative in Canada, Liberals are "Grits")
posted by davey_darling at 1:43 PM on October 31, 2013


Best typo of the day, from this shot in the National Post: "A photo included in the ITO document pertaining to Alexander Lisi. This shows Ford in a connivence store after exchanging a bag with Lisi."
posted by maudlin at 1:46 PM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


> This tweet and responses are gold I tell you, gold

404... mislink or baleeted. What was it?
posted by ardgedee at 1:49 PM on October 31, 2013


Police 'botched' Mayor Ford probe, Ruby says

With all the non-crack tape evidence being released today, it does make you wonder why the police, who have the power to arrest and search when they witness "hand to hand" transactions*, never searched his car, never tapped his phone, never brought him in for questioning....

* and this happens all the time if you are not the (rich, white) mayor of Toronto
posted by The Card Cheat at 1:54 PM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


TIL that there's a Canadian politician named John Tory, which is kind of like an American politician named Bob Republican.

I went to high school with a girl who was the daughter of the local Conservative MP, and her first name was Tory.
posted by Flashman at 1:54 PM on October 31, 2013


It's a pretty powerful narrative - the outsider, anti-liberal good guy from the burbs comes in and starts cleaning house but runs up against fierce opposition from the "latte-sipping" elite who are obviously in control of the media, police, law, unions and anyone else who oppose the Ford Nation.

I feel that if anyone else was in his position right now Ford would be calling for their resignation—and he'd say himself he would have resigned. It's a funny, if predictable, sort of hypocrisy.
posted by onwords at 1:54 PM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


This tweet and responses are gold I tell you, gold.

I think they got detweeted.
posted by sebastienbailard at 2:00 PM on October 31, 2013


Police 'botched' Mayor Ford probe, Ruby says

It's possible, but I think it's also pretty likely that Ford is involved in more than just buying and using crack. Busting Ford on a minor drug charge just pisses everyone off with little benefit - he's rich so there's some other reasonable explanation for what he was doing, maybe he settles for a misdemeanor fine. The real dirt the police seem to be whatever happened with the cover-up.
posted by muddgirl at 2:01 PM on October 31, 2013 [2 favorites]


If anyone wants to write to the Mayor's office to demand an explanation/resignation, here is the link.

Goodness knows he'll claim he's gotten so-and-so-many calls and letters telling him to keep up the fight, but we might as well add to the other side of the scale.
posted by saturday_morning at 2:02 PM on October 31, 2013


> The real dirt the police seem to be whatever happened with the cover-up.

Yes, this is a possibility....pleasepleaseplease.
posted by The Card Cheat at 2:04 PM on October 31, 2013


From the CBC: Rob Ford's bad day as seen on tv.
posted by maudlin at 2:18 PM on October 31, 2013


> With all the non-crack tape evidence being released today, it does make you wonder why the police, who have the power to arrest and search when they witness "hand to hand" transactions*, never searched his car, never tapped his phone, never brought him in for questioning

Well-connected and well-off people are never hauled in as readily as the poor and disenfranchised, because they have the resources to ensure the system favors them -- better lawyers, personal networks, and so on. So the case against them has to be iron-fucking-clad and left, somehow, beyond the reach of interested bodies that could tamper with the evidence or discredit it.

Somebody like you or me could be arrested and persecuted on a drug charge on relatively threadbare yet tangible material evidence, like a baggie of something that might-or-might-not've been planted on you. Somebody who's living hand-to-mouth can go to jail on the say-so of a police witness.

I don't think it's fair and I don't think it's right, but making speculative accusations like this amounts to complaining about how wet the rain is.
posted by ardgedee at 2:20 PM on October 31, 2013 [4 favorites]


Kinsella also thinks Blair's claim that they only retrieved the video this week is pretty fishy. Also: this is (somewhat?) bad news for Harper.
They get the hard drive that everyone on the planet has been looking for on June 13, 2013 – and, 138 days later – the army of cops working this file decide to, you know, take a look.

Do you believe that? I sure don’t.

I mean, if it’s true, it certainly explains why the RCMP had no objection when PMO was planning that September press conference, doesn’t it? Toronto cops didn’t tell them, because Toronto cops didn’t know what they had.

But – having a been a cop reporter, way back when – I don’t believe for a New York Minute that Toronto forensic types didn’t go over that hard drive with a nit comb back in June. If they didn’t do that, they all deserve to be fired for gross incompetence. I mean, it was only the most sought-after video in the world.

Something smells, here. And, if the Commissioner of the RCMP wasn’t on the blower to Chief Blair after his little press conference – saying something like: “Did it occur to you to check all the evidence you possessed before we put the Prime Minister of Canada beside the target of a criminal investigation? Did you, perchance, have the Prime Minister under surveillance when you apparently had your mayor under surveillance? Planned to tell us about that?”

It wouldn’t be a happy conversation.
posted by maudlin at 2:23 PM on October 31, 2013


As a data point in terms of polarization, consider Calgary and Toronto as three-way mayoral elections in 2010.

[Checks Homeboy Trouble's profile … "Of the extremely nerdy math sort."]

Indeed. I have been bested.

I guess I'm not really trying to argue that there wasn't (or isn't) any polarization of left and right in Toronto (there certainly is). But I'm more of the nerdy artsy sort, so that stark two-color blue-red map has always bugged me for its lack of subtlety. Like for some reason I'm automatically supposed to man the bastions of the Ford fortress along the banks of the Humber, simply because I live in Etobicoke. That map became lazy proof for some people that the old city and the amalgamated boroughs are divided into two solitudes.

Numbers like you've presented tell a bit more of the story. I've also just found this great map, which shows Ford votes by poll. It's from Patrick Cain, who does argue that it's a divide between the civic cultures of urban and suburban. Other maps suggest that there are race, income, and class factors that lead to low voter turn-out. And it's interesting that these areas roughly correspond to areas of strong Ford support. Good at getting the base out? or suppressing the vote?? Also just found Who Elected Rob Ford, and Why?: An Ecological Analysis of the 2010 Toronto Election for my evening reading.
posted by Kabanos at 2:25 PM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


When was Harper last photographed standing next to Ford? Was it before or after the Gawker article?
posted by KokuRyu at 2:26 PM on October 31, 2013


KokuRyu, it was well after: September 22 (published September 24).
posted by maudlin at 2:30 PM on October 31, 2013


They get the hard drive that everyone on the planet has been looking for on June 13, 2013 – and, 138 days later – the army of cops working this file decide to, you know, take a look.

Recovering deleted files isn't as easy as just "taking a look," especially if you have several suspect hard drives and don't know which one the video was on.
posted by muddgirl at 2:30 PM on October 31, 2013 [2 favorites]


When was Harper last photographed standing next to Ford? Was it before or after the Gawker article?

Just over a month ago.
posted by davey_darling at 2:30 PM on October 31, 2013


Check out this CBC timeline of Rob Ford incidents. At first just a few, but then so many you have to zoom in to see them all properly.
posted by The Card Cheat at 2:34 PM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


From the 10 highlights link (and also heard this on CBC radio this morning): "Police conducted aerial surveillance".

Is aerial surveillance normal for tracking a drug dealer?
posted by chapps at 2:38 PM on October 31, 2013


There's also the murder of one of the guys in the photo with Ford, which is probably why they devoted police resources to. Mayor takes drugs ... eh ... Mayor somehow linked to murder? That's something the cops can't ignore and worth aerial surveillance.
posted by captaincrouton at 2:48 PM on October 31, 2013




I love a news conference that ends with tire squeals.
posted by Capt. Renault at 2:52 PM on October 31, 2013 [5 favorites]


Is aerial surveillance normal for tracking a drug dealer?

Probably not, but they were following people who were using sophisticated methods to evade their pursuers - in one case they said that Lisi took 45 minutes for a trip that should have taken 10.
posted by davey_darling at 2:54 PM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


>When was Harper last photographed standing next to Ford? Was it before or after the Gawker article?

Just over a month ago.


Jesus Christ, the PM's hair helmet must hide a head comprised entirely of bone.
posted by KokuRyu at 2:57 PM on October 31, 2013 [5 favorites]


Electronic version of the Sun's 24-page special afternoon edition.

With 16 full pages of ads. Which somehow feels appropriate.

Also, I wonder how that works from a business perspective. "Hey advertisers, were putting out a special crack mayor issue? Want in?"
posted by MCMikeNamara at 3:12 PM on October 31, 2013 [2 favorites]


Mayor takes drugs ... eh ...

On the face of it I can see the rationale for the shrug, but people in elected office who are engaged in illegal activities leave themselves open to criminals having leverage on them. Much was made of Ford writing a glowing letter of reference for Lisi recently. Lisi, who seems to be charged with extortion today. Hunh.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 3:13 PM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


From the 10 highlights link (and also heard this on CBC radio this morning): "Police conducted aerial surveillance".

I look forward to playing the mission in GTA VI: GTA where you have to shake a four-star wanted level after picking up Mayor Blob Gord's "dry-cleaning".
posted by [expletive deleted] at 3:15 PM on October 31, 2013 [7 favorites]


GTA V
posted by The Card Cheat at 3:18 PM on October 31, 2013 [2 favorites]


If only Toronto had an expanded subway system, he could have taken more of his dealings underground and avoided that pesky aerial surveillance!
posted by jason_steakums at 3:39 PM on October 31, 2013 [5 favorites]


Meanwhile, a strange cloud gathers above the headquarters of the Toronto Sun- flashing lights and marvelous colors can be observed within. From Sue-Ann Levy's office, gibbering laughter can be heard, interspersed with unearthly shrieks and moans, and the sounds of reedy pipes playing unspeakable musics.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 3:43 PM on October 31, 2013 [2 favorites]


Meanwhile, a strange cloud gathers above the headquarters of the Toronto Sun- flashing lights and marvelous colors can be observed within.

Yeah, but this time around the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man is on his way out of town.
posted by Cosine at 3:45 PM on October 31, 2013 [3 favorites]



> Ignoring his personal life, Rob Ford is absolutely correct in saying that he is doing what he was elected to do.

But he's not, really. According to Ford For Toronto council scorecard, he's only won 54.7% of council votes since he was elected, which is staggeringly low for a mayor. Remember all the shit he said he wanted to do when he got elected? Close libraries! Lay off tons of city workers! Privatize EVERYTHING.


Actually, if I recall, in his election campaign he swore/promised/crossmyheart to cut the city budget without cutting any services! (which is unrealistic, but hey). Only after he got in, he went trying to slash libraries and transit, which didn't exactly work, thankfully, but which makes him out to be a liar. Except for the fact that he is a big baby who has no mental concept of discerning between truth and untruth, reality and unreality. So in that respect, the difference between honesty and dishonesty doesn't really apply to him, because he is too deficient to really understand the difference.
posted by ovvl at 3:53 PM on October 31, 2013


>When was Harper last photographed standing next to Ford? Was it before or after the Gawker article?

Just over a month ago.

Jesus Christ, the PM's hair helmet must hide a head comprised entirely of bone.


... or Ford and/or Lisi have something on him
posted by philip-random at 3:56 PM on October 31, 2013


> he is too deficient to really understand the difference.

In a lot of ways he really is the worst politician I've ever seen. Not worst in terms of his policies or beliefs (although they're terrible, to be sure), the worst in terms of being able to get his agenda from point A to point B. He has one approach - DO AS I SAY - and if that doesn't work he freaks out and throws a tantrum. This probably worked pretty well at the sticker factory where he was the boss' kid, but it's not an effective political strategy.
posted by The Card Cheat at 3:58 PM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


For some reason I can't help but imagining Lester and Jimmy from the Wire doing the whole investigation of Ford against their superiors' will.
posted by localhuman at 3:58 PM on October 31, 2013 [11 favorites]


This probably worked pretty well at the sticker factory where he was the boss' kid, but it's not an effective political strategy.

He's been on council since 2000, so you couldn't exactly call him a failed politician. I do wonder how much he is being manipulated by his brother (who has the eyes of a serial killer, or, at the very least, a sadist) and others.
posted by KokuRyu at 4:06 PM on October 31, 2013


That's true, I always forget how long he was on council. Okay, let's put it this way; freaking out and throwing tantrums was cool as long as he was a councilman whose raison d'être it was to get upset about things, but as mayor...well, here we are.
posted by The Card Cheat at 4:13 PM on October 31, 2013


This probably worked pretty well at the sticker factory where he was the boss' kid, but it's not an effective political strategy.

TIL Rob Ford is the son of a sticker magnate.
posted by dirigibleman at 4:20 PM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]




It's real... and it's spectacular.
posted by saturday_morning at 4:27 PM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


I just serve 'em up, folks.
posted by maudlin at 4:28 PM on October 31, 2013


> TIL Rob Ford is the son of a sticker magnate.

Magnets are also stickers. But we don't know how they work. Which says a lot, really.
posted by ardgedee at 4:38 PM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


Facebook and the crazy wing in Ontario is adopting the "WHAT HE DOES ON HIS OWN TIME IS HIS OWN BUSINESS" line. Also "HE MAKES POOR PERSNUL DECISIONS BUT GOOD BIZNISS DECISIONS SO I SUPPORTS HIM."

I know one of these people. I know he graduated high school. I saw him do it. I have no idea how on God's green earth he manages to parse all this and come out Rob Ford.
posted by Shepherd at 4:40 PM on October 31, 2013


My dad, my sister and I have been in it over Facebook today with a lurking, spectatorial glow that must be the present-day parallel to TV-dinner and Watergate.+
posted by Evstar at 4:48 PM on October 31, 2013


Those of you who get TVO should tune in to The Agenda tonight at 8 (repeat at 11) to catch MeFi's Own (really), plus others, discussing Ford.

On checking: hey, there's a live feed! Go here.
posted by maudlin at 4:54 PM on October 31, 2013 [2 favorites]


Actually, if I recall, in his election campaign he swore/promised/crossmyheart to cut the city budget without cutting any services! (which is unrealistic, but hey).

He didn't just promise to cut the budget; he swore, in public, repeatedly, that there were millions in savings that could be found, and it wouldn't affect services one bit.

Most of the time I think he even believed it himself. Almost as if the savings were these grand creatures he could actually see, plain as day, roaming the Councillors' offices - but all the other grownups had forgotten how to see them. He would make us remember again.

But the most amazing thing was watching his supporters' faces when people tried to calmly explain to them why his statements were insane. They wanted to believe. They wanted to believe so. much.
posted by Mike Smith at 5:01 PM on October 31, 2013 [6 favorites]




The one person I know who admits to having voted for Rob Ford was abjectly begging for forgiveness the last time I saw him. This was *before* the crack video even happened.
posted by The Card Cheat at 5:18 PM on October 31, 2013


The weirdest thing for me is that RoFo is such a gifted retail politician that if he'd just admitted everything when the Gawker/Star article came out and gone into rehab he'd have been re-elected in a landslide. Even *I* have a weird soft spot for him (which I really don't understand or defend). But just continually doubling down, it's going to end in a disaster for him, most likely if Lisi flips and implicates him in the extortion or something similar, in which case he goes down for conspiracy.

Lisi is clearly the important player here. He knows everything.
posted by sweet mister at 5:33 PM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


The weirdest thing for me is that RoFo is such a gifted retail politician

He absolutely is, and while I never lived in his ward when I lived in Toronto, his constituents were by all accounts very happy with him. The returning of every phone call, the knowing who to talk to to get a pothole fixed, the personal visits to mediate disputes between neighbours: this is the sort of thing few of us have as a representative on city council. The problem is the figured being mayor would be the same, but with a bigger office. Toronto is the biggest city in the country and has a bigger economy than most provinces. Maybe it is not the best use of the mayor's time to be coaching football, or, when the mood takes him to come to work, assessing piles of sand.

But I agree with your larger points. At any day from at least the day six months ago when the video story broke up until last night, he could have gone to a lectern and read a brief statement letting everyone know that he had consulted with his family and decided to seek treatment of substance abuse, so he would be stepping down for ninety days, he would likely have been redeemed in almost everyone's eyes. But he has instead chosen to implicate essentially everyone with a public profile (all of the media, other levels of government, his own council, the chief of police) in a vast conspiracy to drive him out of office and keep him from saving you, the taxpayer, money.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 5:55 PM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


He should do a stint in the Marion Berry Home for People Like Marion Berry
posted by 4ster at 6:00 PM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


Wouldn't that just be Marion Berry's house? Because that sounds like a bad place for him to go.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 6:06 PM on October 31, 2013 [2 favorites]


When you've lost Sue-Ann Levy ...
posted by maudlin at 6:18 PM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


Toronto Star's Public Editor: Now, do you believe the Star?

Oh snap.
posted by Lemurrhea at 6:29 PM on October 31, 2013


The taking time out for rehab strategy only works if the worst thing out there is a video of you smoking crack.
All the mea culpas in the world won't help if the video is not the worst thing out there.
posted by fullerine at 6:46 PM on October 31, 2013


I can't help but think that Rob Ford vs the Senate would make for some great reality TV.
posted by Maugrim at 6:46 PM on October 31, 2013


Ford's only political future right now is a seat in the Senate
posted by Flashman at 7:00 PM on October 31, 2013 [3 favorites]


hey Toronto media creatives community, where is Degrassi High parody of Rob Ford's career already. Didn't he grow up near Degrassi. I suggest a Bugsy Malone type deal

In 2007, the current incarnation of Degrassi had a principal who referred to himself 'The Shep', was sexist to the female students, only really cared about the football team, gave himself a made up principal of the year award, and was fired after calling one of the main female high school characters "a little bitch."

This was 3 years before Ford took office, but might be the Canadian equivalent of when something really weird happens in real life that was a gag on The Simpsons or South Park years earlier.
posted by riruro at 7:02 PM on October 31, 2013 [2 favorites]


The cops have mentioned several videos. Rumours about what is on one of them (sexually related and potentially criminal) have been flying about, as well as connections to sex workers, showdowns in strip bars and so on. There are also rumours of stuff about Doug Ford which has yet to come out.

The forum on UrbanToronto is usually the best place to pick this stuff up.
posted by sweet mister at 7:02 PM on October 31, 2013 [2 favorites]


In not-really-related news, a woman was arrested at Montreal's Trudeau airport today with three crack-o-lanterns.
posted by oulipian at 7:05 PM on October 31, 2013 [2 favorites]


I feel like the lack of a Ford stop and frisk during the surveillance has less to do with him being the Mayor and more to do with the fact that they were not really looking for a summary conviction on possession if it screwed up a murder and trafficking investigation.
posted by jacquilynne at 7:05 PM on October 31, 2013 [4 favorites]


I kind of wish that any two media outlets in the world other than the Toronto Star and Gawker had gotten the scoop on the original video.
posted by 256 at 7:09 PM on October 31, 2013


Yes Rob Ford was a success as a city councilor. That's where that 'everyman' schtick worked just fine. You could call him about your pothole and he'd burn up the phone lines to get it fixed. He never had a serious policy platform in council though, other than tax less, spend less, but it wasn't as if he was mayor.

Then, he was elected mayor. And he's been totally out of his depth, and sorely lacking the skills necessary to lead a big city. Hell, he can't even just pretend to be effective. Just about every public appearance has been cringe-worthy. With approx 2.6 million people in Toronto, I don't think he has enough time to fix potholes for everyone.
posted by Artful Codger at 7:09 PM on October 31, 2013


In 2007, the current incarnation of Degrassi had a principal who referred to himself 'The Shep', was sexist to the female students, only really cared about the football team, gave himself a made up principal of the year award, and was fired after calling one of the main female high school characters "a little bitch."

This was 3 years before Ford took office, but might be the Canadian equivalent of when something really weird happens in real life that was a gag on The Simpsons or South Park years earlier.


For a real Degrassi parallel, the Ford saga would have to build and build and end in something really terrible happening and then never be mentioned again starting immediately the next episode.
posted by jason_steakums at 7:12 PM on October 31, 2013 [1 favorite]


NewsTalk 1010, the station that broadcasts the Ford show on Sundays, is live right now with very conservative host Jerry Agar and former Ford staffer Mark Towhey.

Oh, you poor dears. You have Jerry Agar as a local AM talk radio jock? Ugh. We had him here in Raleigh for a couple of years. He was horrible - a classic case of conservative echo chamber mouthpiece, routinely flailing around the nuances of complex issues in order to boost the stereotypical conservative talking points he got from Republican Central each afternoon.

Watching him dance around the revelations that his favorite mayor is a crack-smoking whore would be delicious, though, so I guess I envy you that.
posted by mediareport at 7:21 PM on October 31, 2013


AM 640 host Bill Carroll challenges a caller defending RoFo and accuses him of being Rob Ford using a pseudonym. Caller abruptly hangs up.
posted by sweet mister at 7:39 PM on October 31, 2013 [15 favorites]


I'm listening to Jack Berkovits on 1010 right now. He's disgusted with Ford, too. Is there anyone left on talk radio who will defend him?

Oh -- wait -- Bill Carroll is back in Toronto? On 640? It was supposed to be a swap of Bill for Jerry Agar! We aren't supposed to have them both!

(Because even if they're deserting Ford now, they still say and support a lot of vile shit.)
posted by maudlin at 7:43 PM on October 31, 2013


There seems to be a correlation between holders of public office and substance abuse problems. Perhaps as a public health policy we should subject politicians to regular screening for these problems. They could then be directed to programs for treatment. This information could also be shared with the voters.
posted by humanfont at 8:00 PM on October 31, 2013


Missed this earlier from Goldsbie: "From the cover of tomorrow's Star: a photo of @robyndoolittle in that parked car with Mohamed Siad".
posted by maudlin at 8:29 PM on October 31, 2013


So what happens if he refuses to resign?

Nothing. There is no mechanism to remove a sitting mayor unless he is convicted of a crime and misses three council meetings due to his incarceration. Interestingly, I think council could take a budget vote and reduce the mayor's office budget to zero, paralyzing him in many ways. Given RoFo's traditional calls to spend less on government, this would be both poetically just and hilarious.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 8:32 PM on October 31, 2013 [8 favorites]


The most amazing video I've seen of Ford is when he makes it clear that he doesn't know the difference between a Streetcar and an LRT--two completely different modes of transportation--even though he'd repeatedly blocked development to the city's transit while oblivious to his ignorance.

Unbelievable.
posted by dobbs at 9:26 PM on October 31, 2013 [2 favorites]


Dead Weight
posted by KokuRyu at 9:27 PM on October 31, 2013


My guess is he resigns Friday.
posted by rocket88 at 10:58 PM on October 31, 2013


Elena Basso, in whose house he smoked crack, has prostitution convictions for a start. But by some accounts that really is just the start.
posted by sweet mister at 12:44 AM on November 1, 2013


He's not resigning. Hell, his lawyer is demanding that Blair resign, that the tape be released to the public immediately because it will exonerate him, and is claiming that the Lisi documents prove that he never bought crack.
posted by The Card Cheat at 5:03 AM on November 1, 2013


I hate to say it, but even at this late date, Ford could still cop to the "I have a problem" excuse, take a 6 month leave of absence for "rehab" somewhere nice and warm (for bonus marks, bariatric surgery, anger management, and maybe Dale Carnegie courses) and stage a triumphant, heartwarming comeback. Film rights still available.

Will he, though? Only thing that will shut this guy down is being charged, convicted, and jailed, and that will take years.
posted by Artful Codger at 5:18 AM on November 1, 2013


He could go on a long vacation with Bob Filner from San Diego. Just a couple of guys out on a road trip, a couple of keys of blow, some hotties to grope, and the open road. They'd come back refreshed and ready to start governing again.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 5:29 AM on November 1, 2013 [1 favorite]


"It is inconceivable that the Rob Ford story does not get more wild from here". What exactly went on in the after-hours club?
posted by sweet mister at 5:30 AM on November 1, 2013


I know he's far too stubborn and egotistical (and very likely denial of his addictions) to resign over the crack video allegations. But he has all four Toronto dailies calling for him to quit, he'll lose every staffer and City Hall ally he has over the course of today, at least those who want to continue their careers, and nobody in the legitimate world will ever meet or be seen with him any more.
He won't be able to avoid resigning over that.
posted by rocket88 at 5:51 AM on November 1, 2013


I'd like to congratulate Toronto for the strong challenge to Detroit's status of having the most head-clutchingly bizarre political scandal in North America yet this century. I didn't think you had it in you.
posted by ardgedee at 5:58 AM on November 1, 2013 [7 favorites]


He won't be able to avoid resigning over that.

I think 2013 has taught us that there is a considerable list of things that Rob Ford is able to avoid resigning over.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 6:11 AM on November 1, 2013 [8 favorites]


Torontoist has a nice summary of why Rob Ford won't resign.
posted by Gortuk at 6:15 AM on November 1, 2013


Good morning. Ugh.

Ford's lawyer has spoken.

He says that the video will vindicate Ford and/or that the entire investigation, by Blair's own account, does not provide sufficient evidence to bring charges against Ford. THERE IS NO LEGAL CASE AGAINST FORD RIGHT NOW. We are in agreement.

OTOH, he's claiming that Blair's comments are prejudicing a non-existent case against Ford. The wha?

Also:

Newstalk 1010 announced a few minutes ago that the Fords haven't decided whether they're going on air; station management hasn't decided whether to keep them; they're getting pressure from some listeners to drop them.

The Globe has come out with a tepid "Ford has to talk to us" editorial which includes the statement that the public should see the tape. So I'd say that the count of Toronto papers who have definitely asked him to step down is still at 3 out of 4.

Lisi will be in court this morning.

posted by maudlin at 6:15 AM on November 1, 2013


Here's what the hard-bitten Christie Blatchford has to say about the whole thing:

The streak of hypocrisy that runs through our country is wide and deep.

When Liberal leader Justin Trudeau this summer admitted he’d smoked weed a few times in the past — setting the precedent for other politicians, including Mr. Ford, to admit that they’d smoked it too — and announced he supported not just the decriminalization but the legalization of possessing small amounts of marijuana, it was to considerable approbation and even where there was upset, it was mild.

posted by KokuRyu at 6:21 AM on November 1, 2013


There have been very public calls for other resignations during Ford's tenure. Early on the directors of the Housing Corporation and the entire board were forced to resign after an audit. Even that big flap over a kid in a community centre photographed with his head on his desk. The head of the TTC was fired for publicly declaring that LRT was a better option than the subway that Ford wanted. Every councillor who voted to remove Webster should be likewise calling for Ford to resign now. Especially first-term councillor toadies like Cristani and Crawford (my representative when I lived in Toronto), who have been placed on the executive now because they've been nothing but faithful to the Fords.

The after-hours club guy seems to have ties to Green For Life, the company that received the contract for garbage removal in the west of the city.
posted by TimTypeZed at 6:45 AM on November 1, 2013 [1 favorite]


Here's what the hard-bitten Christie Blatchford has to say about the whole thing:

Christie B was on 1010 last evening as well, complaining about the hypocrisy of liberals (presumably the small-l kind, but it was hard to hear) who nodded approvingly at Justin Trudeau's revelation that he had been in thrall to the reefer, but who were shocked, shocked that the mayor of Toronto might be indulging in a friendly rock or two with his buddies. Her main point seemed to be that the Toronto police had wasted huge amounts of money with a months-long investigation that had netted one extortion charge.

In any event, I suspect that Ms Blatchford's finely-tuned outrage is conditional. If a photo existed of Thomas Mulcair or David Miller or Kathleen Wynne arm-in-arm with several people implicated in a drug investigation, one of whom had been murdered, her tone might not be so easygoing.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 6:52 AM on November 1, 2013 [3 favorites]


For some reason I can't help but imagining Lester and Jimmy from the Wire doing the whole investigation of Ford against their superiors' will.


Ha, I was just about to say that what this reminds me of most of all is Clay Davis and the attempts to bring im down in the Wire.
posted by Cannon Fodder at 6:53 AM on November 1, 2013


How does Toronto support four daily print newspapers in 2013?
posted by Chrysostom at 6:55 AM on November 1, 2013


Two of those are nationals and the other two have very different audiences.
posted by yellowbinder at 6:56 AM on November 1, 2013


On preview, what yellowbinder said: the Globe* and the Post are functionally national newspapers with headquarters that happen to be in Toronto. The other two are historically very different in their editorial stances, and in any event, all four have seen their circulation drop precipitously in recent years. So the terse answer is "barely."

*The Globe and Mail has a Toronto section if you buy it here. If you buy it in BC, there is no Toronto section but instead a BC section, and so on. Likewise the National Post has a Post Toronto section, which I suppose varies around the country ( I rarely buy it on the road).
posted by ricochet biscuit at 7:02 AM on November 1, 2013


Brother Doug restates that Rob is an honest man and makes the very good point that His Worship takes all kinds of photos and videos with all kinds of people, so how could he possibly be expected to remember every video he has ever been in? "The chief said there’s a video and I believe the chief. But again, when you’re the mayor, and people are taking tens of thousands of video shots of you and pictures, and if it happened a year ago, year and a half ago…do you remember the video that you took?”
posted by ricochet biscuit at 7:20 AM on November 1, 2013 [2 favorites]


and makes the very good point that His Worship takes all kinds of photos and videos with all kinds of people, so how could he possibly be expected to remember every video he has ever been in?

...thats... not really a good point at all. He didn't say, "I don't remember ever being filmed smoking crack!" He said, "Absolutely not true. It's ridiculous. It's another Toronto Star whatever." He said, "I do not use crack cocaine." He said, "Number one, there is no video. You can't comment on something that doesn't exist."

There is a very big difference between, "I don't recall that video" and "I have never done crack and those journalists are lying."
posted by muddgirl at 7:26 AM on November 1, 2013 [2 favorites]


Likewise the National Post has a Post Toronto section, which I suppose varies around the country ( I rarely buy it on the road).

In Quebec there's just an 8.5" x 11" sheet of paper that says "WE DO NOT UNDERSTAND YOU PEOPLE AND YOU TERRIFY US."
posted by Shepherd at 7:27 AM on November 1, 2013 [18 favorites]


Things I learned from the guy who sold me a paper this morning: a) the Toronto Sun sold out in record time today, and b) Rob Ford is doing a great job.
posted by The Card Cheat at 7:27 AM on November 1, 2013 [2 favorites]


...thats... not really a good point at all.

We grade the Ford brothers on a curve up here, muddgirl.
posted by maudlin at 7:31 AM on November 1, 2013 [1 favorite]


Brother Doug restates that Rob is an honest man and makes the very good point that His Worship takes all kinds of photos and videos with all kinds of people, so how could he possibly be expected to remember every video he has ever been in?

Ah, the John Latvis defence.
posted by frimble at 7:31 AM on November 1, 2013 [1 favorite]


Lawyer claims it's not crack.

"No one is going to approach the media with a video saying he's smoking tobacco or marijuana — it's not salacious enough,

YES THAT'S RIGHT OF COURSE IT WAS TOBACCO.
posted by molecicco at 7:42 AM on November 1, 2013


Ah, the John Latvis defence.

Haha, oh man. I give up. Their science is too tight. They're unbeatable.
posted by muddgirl at 7:45 AM on November 1, 2013


Oh. So our mayor was hanging our with drug dealers / drug users with something that looked like a crack pipe, which he heated from the bottom like a crack pipe, because he was pretending he was smoking crack while he was actually only smoking some weed.

That makes things all better.
posted by maudlin at 7:47 AM on November 1, 2013 [1 favorite]


...thats... not really a good point at all.

Irony is tricky. My point was that Brother Doug's defense here was that a video of His Worship firing up a rock in a crack house should be no different to anyone's mind than the thousands of time that someone says "Hey, Rob Ford! Can I get a picture with you?" and they stand shoulder to shoulder with cheesy grins while someone else deploys a phone camera and takes an Instagram.

I suppose this sort of defense would be a novel approach to, for example, a hit-and-run charge: "But officer, I drive 25,000 km a year! If you are telling me that somewhere in there I ran over somebody, well surely you don't expect me to recall everything that happened every minute I was behind the wheel?"
posted by ricochet biscuit at 7:50 AM on November 1, 2013 [2 favorites]


Oh. So our mayor was hanging our with drug dealers / drug users with something that looked like a crack pipe, which he heated from the bottom like a crack pipe, because he was pretending he was smoking crack while he was actually only smoking some weed.

And he didn't inhale!
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 7:52 AM on November 1, 2013


It's the Mr. Burns defence.
posted by The Card Cheat at 7:58 AM on November 1, 2013


Are they sure they want to go with tobacco?
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford said Monday that he “hates the smell” of cigarette smoke but will not support a ban on smoking in outdoor spaces.
posted by Hutch at 8:03 AM on November 1, 2013 [1 favorite]


(Sorry for misreading your tone, ricochet. It really is a masterful pivot, although a baldly obvious one - I could see it working as a defense of a completely different strategy than the one they tried to take. It's a not-so-subtle bit of retconning where you just pretend that you said what you should have said, rather than what you did say.)
posted by muddgirl at 8:06 AM on November 1, 2013 [1 favorite]


The tenor of Ford Nation seems to have shifted from, "Obviously there is no video, and those lying liberals at The Star made it up," to, "So he made a mistake. Who has never done that? Anyway, he still saves us money." In the Doug Ford radio bit I linked above, Doug implicitly asks he among you who is without sin to wind up your pitching arm.

He tells us that the good Rob has done for Toronto is ten thousand times as big as this, but "you're going to have your naysayers, the knives are out, and all the people that are holier-than-thou. that have never dine anything wrong in their lives, well God bless 'em, because they're a better person than I am." Grammatical shakiness notwithstanding, this is a startling new tack: yes, I, his closest confidant and advisor, knew nothing of this and anyone who thinks powerful elected officials should not be beholden to drug dealers is just a prig.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 8:17 AM on November 1, 2013


Don Peat of the Sun is reporting that Doug and Rob are having family meeting at their mom's house this morning. Maybe today's the day he announces a stint in rehab.
posted by The Card Cheat at 8:25 AM on November 1, 2013


Bob and Doug are at mom's house and bullethead Slurpee, Fridge Magnet and Business Card Sherpa Earl Provost has left the office for a meeting elsewhere. I'm expecting a resignation before too long. Don't know how even the Fords can continue to deny, and the family has too much to hide to not attempt to lower the heat. Thought he was about to give it up yesterday, but lost his nerve mid-sentence. Even felt a tinge of sympathy for the guy before he started into his bullshit about how he can't clear his name because it's before the courts.
posted by TimTypeZed at 8:27 AM on November 1, 2013


I presume the meeting is to discuss exactly how much the family is willing to pay Lisi to stay mum.
posted by Evstar at 8:28 AM on November 1, 2013 [2 favorites]


No matter what he does he will forever be a hero for his "nation" of followers - they will mutter darkly about "what they did to Rob" for the rest of their lives.
posted by davey_darling at 8:30 AM on November 1, 2013 [2 favorites]


So if Ford's Mom is anything like D'Angelo's Mom in The Wire: Nope. Not at all a sign that he's gonna resign. It looks as if they're really collectively digging in their heels.

(Prove me wrong, Fords! I can live with it.)
posted by maudlin at 8:35 AM on November 1, 2013


> ...Rob is an honest man and makes the very good point that His Worship takes all kinds of photos and videos with all kinds of people, so how could he possibly be expected to remember every video he has ever been in?

I recall Ronald Reagan making a similar defense in regards to approving something-or-other action which led to the Iran-Contra scandal, and being generally praised by political pundits in the major media for being so candid about his negligent attention to details.
posted by ardgedee at 8:48 AM on November 1, 2013


So if Rob Ford's defense ends up being that yes, of course, he occasionally stumbled through a crackhouse and frequently accidentally took a few puffs, it wasn't his fault, it's hard to keep track of those things when there's so much governin' to do... don't be too amazed.
posted by ardgedee at 8:52 AM on November 1, 2013 [1 favorite]


He's a man of the people! You can't clean up communities without getting down and dirty!
posted by muddgirl at 8:58 AM on November 1, 2013


there's so much governin' to do...

Governing. And coaching football. And making midnight rendezvous with friends behind the Shopper's Drug mart. It makes for a full day.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 9:14 AM on November 1, 2013


And you know splitting a bottle of vodka with your supplier before driving home is a perfectly natural way to end a long day.
posted by bonehead at 9:32 AM on November 1, 2013 [3 favorites]


Globe: "According to court documents, Toronto Mayor Rob Ford’s friend Alessandro Lisi's extortion charge is in relation to "threats or violence or menaces" he made to Mohamed Siad, the man who is believed to have tried to sell the video, and Liban Siyad, one of the accused in project Traveller, in an attempt to retrieve the video."
posted by maudlin at 9:38 AM on November 1, 2013


The video that's, like, totally no big deal.
posted by The Card Cheat at 9:39 AM on November 1, 2013 [3 favorites]


Crack-smoking aside, the vodka bottle stuff also really weirds me out. Even if the Ford Nation refuses to believe that he would smoke crack, aren't they at least worried about a mayor who downs bottles of vodka in the multiple as a matter of course?
posted by Kitteh at 9:39 AM on November 1, 2013


aren't they at least worried about a mayor who downs bottles of vodka in the multiple as a matter of course?

And then hops into his enormous SUV to cruise the streets of Toronto...

(he has long refused to hire a driver, for what are now obvious reasons)
posted by davey_darling at 9:41 AM on November 1, 2013 [1 favorite]




aren't they at least worried about a mayor who downs bottles of vodka in the multiple as a matter of course?

If the prevailing view in Ford Nation* is that the video of His Worship with a glass pipe is just harmless tobacco, I am sure it is a very short hop to Evian being stored in vodka bottles.


*I have travelled a great deal, but this is a land to which I have never been and will most likely never go.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 9:42 AM on November 1, 2013


Ford Nation is a party nation, after all.
posted by bonehead at 9:44 AM on November 1, 2013


Is Rob Ford Still Mayor
Best single purpose website around.
posted by cirhosis at 9:52 AM on November 1, 2013 [3 favorites]


Worrying about drunk driving is definitely an effete lefty thing here in Canada. There are a lot more effete lefties, so there is still strong consensus around not doing it. The bro types who are all gung ho about Ford though? No, they seriously don't care as long as he appears to keep their taxes low.
posted by Chuckles at 9:53 AM on November 1, 2013


"Rob Ford just waved to the CTV chopper hovering above him" - @NatalieCTV

This guy.
posted by 1UP at 9:57 AM on November 1, 2013 [1 favorite]


So was his hand emulating your handle when he waved?
posted by maudlin at 10:03 AM on November 1, 2013 [1 favorite]


I've been listening to 1010 all day, drinking their tasty, tasty tears. You created this monster, now take their calls and stop making up "technical issues".
posted by [expletive deleted] at 10:12 AM on November 1, 2013 [1 favorite]


Really? They're not taking calls?
posted by The Card Cheat at 10:15 AM on November 1, 2013


They are taking some calls, but lots of nonsense about their lines not working so they can spend more time to plead with their audience to listen to reason.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 10:18 AM on November 1, 2013


You can literally hear the froth around the mouths of the radio show callers.

(well, maybe not literally literally)
posted by davey_darling at 10:23 AM on November 1, 2013


Oh man, the hosts are losing it. "If it was Olivia Chow against Rob Ford, I'd vote for Ford again." and "The city needed an enema, and Rob Ford gave that enema."

And he cut off another caller. They are all sticking with Ford. "It doesn't matter what's in the pipe. It's an extortion charge!"
posted by [expletive deleted] at 10:24 AM on November 1, 2013


The evening and overnight guys, and their token Andrew Sullivan loving "lefty" this morning, were pretty critical of Ford.

OTOH, I started listening to Agar this morning, but after about 45 seconds, I just wanted to punch the world in the face, so I stopped.
posted by maudlin at 10:25 AM on November 1, 2013


They literally don't care about anything he does as long as he keeps their taxes low.

I wonder how many of those are from Rob "Ian" Ford or his brother?
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 10:25 AM on November 1, 2013


Is it just me, or is the host saying "physical conservative"? Can these people even read?
posted by [expletive deleted] at 10:27 AM on November 1, 2013 [1 favorite]


Could be his Canadian accent coming out.
posted by davey_darling at 10:43 AM on November 1, 2013


Is it just me, or is the host saying "physical conservative"? Can these people even read?

Conservatives who are concerned about what other people can/should do with their bodies are physical conservatives. :P
posted by mazola at 10:45 AM on November 1, 2013


Rob Ford has a very liberal physique
posted by KokuRyu at 10:47 AM on November 1, 2013 [4 favorites]


What do you mean? He's been conserving calories for decades!
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 10:48 AM on November 1, 2013 [1 favorite]


Now he's meeting with the TCHC CEO at an apartment building in Rexdale, like it's any other day. Looks like "anything else?" is going to be the strategy. I should have known. Well, good luck with that.
posted by The Card Cheat at 10:50 AM on November 1, 2013


So now I have been convinced to listen to AM talk radio. Ford really is a monster.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 10:59 AM on November 1, 2013 [2 favorites]


So now I have been convinced to listen to AM talk radio. Ford really is a monster.

This comment is oddly similar to my own experience. Ford really is a monster!
posted by Chuckles at 11:13 AM on November 1, 2013


/covers self with shame for being an enabler
posted by maudlin at 11:14 AM on November 1, 2013 [1 favorite]


Oh man, the last caller was just hammered, the host called him on it, and he copped to having a "few beers and a couple shots of whiskey".
posted by [expletive deleted] at 11:17 AM on November 1, 2013 [3 favorites]


Confused. 1010 is talking about "niggardly" and similar misconstrued words right now. 640, some other station, or a station on the astral plane?
posted by maudlin at 11:20 AM on November 1, 2013


New edition in the Taiwanese wacky video series.
posted by Paid In Full at 11:21 AM on November 1, 2013 [6 favorites]


The radio host earlier said that he had a call from a journalist who was looking for help finding Ford Nation supporters to interview that he could be sure weren't suffering from some form of mental illness.
posted by davey_darling at 11:27 AM on November 1, 2013 [1 favorite]


The "entomology" of niggardly. I'm dying here. Then he did an abortive impression of a dumb southerner that sounded more like someone who's never left Muskoka attempting a Bronx accent.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 11:33 AM on November 1, 2013 [1 favorite]


The "entomology" of niggardly.

Yeah, that sort of thing bugs me, too.

A suggestion from a poster at UrbanToronto:
What options do we as citizens have in this situation? There is no doubt the man should step down. Do we have any recourse to make this happen?

60 days of city council failing to meet quorum is an automatic call for a general election. Why this is a good idea:

1) Christmas season is coming up, making it easier. There would've been vacation anyhow.
2) There's already an election planned for next year, councillors are already preparing.
3) This would result in a much shorter campaign period (seriously, because 10 months is fucking ridiculous), and thus lower campaign costs.
4) Councillors could take the time to get more involved in their wards doing door to door work; taking away some of Ford's "uniqueness"
5) Incumbents would be at a serious advantage.
6) We'll see Ford turfed in an election that Ford Nation can't argue against, as it's been their mantra that Ford should only be removed "democratically" in an election.

Oh and 7) AFAIK the quorum rule doesn't apply to committees, so as much important work as possible could be shifted to committee meetings, to be "ratified" by council the very first meeting they come back.
But 60 days of apparent inaction (despite the committees), plus the additional time required to get an election going, may not play well in a city where a lot of people are exasperated with council anyway.
posted by maudlin at 11:50 AM on November 1, 2013


The "entomology" of niggardly.

Yeah, that sort of thing bugs me, too.


Well-played!
posted by ricochet biscuit at 12:17 PM on November 1, 2013 [1 favorite]


How Rob Ford is like the Khaleesi, courtesy of MFO Ivor Tossell.
The video exists! The blessed video, so longed-for that otherwise self-respecting citizens once whipped up $200,000 to buy it off a drug dealer, is real. The Police Chief told us so. Surely this—surely this!—will prove to everybody the self-evident truth of Rob Ford.

The video is sought after because we’re told it’s the one artifact that can dispatch Ford, a peculiar beast who’s proven indestructible by normal means. What do you do with the man who is, by any real standard, terrible at his job, yet is immune to assault from friend and foe, impervious to politicians and judges and editors and chiefs of police and, perhaps most miraculously, himself? How does one handle a man who’s spent three years self-destructing without actually going anywhere? Every three months, Ford erupts in a catastrophic self-immolation, but when the smoke clears, there he is sitting in the ashes, blinking like the Mother of Dragons, pink, pristine, and ready to go again. What do you do? ...
posted by maudlin at 1:10 PM on November 1, 2013


cirhosis: Is Rob Ford Still Mayor
Best single purpose website around.


I like this one better. Hit the refresh button like Ford hits the crack pipe.
posted by gman at 1:13 PM on November 1, 2013 [6 favorites]


How does Toronto support four daily print newspapers in 2013?

They're a democracy, they do it different
posted by Rykey at 1:50 PM on November 1, 2013


How does Toronto support four daily print newspapers in 2013?

The Star owns Kijiji, which is the most popular free-classified service in Canada despite being far less usable than Craigslist. The Globe is a national paper. The Sun is just one installment of a train of tabloids churned out across the country, and it is losing money. The Post is a national paper and it is losing gobs of money, has been for years.
posted by mightygodking at 1:54 PM on November 1, 2013 [1 favorite]


How does Toronto support four daily print newspapers in 2013?

Also, Torstar, the company that owns the Toronto Star, owns a number of properties, including the publisher of Harlequin Romances, and the popular job search site, Workopolis.
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 2:07 PM on November 1, 2013


Torstar's most interesting holding has to be the enigmatic Blue Ant Media.

The crack video story is too obviously a cover for the shenannigans of an emergent AI and/or the Russian mafia.
posted by bonehead at 2:37 PM on November 1, 2013 [1 favorite]


So the takeaway from this story is that the headline is wrong. NOT EVEN THIS. I swear to God, I'm starting to think Ford could get caught with a naked, dismembered eight-year-old boy in his car, and he would neither resign nor be removed from office.
posted by Fnarf at 2:41 PM on November 1, 2013


The Star owns Kijiji

Are you sure? I thought eBay owned Kijiji.
posted by davey_darling at 2:47 PM on November 1, 2013


'Merkan here, following this story with amusement. Welcome to the cracked-out politicians' club, northern neighbors!

In the vein of what others have mentioned re the unrelenting denial of Ford's followers-- I'm wondering whether Ford just resigning wouldn't be the best idea for his own political future. He could resign under some bullshit "I'm totally innocent, but the distractions caused by this VICIOUS SMEAR CAMPAIGN against me have made it impossible for me to govern effectively, thanks liberals!" pretense, escaping the headache of fighting accusations the rest of his term. His followers could bask in the assurance that their guy was framed, and Ford could score a decent gig as a media personality (or HILARIOUS bartender) somewhere.

I mean, there's the pending police investigation he'll have to answer for... but politicians have beat the rap before.
posted by Rykey at 2:50 PM on November 1, 2013


The CBC is reporting a sort of sidebar to this story: a leaked internal email by City Hall corporate security from St. Patrick's Day 2012. As you can probably guess, it seems like Ford was very, very drunk.
posted by saturday_morning at 3:06 PM on November 1, 2013 [1 favorite]


A grown man drunk on a Saturday night? Weak, even with the weaving and the red face and the swearing and the mysterious comments about other councillors.

As I said this spring, if you come at the Ford, you best not miss.
posted by maudlin at 3:09 PM on November 1, 2013


Yeah, I'm surprised CBC hyped it up so much. Maybe they feel left out.
posted by saturday_morning at 3:11 PM on November 1, 2013


He could resign under some bullshit "I'm totally innocent, but the distractions caused by this VICIOUS SMEAR CAMPAIGN against me have made it impossible for me to govern effectively, thanks liberals!" pretense,

He could, but odds are he won't; his style is more to dismiss whatever allegation comes up as unfounded lies cooked up by a cabal of people who love high taxes on poor hardworking Torontonians and then conclude his brief remarks by saying it's back to business as usual. He seems to figure that everything will fall into place, after we get past $CURRENT_SCANDAL.

My best prediction is that he will remain in office for the next eleven months, increasingly paralyzed and ineffectual and lose the his bid for re-election. He has die-hard supporters, so it will not be a total rout: he will place third or maybe second (but not by a close enough margin that he could plausibly demand a recount) and will spend the rest of his days reminding everyone that the glorious paradise that he promised all Torontonians with a subway stop at every door could have been theirs if only they had not been taken in by the lies of [insert name of 65th mayor of Toronto] and the media conspiracy to Keep A Good Man Down.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 3:11 PM on November 1, 2013 [1 favorite]


That may be the best case scenario. *sigh* And me without a drop of booze or grain of crack in this house.
posted by maudlin at 3:14 PM on November 1, 2013


A grown man drunk on a Saturday night?

Drunk at the office, late at night? No biggie. It's not like he was using his office for a tryst, like Giambrone.

God, how quaint does that scandal seem now?
posted by Capt. Renault at 3:25 PM on November 1, 2013


and will spend the rest of his days reminding everyone that the glorious paradise that he promised all Torontonians with a subway stop at every door could have been theirs if only they had not been taken in by the lies of [insert name of 65th mayor of Toronto] and the media conspiracy to Keep A Good Man Down.

Oh, the books that will be written about this man. Heck, if the price of bronze comes down I wouldn't be surprised to see a statue.
posted by davey_darling at 3:25 PM on November 1, 2013


A grown man drunk on a Saturday night?

Judging by his consternation that "they stole his car", not just drunk, but planning to drive home drunk.
posted by Crane Shot at 3:28 PM on November 1, 2013 [3 favorites]


> A grown man drunk on a Saturday night? Weak...

As a news item by itself, yes (though most politicians would still be a bit tarnished by one such public occurrence, no?) ... but to be honest, before this week's revelations, I thought Ford might still get a public beer buzz once in a while (eg reports from Taste of the Danforth) but I didn't realize he was getting rock-star drunk so often. So it is apparently part of a pattern that I didn't really know about.
posted by Artful Codger at 4:01 PM on November 1, 2013


How do you solve a problem like Rob Ford?
How do you fire the mayor of Toronto?
How do you find a word that means Rob Ford?
A drunkard! A will-o'-the wisp! A clown!
posted by humanfont at 4:15 PM on November 1, 2013 [3 favorites]


Heck, if the price of bronze comes down I wouldn't be surprised to see a statue.

Another one?
posted by ricochet biscuit at 4:29 PM on November 1, 2013 [2 favorites]


To anyone who actually believes that there is a huge conspiracy between the police and the left in Toronto to destroy Rob Ford- Yes.

We totally discussed it while the cops were beating all our asses at the G20.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 5:46 PM on November 1, 2013 [9 favorites]


It gets worse.
posted by Crane Shot at 8:23 PM on November 1, 2013


I dunno... when you have the chief of police grimly confirming that the infamous video of a the mayor hitting up the glass pipe* does exist as is in police hands and will be handed to the courts, a memo from a security guard about this one time Ford was drunk after hours on a night known for drunken antics seems kind of anticlimactic.


*Which could of course just contain tobacco, you know.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 8:49 PM on November 1, 2013


no, Crane shot, (via MetroMan at UrbanToronto): "It's being circulated amongst media sources that the second digital video is indeed a sex tape... *shudders*"

THAT is getting worse.
posted by saucysault at 9:01 PM on November 1, 2013


"Rob Ford Sex Tape" are four words I could've done without ever hearing in the same sentence. Wow. It seems pretty obvious at this point that he's completely off his trolley, and the people around him who continue to enable, cover up, and make excuses for his behaviour are doing him about as many favours as he's doing for the city.
posted by Crane Shot at 9:06 PM on November 1, 2013 [2 favorites]


In the back of a cab here in Chicago just now, the news scrawl at the bottom of the screen read "Tired of Rahm? Be glad you aren't in Toronto."

Fuck you NBC 5. "Not involved in a crack scandal" is not the bar for good civic leadership.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 9:31 PM on November 1, 2013 [8 favorites]


So.. if it is the sex tape no wonder this came up (srry)

Toronto police chief Bill Blair says the video cannot be... described
posted by edgeways at 10:29 PM on November 1, 2013


That Rob Ford portrait that was linked previously just keeps looking more and more perfect for the guy. Like, all this shit that's happening, that painting is a perfect representation of the Inner Rob as he denies denies denies. That garish, sparking light is the light of the world bearing down on him to ferret out his secrets, but in his mind it's a halo that envelops and protects him and he smiles his shit-eating grin wearing it like armor.
posted by jason_steakums at 10:49 PM on November 1, 2013


Toronto police chief Bill Blair says the video cannot be... described

I was pretty gleeful at the start of all this but I really hope there's nothing to this rumour. A Rob Ford sex tape would be like a carnival ride tragedy.
posted by bonobothegreat at 11:06 PM on November 1, 2013 [2 favorites]


At this point it sounds very much as though RoFo was the centre of a concerted blackmail attempt.

A big question becomes who was on the other side of the camera and goading the mayor on. Speculation is that it was one of Lisi, Price or Bellissimo.
posted by sweet mister at 5:51 AM on November 2, 2013




Maybe Ford could have a work session with Buddy Cianci on how to be a mayor under criminal investigation but still retain some shred of dignity and popular appeal. Love him or hate him, Cianci knows how to male connections.*

* In a "connections with people, especially voter" sort of way, not in a "send your part-time chauffeur out to score drugs" kind of way.**

** As far as I know, at least. Almost nothing Cianci could do would surprise me.
posted by GenjiandProust at 7:18 AM on November 2, 2013


Bendixen at NewsTalk 1010 says that the Ford brothers will be doing their Sunday afternoon show tomorrow (1-3 PM eastern here).

Ex-Ford staffer Mark Towhey will start his new show at 1010 at 3 PM the same day.

I feel the spirit of Stan Chin.

And that Sun story about Ford on St. Patrick's Day: oh, maaaaan. Rob Ford is an incorrigible fuck-up who has caused real damage to our city, but I still have some pity for him. I still remember one anecdote from that Globe story about Doug the dealer, where Rob persisted long after every other high school football teammate until he finally ran a sub 6-minute mile. I wish he could have just become a high school football coach without any substance abuse issues.

Doug Ford, on the other hand, is an evil fucker. I wonder how much big bro Doug and family dynamics contributed to Rob's fucked-up state.
posted by maudlin at 10:08 AM on November 2, 2013




chapps: "Is aerial surveillance normal for tracking a drug dealer?"

From what I've seen drugs is 80% of urban police air power use.

MCMikeNamara: "
Also, I wonder how that works from a business perspective. "Hey advertisers, were putting out a special crack mayor issue? Want in?"
"

I don't know about newspapers but this is basically how it works in radio. Your sales staff if they are even half way competent will know who would be both interested in that advertising and able to make a decision and commit money on short notice. You go to them, make your spiel and tell them the deadline to decide is now. And then run with the people who say yes.

Shepherd: "Facebook and the crazy wing in Ontario is adopting the "WHAT HE DOES ON HIS OWN TIME IS HIS OWN BUSINESS" line."

As much as I'd like to see Rob Ford get nailed to the wall it sure would be fun for conservatives to get behind this line of reasoning and have it succeed. There's all sorts of crummy drug testing that could be outlawed in such an environment. Not to mention a lot of prohibition that could get repealled.
posted by Mitheral at 10:12 AM on November 2, 2013 [1 favorite]


>>>A May 2013 story on the Doug-Rob dynamic.

And we’ve seen it in personal ways—Doug goaded Rob into the silly weight-loss challenge that turned into a weekly ritual of humiliation for the mayor. Doug is the one who publicly mocks Ford for his weight. You get the impression that Rob is used to being bullied by this older brother and best friend he loves and trusts so much.
posted by KokuRyu at 10:29 AM on November 2, 2013




A little more background on Ford Nation:
The results laid bare a stark contrast between the voting patterns in the old city of Toronto and in the amalgamated municipalities beyond. Zack Taylor, who teaches city studies at the University of Toronto Scarborough, has analyzed those results and found they reveal not a new divide, but one that dates back to the founding of the megacity. The people downtown are wealthier, better educated, more likely to rent, live in denser neighbourhoods and to commute by transit. If there’s one question that’s likely to identify a Ford supporter, he says, it’s whether they drive to work. At an aggregate level these people tend to experience the city differently and have different expectations of what it can and should be, he says. Mr. Ford’s fairly straightforward policy promises, to rein in spending and end the “war on the car,” appealed to these suburban voters, who outnumber those downtown and in East York by about 2.5 to 1, he said.

“This is bigger than Rob Ford, it’s older than Rob Ford. I don’t think it’s going to disappear when Rob Ford disappears,” Prof. Taylor says.
posted by maudlin at 12:24 PM on November 2, 2013


The people downtown are not necessarily wealthier. If you look at the Kingsway, home of Humbertown aka Ford Nation Ground Zero according to The Star, as I mentioned previously. It's an enclave of well-educated, well-monied inner-suburbanites to which my parents belong. My dad for example, is an intelligent and thoughtful person. He's been using some olympian mental gymnastics to rationalise and justify Ford's time in office up to now.
posted by Evstar at 12:37 PM on November 2, 2013


"The real embarrassment for Toronto is, he has been far and away the best Toronto political leader in years...simply because he has absolutely stopped Toronto politics in its tracks. "


Right. . .
posted by Evstar at 12:38 PM on November 2, 2013 [1 favorite]


"The real embarrassment for Toronto is, he has been far and away the best Toronto political leader in years...simply because he has absolutely stopped Toronto politics in its tracks. "

Right. . .


I like how you can sub, like, any other job in there besides politics and it's ludicrous. "he has been far and away the best checkout cashier in years...simply because he has absolutely stopped the queue in its tracks." "he has been far and away the best construction worker in years...simply because he has absolutely stopped construction in its tracks."
posted by jason_steakums at 12:43 PM on November 2, 2013 [2 favorites]


True, Evstar, the mix of Toronto is a little more complex than what those few lines sum up, so dropping that quote and leaving wasn't very helpful of me.

Here's Taylor's study of voting patterns and the 2010 election, which I've barely glanced at so far. That page includes a link at the right for the PDF version. More from Taylor.
posted by maudlin at 12:46 PM on November 2, 2013


Yeah, I don't mean to drag my dad out for ridicule, just to highlight the way people of different backgrounds and affiliations are processing this scandal. I stand before the yawning chasm that is the generation gap.

I wish we could talk local issues on MeFi more often.
posted by Evstar at 12:50 PM on November 2, 2013


The odd thing in my view is that Ford was dismissed from his real love, coaching high-school football, when the existence of the video was first made known. I suspect that if five years ago, a survey of Ford Nation voters had been made to ask, "the local high-school football coach has been captured on video smoking a crack pipe; should he keep his job?" there might not have been a groundswell of people eager to give him the benefit of the doubt and saying that, "as long as he does his job well, what do we care about his spare time activities?"
posted by ricochet biscuit at 1:12 PM on November 2, 2013


Rob ford approval rating up -- survey conducted after Blair's press conference, and 98% of respondents had heard the video exists.

Canadian politics are certainly entertaining these days!
posted by chapps at 1:25 PM on November 2, 2013 [1 favorite]


Ford is every bit as unfit to be a high-school football coach as he is Mayor. He has been dismissed as a volunteer coach by two boards of education. This is despite his genuine enthusiasm for the job and his willingness to bring many thousands of dollars of his and others money to their programs. Giving him that, his small-town US Friday Night Lights approach to high-school football, probably involving significant recruiting throughout the west half of the city, is still quite out of whack to the culture here, where football, especially in high schools, draws little attention. It's been replaced by rugby at many schools. His worst offense though is his horrid attitude towards his mostly black players, who he portrays as fatherless street punks who would be in jail if it wasn't for his efforts to give them purpose on the football field. It's an idiotic stereotype, further perpetrated by his brother, that is made absurd by the realization that Ford's white wealthy family is riddled with drugs and violence. And that Ford has certainly brought his players into contact with pushers and criminals. One of his assistant coaches, a drug user who introduced Ford to Lisi, passed a record check by using an alias.
posted by TimTypeZed at 2:18 PM on November 2, 2013 [4 favorites]


All CAA members should be aware that their membership fees fund a powerful pro-car lobbying effort and helped Ford get elected. The CAA polluted the transit expansion dialogue with talking points that they pulled out of their ass and dropped into the right-wing echo chamber.
posted by bonobothegreat at 3:40 PM on November 2, 2013 [1 favorite]


As a CAA member, I find that interesting, bonobothregreat -- can you point to more info on that?
posted by jacquilynne at 3:48 PM on November 2, 2013


The CAA came out against the St. Clair street car right of way. I can't find the link right now but they generated a claim that this (as-yet-unfinished) dedicated street car lane would only shave a couple minutes off transit time. This point went around the talk show and newspapers. It clouded the discussion because the whole purpose of the right of way was to provide reliable times, rather that faster times.

Their magazine has suggested extending the Allen Expressway through a wooded ravine, south to St.Clair. What I don't like is the fact that they can drop into the discussion as some kind of impartial authority. They're opposed to any sort of surface transit that might take space away from cars.

I might be overreaching when I say the CAA got Ford elected but their interests line up nicely. I don't think enough CAA members are aware of where their money is going.
posted by bonobothegreat at 4:27 PM on November 2, 2013 [1 favorite]


That is interesting. I'm a CAA member because I like having someone to call when my car breaks down. That's only happened once, but knowing they're there is really important to my peace of mind when I'm driving. But if they're also involved in kind of shitty lobbying and political efforts then it's probably time to find a different roadside assistance plan. It's likely that a different plan will be cheaper anyway, because CAA is pricey.
posted by jacquilynne at 5:59 PM on November 2, 2013


There are rumours that RoFo will call for a snap election on his radio show tomorrow (one of three options apparently presented to him by Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly in a meeting today).

AM radio is preparing for its largest audience in 30 years.
posted by sweet mister at 6:45 PM on November 2, 2013 [1 favorite]


> I might be overreaching when I say the CAA got Ford elected but their interests line up nicely. I don't think enough CAA members are aware of where their money is going.

Definitely overreaching.

The best and brightest of the national Conservative campaign commandos was called out for Ford's campaign, and the anyone but Ford vote got split. I did not see/hear anything from the CAA that endorsed Ford.

Yes the CAA does some advocacy for the motoring public; I don't think they claim impartiality on these issues. They have been quite sensible on some points, including accommodation of bicycles in the city.

Toronto is so many years behind in transit and traffic planning that only hard, disruptive options like the St Clair streetcar lane are left. For example - all these new condos have gone up on King W, yet the King streetcars are packed by Dufferin, and crowds of condo dwellers stand fuming at the stops as packed King cars just glide past. Toronto traffic light timing is frustrating - on most routes you're forced to stop at every other light at a minimum, even at off-peak times. Illegally parked cars routinely clog arterial roads during rush-hour, but no serious action has been taken there.

There are hard choices to be made, like maybe making King St transit only for rush hours, which will have someone else screaming.

/rant
posted by Artful Codger at 8:33 PM on November 2, 2013 [1 favorite]


In BC, BCAA offers bicyclists road side assistance. Not very rob ford.
posted by chapps at 8:48 PM on November 2, 2013


Yes the CAA does some advocacy for the motoring public; I don't think they claim impartiality on these issues. They have been quite sensible on some points, including accommodation of bicycles in the city.

As a member, I was surprised by the degree to which they get involved in municipal traffic issues.

They've stated that they support bike lanes, so long as they don't take away any space from vehicular traffic, which seems to me like pretty limited form of accommodation.

I felt that the CAA position seemed closely aligned with the Don Cherry/Ford Nation push of the last election - and the chatter about St. Clair W that helped push the subway agenda.
posted by bonobothegreat at 9:01 PM on November 2, 2013


There are rumours that RoFo will call for a snap election on his radio show tomorrow

And if he wins, he'll be the first mayor with a mandate to smoke crack.
posted by Crane Shot at 10:21 PM on November 2, 2013 [3 favorites]


> There are rumours that RoFo will call for a snap election on his radio show tomorrow

I don't think he can just unilaterally decide an election is going to happen, and I doubt any of the other candidates would go for this plan because they'd be at a great disadvantage.
posted by The Card Cheat at 5:39 AM on November 3, 2013


It won't happen in a million years, but the point isn't to have an election, it's to have something he can whine about.
posted by sweet mister at 6:30 AM on November 3, 2013 [1 favorite]


He can't. Only the Premier can do it, and she would have to dissolve all of Council, which is utterly ridiculous with less than a year until the next election , and given that he's the only one with the questions about his status. But that's Ford's paradigm. Everything should be done on his terms.

If he resigns Council would appoint a replacement rather than holding a by-election, again because of the short timelines.

The obvious truth is that he doesn't want to relinquish any power even for a second. Every manoeuvre he makes is based on two premises:

1) he doesn't have any problems that make him unfit to lead (a premise that is reinforced constantly by those closest to him)

2) Those who call for his removal from power do so either for their own selfish purposes or out of a personal vendetta, or both
posted by dry white toast at 7:09 AM on November 3, 2013 [1 favorite]


> I felt that the CAA position seemed closely aligned with the Don Cherry/Ford Nation push of the last election - and the chatter about St. Clair W that helped push the subway agenda.

First, the CAA does some advocacy around the auto, but that's not their prime occupation. CAA isn't an industry lobby, it's a service organization. Like all his positions, Ford's "war against the car" meme is shallow and strictly reactionary, intended to resonate with coffee-shop grumbling, but empty of solutions. He might as well have declared an end to rain.

And Toronto is rife with politicians of all stripes waving prescriptions for traffic solutions, when most of them don't themselves have to commute in rush hour. I'm a sometimes urban cyclist and transit user, but any city council who could put a bike lane on Jarvis, ffs, was completely out of touch with traffic issues.

Subways - why not? Except no one will cough up now. Subway system expansion should have been planned years ago, and subways extended as city development intensified. Putting them in afterwards is prohibitively expensive and disruptive.

Saying that the CAA supported Ford because they happen to be sympathetic to drivers is really a stretch.

/rant #2
posted by Artful Codger at 7:33 AM on November 3, 2013


> [The CAA] stated that they support bike lanes, so long as they don't take away any space from vehicular traffic, which seems to me like pretty limited form of accommodation.

Would you really expect the CAA to advocate for making driving worse? It's possible to support both forms of transport.
posted by Artful Codger at 7:57 AM on November 3, 2013


The CAA commissions shoddy 'studies' in order to feed talking points against funding transit. They support anything that doesn't reduce the amount of road space and intersection time given to cars. Since cars get almost all the road space and most of the intersection time, this means the CAA opposes surface transit and bike lanes in practice. They are part of the GTHA's transit problem that Rob Ford campaigns on exacerbating.
posted by anthill at 9:31 AM on November 3, 2013


They have been quite sensible on some points, including accommodation of bicycles in the city.

Wasn't sure exactly what that was referring to but I'm more concerned that they played a role (that many of their members might be unaware of) in helping to sandbag the planned, funded transit expansion because it would reduce the amount of road space for cars.

The CAA promotes the extension of expressways into the core and the widening of existing of routes. There's no law against that but many of us downtown coffee-grumblers would be against these plans and aren't aware that a CAA membership is paying to push that agenda.
posted by bonobothegreat at 9:43 AM on November 3, 2013


Just to be clear, I'm not here to argue against the right of any association of car owners to form a lobby group.

I'm trying to point out that many members of the CAA don't realize they're paying for more than roadside assistance, that they might not be political aligned with the CAA's agenda and that they shouldn't consider the CAA an entirely benign or objective voice in discussions about transit.

Especially with another election in the future with transit likely being a hot button issue.
posted by bonobothegreat at 10:17 AM on November 3, 2013


FORD TO CITY: t(-_-t)
posted by avocet at 10:27 AM on November 3, 2013 [7 favorites]


Garbage privatization! Finch subway! Low taxes! New term! Listening to the effortless pivot from teary contrite non-confession to a double-down re-election stump speech was breathtaking.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 10:31 AM on November 3, 2013 [1 favorite]


Smart move, in the short term. The non-apology apology will help break the fall if and when the crack video comes out. But it won't help one bit if the Project Traveler wiretaps or the rest of the Project Brazen 2 ITO are unsealed.
posted by saturday_morning at 10:36 AM on November 3, 2013


"[Ford] made no mention of any plans to step down, or take a leave of absence."

With quotes from the request to release the video and from the vague apology. Out of curiosity, how would the police releasing the video affect its use in a hypothetical court case?
posted by frimble at 11:03 AM on November 3, 2013


On the radio show today, Brother Doug declared Rob to be "as honest as the day is long." By which I gather he means ever less so since last summer.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 11:13 AM on November 3, 2013 [10 favorites]


The radio show is turning into a live intervention. Wow.
posted by sweet mister at 11:38 AM on November 3, 2013


This radio show is nuts. Its like Saddam Radio. They're sweatingly saying "its not like we did X!" when no one accused them of doing it.
posted by Ironmouth at 11:50 AM on November 3, 2013


(paraphrasing)

Caller: Ok, you haven't seen the video, but you do know what kind of drugs you have smoked out of glass pipes. Can you tell us what drugs you have smoked out of glass pipes?

Rob: I'll say it again, I haven't seen the video, I can't comment on the video that I have not seen, I want the video released immediately and then I will comment on it.

(caller is gone)
posted by davey_darling at 11:50 AM on November 3, 2013


Caller compares him to John F. Kennedy!
posted by Ironmouth at 11:50 AM on November 3, 2013


Just tuning in (ad on now) but the Towhey show should be starting. Here's my bet that he uses snark, not a headlong assault on the bullshit.
posted by maudlin at 12:07 PM on November 3, 2013


... and here's the sound of radio dials across the GTA clicking away from Mr. "You don't deserve the truth!" T.
posted by maudlin at 12:11 PM on November 3, 2013


I mean, we don't even get the snark of his twitter account, but some maundering pomp about how people should assess Ford's job as mayor, and what a chief of staff does, and Zzzzzzzz ...
posted by maudlin at 12:14 PM on November 3, 2013


I hate prolonging this derail but..

- the CAA isn't sandbagging transit... they don't think that car owners should bear the brunt of transit funding... and neither do I. I was ok with the annual licence surcharge (that Ford cancelled) but tolls are insane. Most drivers would love to have another option for getting downtown (it really sucks), but current transit is already stressed and couldn't yet begin to take most of them.

Transit benefits everyone, and should be funded from general tax revenue, and riders. The federal government in particular has been very stingy on urban transit compared to other countries.

. . .

Back on topic - it seems the only things that will get Ford out of office are either criminal charges, or complete shunning - by the council, and by the public.
posted by Artful Codger at 1:43 PM on November 3, 2013


The back and forth between Rob and Doug was really revealing. So much of Doug's bullying was evident. It was bizarre and sad.
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 4:48 PM on November 3, 2013


As a former resident of Toronto, I would like to apologize for unspecified things I may or may not have done as well. But I take full responsibility for these things.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 6:54 PM on November 3, 2013 [6 favorites]


Still, ricochet, there's no reason for the media to be hounding you like this. All you can do is ask for forgiveness and move on, so where's the journalism in that?
posted by heatherann at 4:32 AM on November 4, 2013


That's not true at all heatherann. This is NOT about getting caught doing drugs anymore. It's now about whether he engaged in or condoned criminal activity to get the video, a video which he lied about and claimed did not exist.

The time for apologizing was when reports first surfaced several months ago. His actions since then alone are enough to make him unfit to be Mayor and he hasn't answered for them at all.

Plus he refuses to acknowledge he has a problem so you can count on this continuing to happen. He was just on John Oakley's show on 1010. When asked how he plans to address the issue of his drinking he said, "just drink less." He doesn't even know what addiction is.

So yes, the media still has every reason to be asking him questions.
posted by dry white toast at 5:54 AM on November 4, 2013 [2 favorites]


Also, the frustrating thing is that in the media he's choosing, he's just being asked about the drug use. No one is asking him about the Lisi arrest. That is a much bigger issue.
posted by dry white toast at 6:03 AM on November 4, 2013 [2 favorites]


He doesn't even know what addiction is.

He doesn't know what it is, but he knows he doesn't have it.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 6:11 AM on November 4, 2013


I think heatherann's comment was poking fun at Ford's plea for the media to stay away from his home, you know, for his family's sake, and the whole "it is what it is, whatever it is I won't say, lets just move on...yes, angry caller with a bogus anecdote about five guys planting one tree."
posted by [expletive deleted] at 6:11 AM on November 4, 2013 [1 favorite]


When Oakley said there are functional alcoholics, Ford accused him of being sarcastic with him. It's painful how deeply in denial this man is. And he'll go on being that way as long as his family buttresses him.

This whole city is going to need an AL-ANON meeting soon.
posted by dry white toast at 6:25 AM on November 4, 2013 [2 favorites]


As Daniel Dale from the Star just tweeted, "During his public weight loss challenge, Mayor Ford was candid about how hard it was for him to give up ice cream."
posted by saturday_morning at 6:27 AM on November 4, 2013


John Moore, not John Oakley, is the host of the 1010 morning show. His Viewpoints show this Sunday.
posted by maudlin at 7:03 AM on November 4, 2013


Oops! Hit Enter too soon. Just checked and John Oakley is on 640. I don't think Ford would ever choose to talk with John Moore.
posted by maudlin at 7:06 AM on November 4, 2013


The (self-inflicted) character assassination of Robert Ford, by the columnist Royson James.
posted by New Frontier at 7:13 AM on November 4, 2013 [3 favorites]


iseewhatyoudidthere.jpg
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 7:35 AM on November 4, 2013


So, how does the whole Doug/Rob relationship work? Is Doug some kind of Svengali? If so, why didn't he just run for mayor himself?
posted by Chrysostom at 7:35 AM on November 4, 2013


Rob had been a councillor for years before the 2010 election. He had a public profile, loyal constituents and with the help of a clever campaign team and a weak, split set of opponents, a reasonable chance of being elected. And he was.

Doug stood for election as a city councillor for the first time in 2010. He had no political or public service background before that time and stood NO chance of getting elected mayor.

It was quite obvious at that time that he had bigger political ambitions, and up until this spring, the provincial Tories were interested in running "Rob's Brain" as their candidate. The Ford dad was an MP, and Doug wants to be premier, at least. But trying to get elected Toronto mayor was not a step on that path. Getting his brother elected mayor worked well for him, until it didn't.
posted by maudlin at 8:32 AM on November 4, 2013 [1 favorite]


the provincial Tories were interested in running "Rob's Brain" as their candidate

They should have run Rob's liver as their candidate. That thing is fricking unstopable!
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 8:36 AM on November 4, 2013 [3 favorites]


Because Rob comes off as an affable buffoon, whereas Doug is transparently a sadistic bully. Same reason why Dick Cheney didn't run for president himself.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 8:36 AM on November 4, 2013 [6 favorites]


Maudlin's explanation is both less glib and more correct than mine.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 8:37 AM on November 4, 2013


Except that Daddy Ford was an MPP, not an MP. Typo.

If Doug the Meaner ever does get into provincial politics, he will not settle for being a backbencher if he can help it.
posted by maudlin at 8:49 AM on November 4, 2013


If Doug Ford thinks he's ever going to be Premier of Ontario, he's even more delusional than his brother.
posted by The Card Cheat at 10:00 AM on November 4, 2013 [1 favorite]


Yes, sorry, I forgot the HAMBURGER tag.

A young man is dead. Ford has not addressed anything of substance.

(Nor, arguably, would it be legally wise for him to do so.)
posted by heatherann at 10:04 AM on November 4, 2013 [1 favorite]


If Rob Ford was a movie, no one would believe it. Just now, watching his press conference, and all the others before it, there's something HYPNOTICALLY RIDICULOUS about the man. I feel like I've accidentally ingested some powerful psychedelics, and fallen into a previously unknown Warner Brothers cartoon, only it's live action, which leaves me wondering if my ordinary world of houses and streets and people is the cartoon. I mean, come on: LOOK AT HIM.
posted by Fnarf at 10:16 AM on November 4, 2013 [2 favorites]


If Doug Ford thinks he's ever going to be Premier of Ontario, he's even more delusional than his brother.

His biggest obstacle would be winning a PC leadership race.
He could handily win a seat in the right riding, and as I fear we'll see in the next election, a big enough Liberal scandal could land any Conservative idiot in the Premier's seat.
posted by rocket88 at 10:41 AM on November 4, 2013 [1 favorite]


Torquil Campbell (of Stars) is using his Twitter account to repeat city hall gossip (everyone at City Hall knew that Ford was a drunk who would bring a mickey to work every day, for example -- start here and read up).

He also speculates that Rob (with the help of Doug) runs a crew and that Lisi is his bag man, not just his dealer. Again, start here. I suspect he may not get to rant about this topic when he goes on Q this week.

A daily mickey at work sounds plausible to me. The Wire, Season 6? Not so much.
posted by maudlin at 10:58 AM on November 4, 2013 [3 favorites]


I feel like I've accidentally ingested some powerful psychedelics, and fallen into a previously unknown Warner Brothers cartoon, only it's live action,

I feel that way about the last 12 years.
posted by Chuckles at 10:59 AM on November 4, 2013 [1 favorite]


Would Doug Ford be a worse Premier than Tim Hudak? 'scuse me while I go bash my head into a brick wall repeatedly until I stop thinking about that question.
posted by Chuckles at 11:01 AM on November 4, 2013


> His biggest obstacle would be winning a PC leadership race.

Well, that's just it. If you're part of the PC brain trust, do you want any part of this mess?
posted by The Card Cheat at 11:02 AM on November 4, 2013


/builds logarithmic scale for guilt
posted by maudlin at 11:03 AM on November 4, 2013


Some of you who are still keeping up with this thread may be interested to know about this:
http://savetoronto.tumblr.com/
posted by Evstar at 12:46 PM on November 4, 2013 [2 favorites]


I love it when Torquil gets angry at Rob Ford and Stephen Harper. I'm like, "YOU ARE TOTALLY MY SECRET INDIE ROCK BOYFRIEND."
posted by Kitteh at 2:17 PM on November 4, 2013 [2 favorites]


maudlin, it would fit the Doug/Rob dynamic if Rob was just the middleman running the bags to Doug. After all, they work together every day and see each other at their mother's house all the time. But Doug would be smart enough to not actually meet up Lisi ("I've never met the guy!") in case the police were watching. But he is ok with sacrificing Rob. I wonder why Rob didn't get into trouble (well, not THIS kind of criminal trouble) in all the years he was councillor but now Doug is in City Hall and clearly controlling Rob.
posted by saucysault at 2:19 PM on November 4, 2013


My guess is that as a councillor, and by all accounts a very good and attentive one who got his roads ploughed and his potholes filled, there was no-one in his constituency who was complaining about his performance. If his personal problems existed back then, maybe it was easy to get away with it.

With the much larger stage of the Mayor's office, suddenly there are a lot more people who are interested in Rob Ford -- the media, the whole city, and those who can step on him to help themselves up. With much more attention and pressure, it's likely that his addictions also got ramped up. The long history between Rob & Doug can't be helping much, either.
posted by Capt. Renault at 3:22 PM on November 4, 2013


The latest predictions from Metro Man at Urban Toronto, who has one or more sources in the media / City Hall:
Tomorrow [Tuesday], another prominent staffer in Ford's office is going to be revealed as having allegedly participated in obtaining the video. Separately, media investigations are looking into whether this staffer may be a dealer. Could there be another Lisi already employed by Rob Ford, working at City Hall? Stay tuned, the roller coaster ride is about to dip! ... It's a current staffer. Ford's office is going to be a mess tomorrow and the heat could take a few staff over the edge. Resignations are contagious as we saw in May.
...and more tonight. Denzil Minnan-Wong is joining Michael Thompson in having one foot outside the Executive Committee. Unless some dramatic turn happens, both will be resigning. Thompson may only stay to shepherd the Police budget negotiations while keeping Ford from meddling with the process. Minnan-Wong has no reason to stay and was already close to being fired -- I now expect him to leave first.
Minnan-Wong already clashed with Ford about the Scarborough subway and he was already on tv tonight saying that he wasn't satisfied with Ford's actions and statements, so the latter prediction seems pretty plausible to me.
posted by maudlin at 9:56 PM on November 4, 2013 [1 favorite]


Doug Ford totally went off on Chief Blair on 640 this morning. Called for his resignation, calling him biased, taunts and insults. Wow.
posted by sweet mister at 5:00 AM on November 5, 2013


Being the "most political chief ever" was OK when Blair was cracking skulls at the G20, but it's over the line for him to say that he's "disappointed" that the Mayor smokes crack.

A full-force bullying offensive against the chief of police? My money's on the guy with the wiretaps.
posted by Capt. Renault at 5:46 AM on November 5, 2013 [3 favorites]


So, the winner in all of this is Toronto talk radio, who are probably getting their best listenership rates all year.
posted by frimble at 5:46 AM on November 5, 2013 [2 favorites]


Doug Ford said the chief only pulled out "a couple of pairs of deuces." That's four of a kind, Doug. What are you holding?
posted by The Card Cheat at 5:55 AM on November 5, 2013 [7 favorites]


Ford made The Daily Show last night.
posted by gman at 5:58 AM on November 5, 2013


The Card Cheat: "Doug Ford said the chief only pulled out "a couple of pairs of deuces." That's four of a kind, Doug. What are you holding?"

Eponysterical.
posted by Chrysostom at 6:08 AM on November 5, 2013 [9 favorites]


Blair's got a couple of deuces all right. I can smell 'em from here.
posted by sweet mister at 6:13 AM on November 5, 2013


Doug Ford totally went off on Chief Blair on 640 this morning. Called for his resignation, calling him biased, taunts and insults. Wow.

Seriously, these guys have the biggest balls I've ever seen. After everything that's been revealed about these 2 people, they decide their best line of attack is to call for the POLICE CHIEF to resign?

This is such a coked out move. It's like someone in cuffs being put it in to the back of a cruiser, shouting at the police officer how he's 5 seconds away from leveling him if he's not let go right away.
posted by Theta States at 6:18 AM on November 5, 2013 [5 favorites]


Ford made The Daily Show last night.

I can't wait to see this later tonight. There is just SO MUCH to lay out to a viewer, I want to see how Jon strings it all together.
posted by Theta States at 6:22 AM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


I think their "strategy" is to cast as much doubt as they can on Blair before Rob gets charged with something so that they can claim it's all a witch hunt by a police force out to get him.
posted by The Card Cheat at 6:23 AM on November 5, 2013


I think their "strategy" is to cast as much doubt as they can on Blair before Rob gets charged with something so that they can claim it's all a witch hunt by a police force out to get him.

It actually works quite well. There have been numerous interviews with people in the GTA, at Tim Horton's and such, and the majority of random suburbanites totally believe that it is a media-created myth. Still.
It is going to require a frothing mayor being dragged out of city hall, bloodshot eyes, drooling, and handcuffed against a cop car before Ford Nation gives up on their saviour. And even then, the youtube comments will stay say that footage was faked.
posted by Theta States at 6:26 AM on November 5, 2013


Okay, it's not funny any more.
posted by KokuRyu at 6:42 AM on November 5, 2013


I wish he had gone with the "not that big a deal" defense.

It seems he could have got away with it, and doing so would have pushed the Overton window in the direction of harm reduction.
posted by not_that_epiphanius at 6:57 AM on November 5, 2013


This is such a coked out move. It's like someone in cuffs being put it in to the back of a cruiser, shouting at the police officer how he's 5 seconds away from leveling him if he's not let go right away.

Say what you will about shirtless folks tweaked out and getting arrested on Cops, but at least they had some fucking shame.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 7:27 AM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


Say what you will about shirtless folks tweaked out and getting arrested on Cops, but at least they had some fucking shame.

Don't you have to sign a release for your face to appear on Cops?
posted by Etrigan at 7:34 AM on November 5, 2013


Don't you have to sign a release for your face to appear on Cops?

Depends on if you are being filmed from public property and remember folks...

'Cops' is filmed on location with the men and women of law enforcement. The suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 7:43 AM on November 5, 2013


Seriously, these guys have the biggest balls I've ever seen. After everything that's been revealed about these 2 people, they decide their best line of attack is to call for the POLICE CHIEF to resign?

They are bullies. And bullies attack when threatened, in every possible direction. Blame the victim, blame the accuser, blame the bystander, everything to avoid responsibility.

I'd love to see the chief call this bluff, and turn everything over to a special investigator from the OPP or RCMP. My sense is that Blair has been treading very lightly.
posted by nubs at 7:49 AM on November 5, 2013


They're really making hay with that "disappointed" quote from Blair, aren't they? I sure hope that doesn't become an effective defense tool.

I think Chief Blair released info as he has precisely to give the Mayor an out - a last chance to resign and voluntarily seek help, retaining a shred of personal dignity.

Now that Rob has clearly rejected that option, I expect that Blair has enough to take the Mayor and brother down as criminals. I sure hope so, anyway.
posted by Artful Codger at 8:02 AM on November 5, 2013


I was watching Bill Blair's initial press release live with my girlfriend, and we both gasped when he said he was disappointed. He seemed to let his guard down for just a moment and I think he must have understood immediately that he'd made a mistake.

Fortunately, he was very vague about exactly what made him disappointed and I hope that will be to his advantage.
posted by Evstar at 8:08 AM on November 5, 2013


I think their "strategy" is to cast as much doubt as they can on Blair before Rob gets charged with something so that they can claim it's all a witch hunt by a police force out to get him.

If this isn't already a headline in a right-wing paper up there, can I be the first to call it The Blair Witch Project?
posted by Rykey at 8:34 AM on November 5, 2013 [5 favorites]


Thank you for that, Rykey.
posted by Evstar at 8:35 AM on November 5, 2013


RoFo said last week that he cannot comment on a case before the courts. He has not always thought this: in March of this year, he called into a talk radio show to offer his views on the case of Richard Kachkar, accused of murder. Kachkar was accused of stealing a snow plow and running over a police officer

“I’m really disappointed with how the defence is presenting this,” Ford said. “One of our finest got killed. He left behind a wife and a little son and we’re trying to find an excuse why [Kachkar] stole … a snow plow and killed a police officer. I think you can’t defend that.”
posted by ricochet biscuit at 8:50 AM on November 5, 2013


Ainslie and Filion have introduced a motion to suspend the Mayor's ability to appoint and fire committee chairs. According to Daniel Dale, it's so "his key allies could speak their minds without being fearful that they'll lose their powerful posts. He thinks it's all council can do."

Image capture of the first page of the motion

Second page (sorry, tiny!)

Minnan-Wong says that he won't resign, but tells reporters that "I'm afraid that City Hall is turning into Gotham City".

Mightygodking: The end of mercy:
Here’s the thing: we expected him to do it because Rob Ford is not a good person. I don’t just mean he’s weak – although he is weak, that much is certain – because weakness, in and of itself, could be forgiven. But in addition to being weak, Rob Ford is a bully. He’s mean. He’s not just stupid; he’s proudly ignorant. He’s arrogant. He’s rude. He’s a hypocrite. He’s a liar. He has a pronounced violent streak that he barely controls in public; Norm says Rob Ford is an “accident waiting to happen” but the police have responded to multiple domestic disturbances at Ford’s home over the years and there is a fair case to be made that the “accidents” are potentially not theoretical at this point.
posted by maudlin at 8:53 AM on November 5, 2013 [2 favorites]


MetroMan at Urban Toronto: "The story about the staffer I alluded to last night is still coming out today. Two papers are publishing different angles on it. One is out later today, the other tomorrow pending sources verification. "
posted by maudlin at 8:56 AM on November 5, 2013




"YES I HAVE SMOKED CRACK COCAINE"
-Rob Ford

I think that is the first time he's ever admitted it.
posted by davey_darling at 9:16 AM on November 5, 2013 [2 favorites]


Saw that on twitter, can't find a newspaper link yet though.
posted by Theta States at 9:21 AM on November 5, 2013


I watched it live on cp24. You could hear a gasp from the assembled journalists.
posted by davey_darling at 9:22 AM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


*Canada explodes*
posted by Hildegarde at 9:26 AM on November 5, 2013 [2 favorites]


Quoted on Twitter:

"I wasn't lying. You didn't ask the correct questions."

The mind boggles.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 9:30 AM on November 5, 2013


Rob Ford, plain speakin' guy of the people, who's not lyin' cause he sometimes reads the speeches his plain folks criminal lawyer writes for him.
posted by anthill at 9:32 AM on November 5, 2013


Saw that on twitter, can't find a newspaper link yet though.

The National Post has the quote
posted by nubs at 9:33 AM on November 5, 2013


No full write up yet, hopefully this story will get updated.
posted by no regrets, coyote at 9:34 AM on November 5, 2013


“Have I tried it? Probably in one of my drunken stupors, probably approximately about a year ago.”

This is beyond WTF.
posted by KokuRyu at 9:36 AM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


“Yes, I have smoked crack cocaine but … am I an addict? No. Have I tried it? Probably in one of my drunken stupors, probably approximately about a year ago."


I'm not going to provide my bona fide credentials on the matter or anything, but you have to be REALLY FUCKING DRUNK to have to 'probably' your way out of when and whether you smoked crack.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 9:37 AM on November 5, 2013 [2 favorites]


I wasn't lying. You didn't ask the correct questions.

Yeah, not one reporter ever asked Rob Ford if he had ever smoked crack. None, never.

He knows those press scrums have been video taped, right?
posted by jacquilynne at 9:38 AM on November 5, 2013


This guy is a really strange guy, you guys.
posted by (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates at 9:39 AM on November 5, 2013 [9 favorites]


wow.

He admits it, staffers didn't know it was going to happen.
He blames it on his heavy drinking.
And they still want the police chief to step down.
posted by Theta States at 9:40 AM on November 5, 2013


As reporters tried to ask where and how often he used crack, Mr. Ford suggested he was too drunk to recall details.
posted by KokuRyu at 9:41 AM on November 5, 2013


I'm not going to provide my bona fide credentials on the matter or anything, but you have to be REALLY FUCKING DRUNK to have to 'probably' your way out of when and whether you smoked crack.

In all fairness to Rob, all the horse tranquilizers he was doing that night can really screw with a guy's sense of reality.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 9:43 AM on November 5, 2013


I ACTUALLY STEP AWAY TO GET SOME WORK DONE TODAY AND THIS HAPPENS?

“Yes, I have smoked crack cocaine but … am I an addict? No. Have I tried it? Probably in one of my drunken stupors, probably approximately about a year ago."

Sweet Jesus on a scooter.
posted by maudlin at 9:43 AM on November 5, 2013 [2 favorites]


*Canada explodes*

I think for that to happen we need some things to happen simultaneously:

-Rob Ford is arrested in his office and does the perp walk through City Hall in Toronto
-The RCMP announce that as a result of the investigation into the Senate scandal, they are proceeding with charges against Duffy, Wallin, Wright, and several others
-The NHL says "fuck it, no matter what happens this year, the Leafs will be given the Cup."


Then Canada would explode.
posted by nubs at 9:43 AM on November 5, 2013 [7 favorites]


He knows those press scrums have been video taped, right?

IIRC, all he ever said was along the lines of "I'm not addicted to crack cocaine" and "I do not smoke crack cocaine". He never outright denied having smoked crack while in office. He's certainly a liar any way you slice it, but he was very careful about saying anything that could come back as a gotcha once the tape came out.
posted by no regrets, coyote at 9:44 AM on November 5, 2013


As I suggested earlier, he figures that this will mean everything is resolved. I really think that RoFo believes that the American late night talk shows tonight will just figure the story is over and make no mention of it.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 9:44 AM on November 5, 2013


IIRC, all he ever said was along the lines of "I'm not addicted to crack cocaine" and "I do not smoke crack cocaine".

He denied it more plainly on several occasions when he lost his temper at a reporter for asking the same question over and over again.
posted by mightygodking at 9:46 AM on November 5, 2013


I can already picture the look on Jon Stewart's face when he plays the clip of Ford saying that he smoked crack "in a drunken stupor".
posted by davey_darling at 9:46 AM on November 5, 2013


Now, I know that the Mayor of Toronto doesn't have nuclear launch codes or anything, but if you get drunk enough often enough that you cannot remember when exactly you smoked crack, then maybe you shouldn't be in a position of authority over 2.6 million people and a police force.
posted by Etrigan at 9:46 AM on November 5, 2013 [15 favorites]


Let me fire up the Twitter machine:

John Ivison: "Mike Duffy could spontaneously combust in the Senate this afternoon and it ain't making the front page."

Daniel Dale: "Before his admission, Ford got reporters to re-ask the questions we asked in May - he made reporters prompt him." Also: "Councillors are still talking about Ford taking "a leave of absence," not resigning, after admitting to using crack cocaine while in office."
posted by maudlin at 9:47 AM on November 5, 2013 [2 favorites]


Guys come on, it was only one of his drunken stupors, the other drunken stupors were fine
posted by oulipian at 9:50 AM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


Dale: "CP24 reports that the last question to Mayor Ford was "are you drunk right NOW?""
posted by maudlin at 9:51 AM on November 5, 2013 [2 favorites]


if you get drunk enough often enough that you cannot remember when exactly you smoked crack, then maybe you shouldn't be in a position of authority over 2.6 million people and a police force.

Yeah, Dave, yeah I know what you guys heard me say, but you should really get out there and see if you can get the sanitation workers I fired last week to come back on the job, the trash is piling up and my idea of having the snow plows just push it into the lake just doesn't seem to be working. Yeah, and while you're at it you're just going to have to see if you can get Colombia to turn that barge full of coke I ordered in exchange for our subway system.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 9:54 AM on November 5, 2013


He denied it more plainly on several occasions when he lost his temper at a reporter for asking the same question over and over again.

Wow, so it turns out the most shocking thing to happen today was that I might have just given Rob Ford too much credit.
posted by no regrets, coyote at 9:55 AM on November 5, 2013


Coyne: "Holier-than-thou media demands perfection, expects mayor not to be serial liar/cocaine user/drunk driver/friend of violent criminals."

Toronto Sun breaks the news, hearts

The video of his admission from the Star, complete with his cue to reporters.
posted by maudlin at 9:55 AM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


Sad. "There have been times that I have been in a drunken stupor, that's why I want to see the tape. I want everyone in the city to see this tape. I'd like to see this tape, I don't even recall there being a tape or a video, I want to see the state I was in."
posted by maudlin at 9:58 AM on November 5, 2013


That video really appears to set things up for a "leave of absence" type tearful speech to come. He's really painted himself into a corner and the only way out is to go to treatment and come out hoping that people forgive and forget.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 10:01 AM on November 5, 2013


Well, it is good to know that he has done this only once, "in one of [his] drunken stupors." Bummer it happened to be the one time that someone recorded it, I suppose.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 10:05 AM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


#inadrunkenstupor is starting to take off.
posted by zix at 10:07 AM on November 5, 2013


I don't think it's a coincidence that Doug was away when he said this. His staffers were surprised, and Doug is going to be furious.
posted by maudlin at 10:08 AM on November 5, 2013 [5 favorites]


In the same way that his problems with booze are limited to the few times that it made the news. "A few isolated incidents," he called it in the clip of the scrum.
posted by frimble at 10:08 AM on November 5, 2013


I assume that his plan is to explode the Internet, so no-one can report on Rob Ford anymore.
posted by Capt. Renault at 10:13 AM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


By the way, for those of you outside the Toronto mediasphere, there are a pair of motions before council this morning: one to remove his ability to appoint and remove committee heads (these form his his executive committee, a cabinet-like group), which would allow committee heads to speak freely without fear of removal*; and one from the aforesaid executive committee that calls for the mayor to cooperate filly with the police, to apologize to the people of Toronto for misleading them, and to take a leave of absence.

*Jaye Robinson, the first executive member to suggest that the mayor had a problem six months ago and called on him to tale a leave of absence to deal with it, was stripped of her post.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 10:16 AM on November 5, 2013


Man, Rob Ford...making the corrupt mayors of Quebec look awesome.
posted by Kitteh at 10:19 AM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


Breaking: Toronto mayor admits incident probably happened "about a year ago", around Halloween, while he was working at a donut shop wearing a giant ninja baby costume. "It was one of my drunken stupors, when I was a Dunkin' super and a shuriken duper in a shrunken diaper."

*CBC's As It Happens explodes*
posted by oulipian at 10:20 AM on November 5, 2013 [2 favorites]


This guy is a really strange guy, you guys.

This has been said by a few people but just - as someone outside the Toronto media area, he's just SO WEIRD, like so nakedly, cartoonishly untrustworthy and childlike - it's so freaking strange that he's allowed in front of cameras let alone is mayor of one of the largest cities in North America, just - what the hell man, he actually has SHIFTY EYES.
posted by The Whelk at 10:20 AM on November 5, 2013 [3 favorites]


Doug Ford at Ryerson some time ago, before the admission: " 'I don't condone Rob hanging out with people like this, and it's going to stop. It's not going to happen again.' - Doug Ford"
posted by maudlin at 10:22 AM on November 5, 2013


Having finally seen his admission -- I wasn't filled with the tasty schadenfreude I was expecting. I was watching a man drown.

Get out, man. Get help.
posted by Capt. Renault at 10:23 AM on November 5, 2013 [5 favorites]


I feel as if someone needs to make a Rob Ford motivational poster, in the vein of this thread.
posted by Lemurrhea at 10:25 AM on November 5, 2013


That is 100% what he is saying.
posted by (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates at 10:28 AM on November 5, 2013 [6 favorites]


CBC video of the admission.

^^I agree he needs help. As do many, many people with drug problems, and that help is being opposed by conservatives and the Conservative Party across the country, to Canada's great shame.

Sadly Ford is among those who has opposed harm reduction treatment for people with drug addictions.

Irony and bitterness.
posted by chapps at 10:28 AM on November 5, 2013 [6 favorites]


his excuse for smoking crack is that it was a bad decision he made because he was crazy drunk at the time?

He does seem like the "I'll smoke/drink/eat whatever is passed to me" type of dude. Many of us know the type well.
posted by davey_darling at 10:29 AM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


Just firing up 1010 now. Commercial at the moment, but once the hosts and Ford nation callers get into it, it should beat the CBC's coverage all hollow.
posted by maudlin at 10:30 AM on November 5, 2013


Maybe he did coke some of the other times he was crazy drunk and there's just no iPhone video of him doing it?
posted by Elementary Penguin at 10:32 AM on November 5, 2013


I wonder why Rob Ford did crack rather than regular coke?

Why not both?
posted by davey_darling at 10:33 AM on November 5, 2013


I wonder why Rob Ford did crack[...]

Perhaps he knew a crack dealer by the name of Peter?
posted by Juffo-Wup at 10:35 AM on November 5, 2013


Sounds corny.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 10:36 AM on November 5, 2013


I wonder if I've ever smoked crack cocaine...
posted by mazola at 10:36 AM on November 5, 2013 [7 favorites]


I wonder if I've ever smoked crack cocaine...

Can you ever be really sure?
posted by davey_darling at 10:37 AM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


> I wonder why Rob Ford did crack rather than regular coke

If he hadn't been a raging alcoholic on a bender, he might have been clear-headed enough to think things through like you had, Bwithh.
posted by ardgedee at 10:38 AM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


>>I wonder if I've ever smoked crack cocaine...

Can you ever be really sure?


Schrodinger's Crack.
posted by maudlin at 10:38 AM on November 5, 2013 [5 favorites]


"There have been times that I have been in a drunken stupor, that's why I want to see the tape. I want everyone in the city to see this tape. I'd like to see this tape, I don't even recall there being a tape or a video, I want to see the state I was in."

Pro tip: if there exists video of a moment you are too stupefied to remember, you actually don't want to see it; that never ends well.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 10:38 AM on November 5, 2013 [7 favorites]


Wow, I've just been following this situation as a rubber-necking foreigner enjoying a train wreck, but after watching his admission I have to admit that I kind of feel for the guy. Surely a situation of his own making, surely an addict, and surely not the person that Toronto needs as mayor, but I can still empathize with someone that ends up so trapped by their circumstances. I might be overly Pollyanna-ish, but I hope that he can use this as an opportunity for growth/change.
posted by a box and a stick and a string and a bear at 10:39 AM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


You have to get these people into rehabilitation and if they don’t want to go, well, then you just enforce the law. If it’s illegal, you arrest them. That’s the bottom line and if they have to dry out in jail — great,” -Rob Ford
posted by [expletive deleted] at 10:40 AM on November 5, 2013 [2 favorites]


OMG Joe Warmington of the Sun will be making some excuses for Ford on 1010 shortly.
posted by maudlin at 10:41 AM on November 5, 2013


I believe this is all slow groundwork for when the tape turns up of Ford massacring a bus full of penguins, schoolchildren and nuns; after months of stonewalling, Ford Nation will be soothed to know he was completely blitzed on crack at the time and then get outraged at the media for reporting on it.
posted by Shepherd at 10:41 AM on November 5, 2013 [2 favorites]


.... aaaaaand more of the same: "EXCLUSIVE: 'I feel like I got 1,000 pounds off my back': Mayor Rob Ford tells Sun"

Byline? Joe Warmington. That man must have the warmest nose in Toronto.
posted by maudlin at 10:43 AM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


The whole article right now:
Despite his stunning admission that he has smoked crack cocaine, Mayor Rob Ford says he is not stepping down or taking a leave of office.

"I feel like I got 1,000 pounds off my back," Ford told the Toronto Sun. "I felt I had to say it. It is what is. I feel two inches high right now but I needed to deal with it. I am not going to quit or take a leave."

"I am not an addict or an alcoholic. I have work to do and I am moving on. The way I see it now, this is over."


He said he believes he knows what's on the video Toronto Police recovered early last week.

"I think I know what's on the video and I know it's not pretty," he said. "Did I smoke something? Probably. It's ugly. "

"I am not a crackhead or junkie."

Ford also commented on the chief of police gala.

"If they want me there I will be there. I won't go if they don't. I support the police," he said.
posted by maudlin at 10:44 AM on November 5, 2013


I have to admit that I kind of feel for the guy

My god, do not. He has had millions of chances and has obfuscated and obstructed his way through all of them.

Go to youtube and watch some of his despicable performances as a councillor and as mayor to really get a feel for the guy.

I don't wish him any further harm but his considerable bulk is lying firmly in a bed of his own construction.
posted by davey_darling at 10:46 AM on November 5, 2013 [4 favorites]


Mel Lastman reached for comment.
posted by sparklemotion at 10:47 AM on November 5, 2013


Holy fuck, the new conservative call-in talking point that we should have sympathy for an addict... I tried to listen to your 1010 AM over lunch, Toronto, but I am out.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 10:47 AM on November 5, 2013


Joe Warmington never met a sentence that was too short to be it's own paragraph.
posted by no regrets, coyote at 10:48 AM on November 5, 2013 [4 favorites]


Since this is just going to end with him re-elected somehow, maybe y'all can get comprehensive drug law reform passed, based on whatever Rob Ford does to get straight.
posted by Elementary Penguin at 10:50 AM on November 5, 2013 [3 favorites]


(For the record, I have unlimited sympathy and empathy for those suffering from addiction. But using that as political cover when your policies have done the opposite for years is... there are no words.)
posted by MCMikeNamara at 10:50 AM on November 5, 2013 [3 favorites]


"I am not an addict or an alcoholic. I have work to do and I am moving on. The way I see it now, this is over."

Oh yeah.

posted by ricochet biscuit at 10:53 AM on November 5, 2013


"Don't worry, my illegal drug use isn't a big deal because it's just a secondary effect of my clinical addiction to a legal drug".
posted by no regrets, coyote at 10:53 AM on November 5, 2013 [5 favorites]


SUBWAYS, SUBWAYS, SUBWAYS!
posted by Theta States at 11:00 AM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


Have we ruled out the idea that Rob Ford is a character written by the guys who do Trailer Park Boys? I wouldn't even blink if a shirtless Randy just started following him around.
posted by jason_steakums at 11:01 AM on November 5, 2013 [6 favorites]


A judge has ruled that the redacted portion of the Lisi document can be released.

This will kick this thing from hyperdrive into supermegainsanity drive.
posted by davey_darling at 11:04 AM on November 5, 2013


Hamutal Dotan at Torontoist has an excellent summary of the motions currently being considered by council.

AND JUST IN: the wiretap info will be released [the cracken].
posted by maudlin at 11:04 AM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


Oh, this is interesting:
Motion curtailing mayor’s powers

Proposed by John Fillion and seconded by Paul Ainslie, this motion would:

- Suspend the mayor’s power to appoint and dismiss the deputy mayor and the chairs of city council’s various standing committees (like Public Works and Infrastructure, Parks and Environment).

- Confirm the appointments of the existing committee chairs and the deputy mayor, all of whom were selected for their posts by Rob Ford.

- Revise council procedure so that in the case the deputy mayor (currently Norm Kelly) steps down his replacement would be chosen by city council rather than the mayor.


- Revise council procedure so that in the case any committee chair steps down his or her replacement would chosen by the members of the relevant committee rather than the mayor.

Motion for an apology and leave of absence

Proposed by Denzil Minnan-Wong [!!!] and Peter Milczyn, this motion would ask the mayor to:

- Apologize “for misleading the City of Toronto as to the existence of a video in which he appears to be involved in the use of drugs.”

- Apologize “for writing a letter of reference for Alexander ‘Sandro’ Lisi, an alleged drug dealer, on City of Toronto mayor letterhead.”

-“Fully cooperate with the Toronto Police in their investigations of these matters.”

- “Answer to members of council on the aforementioned subjects directly and not through the media.”

- Take a leave of absence “to address his personal issues.”
posted by maudlin at 11:08 AM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]




Have we ruled out the idea that Rob Ford is a character written by the guys who do Trailer Park Boys? I wouldn't even blink if a shirtless Randy just started following him around.

This shit rodeo's only getting started.
posted by dirigibleman at 11:13 AM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


Looks like a bit of protest starting at Nathan Phillips Square. I'll give those same damn masks a pass given that it really is November 5.
posted by maudlin at 11:14 AM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


Rob Ford making an announcement shortly.
posted by Theta States at 11:20 AM on November 5, 2013


/runs for tea and a pee
posted by maudlin at 11:20 AM on November 5, 2013


Welp, he admitted it.
posted by Halloween Jack at 11:21 AM on November 5, 2013


You may want to scroll up a bit, Halloween Jack ;-)
posted by maudlin at 11:22 AM on November 5, 2013


Why he talked? "Talked to investigators for Project Brazen II that targeted Mayor Ford and crack video. They heard him admit he smoked crack cocaine."
posted by maudlin at 11:26 AM on November 5, 2013


Someone The Whelk retweeted said, "I hate to bring race into this, but this would have all been over months ago if this hadn't been a rich white guy."

QFT.
posted by Kitteh at 11:32 AM on November 5, 2013 [3 favorites]


That admission... It is just insane... Even today the reporter only asked "do you smoke crack", not have you EVER smoked crack. Ford misunderstands and answers what he thought he heard. Chastises the media for not asking the right questions in May, realizes they didn't ask the right question this time either...

Honestly, the media is just as bad as Ford on this. Has any media ever actually put that question to him, even to this day?
posted by Chuckles at 11:34 AM on November 5, 2013


Honestly, the media is just as bad as Ford on this. Has any media ever actually put that question to him, even to this day?

Many, many, many times. Do not buy into Rob Ford's stupid bullshit line of thinking on this.
posted by mightygodking at 11:36 AM on November 5, 2013 [9 favorites]


Has any media ever actually put that question to him, even to this day?
Yes, I've heard it several times.
The answer was always "Anything else" or that creepy cackle as he walks away.
posted by chococat at 11:37 AM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]




Please link it if you've got it. I want to hear a reporter ask the EVER question, here him evade it with a non answer, and here a reporter say "but I'm asking about EVER". I don't really think it is out there. It certainly did not happen today. They asked "do you", not "have you ever".
posted by Chuckles at 11:38 AM on November 5, 2013


@RoysonJames
Announcement to be made inside mayor's office. Media Throng prepping to storm the castle.

@RoysonJames
Will report on media casualties

posted by Theta States at 11:39 AM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


The Oakley question this Sunday was just about the only iteration of "ever" that I can remember.
posted by maudlin at 11:39 AM on November 5, 2013


I can't link to it because it's usually asked in those manic scrums where he doesn't answer a fucking thing anyway, and which are the only time he ever utters anything (and barely anything then) aside from his Radio Show from an Alternate Reality.
posted by chococat at 11:42 AM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


They asked "do you", not "have you ever".

Oh, bullfuckingshit. "You didn't ask about every individual day, so it wasn't lying when I lied to you!" Yeah, right.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 11:42 AM on November 5, 2013 [2 favorites]


That Stat article.. I mean it is the Star, and he doesn't talk to them, so I can kind of understand. At least they are doing their job by printing the real question. But the media scrums, they always ask the wrong question at those times.

What kind of bizarro world is this that John Oakley is the first/only media personality who actually asks the most important question?
posted by Chuckles at 11:43 AM on November 5, 2013


Please link it if you've got it. I want to hear a reporter ask the EVER question, here him evade it with a non answer, and here a reporter say "but I'm asking about EVER". I don't really think it is out there. It certainly did not happen today. They asked "do you", not "have you ever".

Oh, for fuck's sake. If a dude who smoked crack is asked by the media if he smoked crack and answers no, it doesn't matter whether there's a rules-lawyer argument about the exact wording and tense of the question; if he's relying on some sleazy definitional thing, he's not honest enough to be fit for public office, and if he is honestly confused by the wording, he's too goddamn dumb to be fit for public office. Rob Ford is not that dumb, and he's not that conniving either, he's just a straight-up addict and liar.
posted by Homeboy Trouble at 11:44 AM on November 5, 2013 [5 favorites]


Katie Simpson at CP24 is pointing out that they are setting up a podium (lectern!) in the Protocol Lounge, which is a better spot for a scrum than the crowded space outside the office door they are all at right now.

On the ever: I can see skipping the "ever" the first couple of times he was asked the question. But after his pattern of evasion, the "ever" becomes necessary on any subsequent questions. It may not make him tell the truth, but at least if shows that you've covered all the appropriate verb tenses. Mushy Ford supporters need to be peeled off bit by bit by shows of clarity like that.
posted by maudlin at 11:45 AM on November 5, 2013


Please read what I'm saying, don't just go looking for somebody to fight with. This isn't about excusing him. I'm just observing the extraordinary here.. Obviously Ford as mayor is a sad pathetic thing that has to end ASAP. That doesn't change the absurdity of the moment. The reporter asks "do you", but Ford--maybe for the first time--does the politically astute thing and answers the question he wanted to hear instead of the actual question asked. And this time around, the question he wanted to hear was "have you ever" and the answer was "yes".

And here on MetaFilter, where the discourse is supposed to be at a higher level, people are accusing me of defending Rob Ford.
posted by Chuckles at 11:49 AM on November 5, 2013


What does Rob Ford have to do now to make a political comeback like Marion Barry?

To make a comeback you first have to go away.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 11:52 AM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


Livestream! The journos are giggling like schoolgirls.
posted by jamesonandwater at 11:53 AM on November 5, 2013


If they were really doing their jobs, reporters would have called him up every five minutes and asked, "Are you smoking crack RIGHT NOW?" "How about NOW?"

Then they would have caught him.
posted by neroli at 11:53 AM on November 5, 2013 [6 favorites]


My new secret trick for a free pass on any shitty thing I might do:

Act all offended that you're even asking me the question, and then, (with my eyes barely open) say, "Probably, IN ONE OF MY DRUNKEN STUPORS."

Problem solved. Best excuse ever.
posted by chococat at 11:53 AM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


1010: a caller is saying that he (the caller) is more productive as a drinker than the abstainers in his office. He bets that if Ford has to step out for a month, City Hall productivity will go down, and back up again when he returns.

When asked about Ford hanging out with crack dealers at a crack house, he suggested that maybe Ford was jogging that night and got called over and invited in, and because he was blackout drunk, he wound up smoking crack.
posted by maudlin at 11:54 AM on November 5, 2013


This is getting down to the level of "it depends on what your definition of is is" arguing.
posted by nubs at 11:54 AM on November 5, 2013


My new secret trick for a free pass on any shitty thing I might do:

Am I having an affair?

No!

Have I had sex with other women?

Sure, but only when I was on a bender! So it's OK right?
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 11:55 AM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


I've watched several of the live feeds of his press scrums in front of the mayor's office over the last few months, and while I can't provide specific video, I can promise you that he has absolutely been asked if he has ever smoked crack, if he has smoked crack at any time, etc. He may have chosen to ignore those questions at the time, because he didn't want to answer them, but they were asked.

It would please me greatly if the Daily Show opens tonight with a supercut of reporters asking Rob Ford if he's ever smoked crack, because those tapes are certainly out there.
posted by jacquilynne at 11:57 AM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


That's a good point -- if the Daily Show crew are good at anything, it's the hypocrisy montage.

The idea that they'd finally do one on our little hometown is a bittersweet one.
posted by saturday_morning at 11:59 AM on November 5, 2013


When the Mayor's involvement in the Sandro Lisi extortion case is revealed, the fact that he also once smoked crack will seem quaint.
posted by rocket88 at 12:00 PM on November 5, 2013 [2 favorites]


I wish there was a place to go for a compilation of Newstalk 1010 callers justifying Ford's actions as this all unfolds.
posted by Theta States at 12:00 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


What could he possibly announce at this point other than resignation?

I'm responsible for the holocaust? I dropped chemical weapons on Syria? I'm the leader of a Mexican Cartel? I've got 6 nuns chained up in my basement?

Seriously, he's admitted to smoking crack while so drunk he can't remember. What else can he say at this point? Hey guys, how bout those leafs?!?
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 12:01 PM on November 5, 2013


What could he possibly announce at this point other than resignation?

Leave of absence, most likely. This dude ain't getting down off the pony.
posted by Theta States at 12:02 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


Well he could announce a stint in rehab. Seems more likely than outright resignation.

EDIT: What Theta States said.
posted by saturday_morning at 12:02 PM on November 5, 2013


He's firing the police department and replacing them all with Doug Ford?
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 12:03 PM on November 5, 2013 [2 favorites]


I can promise you that he has absolutely been asked if he has ever smoked crack, if he has smoked crack at any time, etc. He may have chosen to ignore those questions at the time, because he didn't want to answer them, but they were asked.

Well sure, and maybe I could have typed something more clearly up thread... Thinking about it, I guess what's really going on is that he is only willing to answer "trusted" reporters, and those reporters don't ask the right question. After all, that's what makes them trusted.
posted by Chuckles at 12:03 PM on November 5, 2013


damn, I wish I could get the live feed to work on my phone...
posted by Theta States at 12:03 PM on November 5, 2013


Why am I getting the feeling that Doug is playing Brianna to Ford's D'Angelo right now?
posted by maudlin at 12:04 PM on November 5, 2013


Yeah, leave of absence to go to rehab, followed by a triumphant return and landslide victory in the next election...is what I'm thinking he thinks is going to happen.
posted by The Card Cheat at 12:04 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


I will repost what I posted at the top of this thread: yes, that's the afternoon gone.
posted by sfred at 12:04 PM on November 5, 2013


Katie Simpson at CP24 is pointing out that they are setting up a podium (lectern!) in the Protocol Lounge, which is a better spot for a scrum than the crowded space outside the office door they are all at right now.

Idle speculation: Lectern being set up for swearing in of Norm Kelly?
posted by jacquilynne at 12:05 PM on November 5, 2013


What could he possibly announce at this point other than resignation?

He and Lisi are getting married.
posted by chococat at 12:06 PM on November 5, 2013 [4 favorites]


Nobody in Toronto is getting any work done. Hell, I'm skipping my nap!
posted by The Card Cheat at 12:06 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


That'd be a bigamy charge, wouldn't it?
posted by sfred at 12:07 PM on November 5, 2013


In the back of my mind I'm dreading the possibility of a Budd Dwyer situation and I really hope he's got people looking out for signs of that, even if he doesn't want handlers or even knows he has them. An ego like that can break in messy ways.
posted by jason_steakums at 12:07 PM on November 5, 2013


Why, it'd be big of all of us!
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 12:08 PM on November 5, 2013 [2 favorites]




Towhey on 1010: expects and would advise that Ford make a statement but take no questions.
posted by maudlin at 12:10 PM on November 5, 2013


He and Lisi are getting married.

Well, pretty much the the last things we need to get a blackout on Rob Ford hypocrisy bingo is for him to marry another man and ride a bike. C'mon Robbie! I believe in you.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 12:10 PM on November 5, 2013


>Someone The Whelk retweeted said, "I hate to bring race into this, but this would have all been over months ago if this hadn't been a rich white guy."

There is no way Hazel McCallion would have lasted this long.
posted by KokuRyu at 12:12 PM on November 5, 2013


Nobody in Toronto is getting any work done.

I was at the gym earlier when he made his admission and just about the whole place abandoned their squat racks/treadmills and gathered round the TV. Never seen anything like that! I shudder to think what the lost productivity must add up to.
posted by jamesonandwater at 12:12 PM on November 5, 2013 [2 favorites]


Statements from Toronto City Councillors on whether Rob Ford should resign.


Gotta love "I'm too new here".

Also worth noting that most if not all of those are pre-admission, which could change some of the responses.
posted by Lemurrhea at 12:12 PM on November 5, 2013


Hazel McCallion will last forever.
posted by yellowbinder at 12:12 PM on November 5, 2013


Caller on 1010: There may be a spot for Ford in the Senate. Host snickers and agrees.

Caller #2 on 1010: Ford is nothing but a scumbag. Caller used to respect him a lot when he was a councillor, but he's lost the respect of everyone.
posted by maudlin at 12:15 PM on November 5, 2013


Hazel McCallion will last forever.

I said it before, Mississauga will vote her tasteful pantsuit in as Mayor after she kicks the bucket.
posted by chococat at 12:15 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


I shudder to think what the lost productivity must add up to.

$1 billion of taxpayer money, folks
posted by saturday_morning at 12:15 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


So... let's think about this: Detroit has in the past decade and a half elected a Mayor (named Kwame Kilpatrick) that we recently put in prison for 25+ years due to numerous crimes he committed against the city, crimes which most certainly propelled the city into a recent bankruptcy filing.

Please tell me that the neighbor about 4 hours driving time east of Detroit has the ability to do the same thing...
posted by JoeXIII007 at 12:17 PM on November 5, 2013


Don't think this has been posted yet: http://www.vice.com/en_ca/read/rob-fords-office-hired-a-hacker-to-destroy-the-crack-tape

Vice is alleging that ford's office hired a hacker to delete the tape.

edit to make it a link
posted by sfred at 12:18 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


@rachelmendleson
In case you're wondering, we're still waiting. Also my phone battery is dying #RobFord


This is a genius strategy! Run down the clock on the batteries of all the media's portable devices!
I bet Doug is down in the basement pulling the fuse for the plugs on that floor in case anyone brought a charger.
posted by Theta States at 12:20 PM on November 5, 2013


Why do people keep calling it a tape? Whhhyyyyy? And it's not just the olds who do this.
posted by maudlin at 12:20 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


MetroMan at Urban Toronto says the Vice hacker story is one of those he predicted yesterday.
posted by maudlin at 12:22 PM on November 5, 2013


IT'S TAKING THEM A LONG TIME TO WRITE THE TWO SENTENCES HE'S GOING TO SAY
posted by chococat at 12:22 PM on November 5, 2013


"Sex File" just doesn't have the same tawdry ring to it.
posted by The Card Cheat at 12:23 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


Vice is alleging that ford's office hired a hacker to delete the tape.

I'm picturing Crockett and Tubbs shaking down a pimp for this information.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 12:23 PM on November 5, 2013


Oh, wow. From the VICE article:
Despite this email being sent from a City of Toronto email address, it cannot be verified by City Hall. This is a direct result of Amin’s promotion to spokesman and communications director that occurred on May 27th. On May 18th, when this email appears to have been sent, he was still working for Councillor Doug Ford, Rob Ford's brother. Here’s what the City of Toronto says about Amin’s emails that were sent before his promotion:

“With respect to Amin Massoudi's email records please be advised that all records prior to Mr. Massoudi commencing work in the mayor's office on May 27th are considered Councilor [Doug] Ford's personal constituency records. These records are not in the City's custody or control. Thus access cannot be provided."
posted by maudlin at 12:24 PM on November 5, 2013


Is Doug in there with him? Someone on reddit said her boyfriend's dad had an appointment with Rob and had to go through the media throng to keep it.
posted by jamesonandwater at 12:24 PM on November 5, 2013


"When I admitted to smoking crack, I was just incredibly drunk, and as we have established, I am not responsible for anything that I do when I am incredibly drunk, such as smoking crack, so therefore I am not responsible for admitting that I smoked crack, which if I did do I did when incredibly drunk, but this admission is not admissible because I am in fact at this moment incredibly drunk, as I may or may not have been when I may or may not have smoked crack, which I either totally did do when incredibly drunk or not."
posted by Shepherd at 12:25 PM on November 5, 2013 [9 favorites]


1010 hosts so far have zero realization that their sincere concern for this crack smoker and his children is the exact opposite of their stated opinions of every other drug user and their families.
posted by rocket88 at 12:25 PM on November 5, 2013 [8 favorites]


I would suggest that someone make a drinking game out of this, but I'm thinking a Rob Ford drinking game would be downright dangerous. Also, drinking games are probably at least partially responsible for getting Toronto into this mess in the first place. "Sure I voted for Ford, but I was so drunk at the time I didn't know what I was doing!"
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 12:29 PM on November 5, 2013 [3 favorites]


If you aren't reading the VICE article -- Jesus. It looks as if Towhey was initially involved in the cover-up, too.
posted by maudlin at 12:33 PM on November 5, 2013


For those following along in the US, you may not be aware that there is a metric tonne of material on Canadian political scandal for Colbert to use right now.

Montreal (we hope!) just voted out some corrupt mayors (or replaced an arrested mayor--who was himself a replacement for a resigned-due-to-scandal mayor) and the RCMP is sniffing around the Prime Minister's Office looking for incriminating email related to a Senate Scandal.

For the political junkie, keeping up with all the live streams on this stuff is overwhelming!
posted by chapps at 12:33 PM on November 5, 2013


I think I just broke my personal record for "most tabs open."
posted by The Card Cheat at 12:34 PM on November 5, 2013


It looks as if Towhey was initially involved in the cover-up, too

I am SHOCKED.
posted by chococat at 12:36 PM on November 5, 2013


Hey guys, how bout those leafs?!?

10-5-0 at the moment. Which means they'll implode by March.
posted by one more dead town's last parade at 12:36 PM on November 5, 2013


I've always hated the Leafs, but this year I'm actually rooting for them. Toronto needs some good news.
posted by The Card Cheat at 12:37 PM on November 5, 2013


I think I just broke my personal record for "most tabs open."

That's funny because Rob hit a record for most tabs taken last St. Paddy's day!
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 12:37 PM on November 5, 2013


Remember when Lastman was afraid to go to Africa because they might cook him in a pot?
Or when Rowlands wanted to ban the Barenaked Ladies?*
Adorable.

*which I actually agreed with but not because of their name
posted by chococat at 12:40 PM on November 5, 2013


John Lancaster: "I'm told @TOMayorFord will not resign, but will announce he will "get help" for what may ail him."
posted by maudlin at 12:41 PM on November 5, 2013


Holy shit just give your speech so I can get back to smoking crack work...
posted by Theta States at 12:44 PM on November 5, 2013


Holy shit just give your speech so I can get back to smoking crack work...

Rob, dude, you're the one who's supposed to be making the speech!
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 12:46 PM on November 5, 2013


10 minute warning. Speech coming at 3:55pm EST
posted by Theta States at 12:46 PM on November 5, 2013


VICE: a connection to the killing of Anthony Smith.
On May 31, over email, Amin told the hacker “the big guy” got the link and login information concerning the web-storage account from a person who “was just picked up out west” and was concerned that their arrest might “impact the site.” This email was sent one day after a man named Hanad Mohamed was arrested in Fort McMurray, Alberta, after fleeing Toronto.

Hanad had previously been charged with first-degree murder for the killing of Anthony Smith, but the Crown has downgraded his charges to aggravated assault and accessory to discharging a firearm in connection with the non-fatal shooting of a man named Muhammad Khattak. Khattak is pictured with Rob Ford in front of the house where the crack tape was filmed.

Hanad has also been charged with accessory after the fact to manslaughter, as the police now believe he drove Nisar Hashimi—a 23 year-old man who turned himself in for the murder, and is currently serving nine years for the manslaughter of Anthony Smith—away from the scene of the Anthony's murder. Three weeks after Hanad’s arrest, in the same Fort McMurray apartment where the cops found him, another man, Hanad Hussein, was thrown from a six-story balcony.
posted by maudlin at 12:46 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


Via CP24 live feed: at 4 PM, the doors will open and they can set up. Last call to briefly leave your desk, folks!
posted by maudlin at 12:48 PM on November 5, 2013


And of course I have to get into my car and start driving no later than 4.

Luckily I think I can find a record of the events somewhere after I arrive.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 12:49 PM on November 5, 2013


My wife is frantically texting me from work that she only has 16% battery left on phone from constantly refreshing and is terrified she's going to miss this.
posted by chococat at 12:50 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


Ford's Hotmail lawyer (Dennis Morris) is on 1010 saying that Ford can get help for his problem without stepping down. If people can set aside an hour a day for exercise, Ford can do the same to get clean.

"If he tones things down a bit and has a bit of a lifestyle change ...".

Holy shit, I thought it was another dunderhead caller, not his lawyer, when he started talking.

That is the calibre of professional support Ford is getting.
posted by maudlin at 12:54 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


Lest we forget - a wee glimpse from three years ago when the conservatives were gleefully celebrating the ascendance of the One True Mayor.
posted by Artful Codger at 12:54 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


I'm sorry, that was the wrong link. That goes to a fictional lawyer who was actually pretty competent.
posted by maudlin at 12:55 PM on November 5, 2013


That must be one hell of an addiction specialist that can get you clean and sober in an hour a day!
posted by BrianJ at 12:55 PM on November 5, 2013


Anyone got a link to the live feed for this new announcement?
posted by Ironmouth at 12:56 PM on November 5, 2013


Ironmouth: http://www.cp24.com/video?clipId=710809
posted by saturday_morning at 12:56 PM on November 5, 2013


> Lest we forget - a wee glimpse from three years ago when the conservatives were gleefully celebrating the ascendance of the One True Mayor.

The night of the election I got off work at 8:30, which was when the polls closed, and when I walked out the door there was a lady on the sidewalk crowing about how Toronto "FINALLY HAS A GOOD CHRISTIAN BOY FOR MAYOR."
posted by The Card Cheat at 12:57 PM on November 5, 2013


CP24 live stream. It's paused at the moment, don't panic.

1010, if you dare.
posted by maudlin at 12:57 PM on November 5, 2013


Anyone got a link to the live feed for this new announcement?

See above, and just so you know it has been starting and stopping and they are muting the audio periodically.
posted by davey_darling at 12:58 PM on November 5, 2013


wow, it is an incredible scrum at the doors.
posted by Ironmouth at 12:58 PM on November 5, 2013


http://www.680news.com/2013/11/05/video-outside-mayor-fords-office/

It's pretty chaotic. The huge mass of reporters was set up outside the mayor's office, and now they all have to somehow move inside and get set up again.
posted by KokuRyu at 12:59 PM on November 5, 2013




When this announcement is over, do yourselves a favour and read the Vice article.
posted by rocket88 at 1:00 PM on November 5, 2013


got my phone to work with CBC Radio 1, I hope they cut live to it...
posted by Theta States at 1:00 PM on November 5, 2013


I think they're carrying live across the country, Theta, but you can always switch your radio feed to Toronto if you want to be sure.
posted by maudlin at 1:01 PM on November 5, 2013


CNN has the live feed in the corner of its screen.
posted by dry white toast at 1:02 PM on November 5, 2013




If he takes questions, can we PLEASE start asking him about the murder and extortion and violence and break and enter related to the video?????

I'm actually really tied of this being about crack.
posted by dry white toast at 1:04 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


Why do people keep calling it a tape?

Might as well... you already call Rob Ford a mayor LOLOLOL
posted by Rykey at 1:05 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


Great questions, but I expect just a statement.
posted by maudlin at 1:05 PM on November 5, 2013


> I'm actually really tied of this being about crack.

yeah, but don't spoil the moment. The rest in good time...
posted by Artful Codger at 1:06 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


I just hope the reporters remember to phrase everything in the form of a question. Otherwise it's counted as wrong and they'll lose money.
posted by Lemurrhea at 1:06 PM on November 5, 2013 [4 favorites]


I'm actually really tied of this being about crack.

Ya, there is that.. Fucking scary really. That's our modern world though..

Anyway, according to AV club guy, CBC isn't plugged in yet, so we have to wait.

Oh, we're good! OMG OMG!
posted by Chuckles at 1:07 PM on November 5, 2013


If he takes questions, can we PLEASE start asking him about the murder and extortion and violence and break and enter related to the video?

Just be sure to ask very specific questions if they do get to ask. Nothing that can be construed as, "Are you murdering anyone right now?"
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 1:07 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


Whoa. CBC says that Ford told the Sun that there is "ugly" stuff on the second video.
posted by maudlin at 1:07 PM on November 5, 2013


I don't have sound on the CP24 feed - is this Broken Social Scene opening for him?
posted by Flashman at 1:07 PM on November 5, 2013 [4 favorites]


I'm getting no sound on CP24 if you are having this problem, feed live on CTV here
posted by chapps at 1:08 PM on November 5, 2013


The leader of an icelandic folk band is doing a mic check
posted by The Whelk at 1:08 PM on November 5, 2013 [4 favorites]


Just watched the Daily Shiw segment from last night. Jon Stewart basically said "geez, Toronto, you must not have very many problems if a crack addict can run your city?"

It made me feel oddly optimistic.
posted by dry white toast at 1:08 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


CP24's audio seems to be working now.
posted by figurant at 1:08 PM on November 5, 2013


Geez a few hours has really taken a toll on Robbie, eh?
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 1:08 PM on November 5, 2013


"You're a star, buddy!" -reporter to AV guy.
posted by Evstar at 1:09 PM on November 5, 2013


CP24 deliberately cuts the sound from time to time. Use whatever feed you like.
posted by maudlin at 1:09 PM on November 5, 2013


None of the feeds are anything but choppy as hell for me. Figures they are getting slammed.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 1:09 PM on November 5, 2013


Whoa. CBC says that Ford told the Sun that there is "ugly" stuff on the second video.

I thought he was still talking about the first video.
posted by dry white toast at 1:09 PM on November 5, 2013


I can't find any Sun source, so Gill might have gotten that wrong.
posted by maudlin at 1:10 PM on November 5, 2013


Hmm, better now.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 1:10 PM on November 5, 2013


Whoa. CBC says that Ford told the Sun that there is "ugly" stuff on the second video.

I thought he was still talking about the first video.


Aparently after hours Ford pulled out his "blue" material.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 1:10 PM on November 5, 2013


Via MFO Ivor Tossel: the cartoons of Ford that cover his walls.
posted by maudlin at 1:11 PM on November 5, 2013


CBC's feed is pretty good. Probably able to leverage their experience from previous World Cups and Olympics.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 1:12 PM on November 5, 2013


Via MFO Ivor Tossel: the cartoons of Ford that cover his walls.

Okay, now I feel bad for him. That is seriously fucked up. They're really nicely framed, too.
posted by Elementary Penguin at 1:12 PM on November 5, 2013


This is the most stressful surprise party EVER
posted by tjenks at 1:13 PM on November 5, 2013 [5 favorites]


It occurs to me that we've had quite a few of these holding our breath in anticipation if the next bombshell moments during the Ford mayoralty.

Can't help but think this is going to be a let down.
posted by dry white toast at 1:13 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


Daniel Dale (start here): "I find myself thinking about all our stories on Mayor Ford's itineraries - all the "private" time, the always-shrinking list of meetings. Ford kept a dizzying schedule for months upon election. By Year 2, most of days were filled with "private" time or "constituent meetings. Doug Ford kept saying Rob worked "18 hours a day." But his arrivals got later and later. Sounded groggy on some Sunday-1 pm radio shows."
posted by maudlin at 1:14 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


wait for the sound of a million camera shutters chuk chuking frantically
posted by davey_darling at 1:14 PM on November 5, 2013


I swear Ford's doing this to make the evil media suffer and sweat.
posted by Theta States at 1:14 PM on November 5, 2013


CP24 audio started again with the sound of a gale of laughter.
posted by maudlin at 1:15 PM on November 5, 2013


live blogging here is much appreciated, it's the best I've got. :)
posted by Theta States at 1:16 PM on November 5, 2013


CP24 audio started again with the sound of a gale of laughter.

That was immediately after we heard a cellphone ring and a voice saying "Hi Mom, I can't talk right now"
posted by davey_darling at 1:16 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


I swear Ford's doing this to make the evil media suffer and sweat.

Why should he treat them any differently than stairs treat him?
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 1:16 PM on November 5, 2013 [2 favorites]


Goldsbie: "Maybe we've been waiting for his family to arrive."

I need a drink. Seriously.
posted by maudlin at 1:17 PM on November 5, 2013


Apparently one of the media guys' phone rang, and he had to explain to his mom that this wasn't a good time. Actually.
posted by dry white toast at 1:17 PM on November 5, 2013


The I Hate The War on Mayor Ford facebook page is a remarkable picture of true believers painting themselves into a corner but reassuring each other that all will be well.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 1:17 PM on November 5, 2013


Ivor again: "This is the one Ford chose to blow up, in the middle of the wall. Essence of Ford."
posted by maudlin at 1:19 PM on November 5, 2013


"2 minute warning. Mayor's staff is now standing along the walls."

Yeesh, the anticipation...
posted by Theta States at 1:20 PM on November 5, 2013


maudlin, I've been thinking the exact same thing for a couple of hours.
posted by dry white toast at 1:20 PM on November 5, 2013


Staffer giving the rules. A hush falls.

Don't break the barrier. As long as you follow the rules, we'll continue the session.
posted by maudlin at 1:21 PM on November 5, 2013


Do Not Taunt Happy Fun Rob
posted by The Whelk at 1:22 PM on November 5, 2013 [12 favorites]


I just turned the feed off. This is one car crash I don't need to see in real time.
posted by Artful Codger at 1:23 PM on November 5, 2013


Look, guys, the mayor's a little loaded right now, so you might want to move back to keep from getting hit with the spittal...
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 1:23 PM on November 5, 2013


@cselley
Ford's lawyer says we in the media should be ashamed of ourselves.


WHAT.
posted by Theta States at 1:23 PM on November 5, 2013


I'm still holding to my prediction that this ends in a hot-jazz high speed car chase.
posted by The Whelk at 1:24 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


Give him a sec. He's just finishing up what he does at this time everyday. Ford:20, if you will.
posted by gman at 1:24 PM on November 5, 2013 [9 favorites]


That room is so tiny. Were they not expecting a crowd?
posted by argonauta at 1:25 PM on November 5, 2013


Maybe he burned up on re-entry.
posted by dry white toast at 1:25 PM on November 5, 2013


Has anyone watching the feed heard the sound of a coin flipping , or rock-paper-scissors? This is an important decision...
posted by Artful Codger at 1:25 PM on November 5, 2013


Ford's lawyer says we in the media should be ashamed of ourselves.

Ourselves? As in the media should be ashamed of the Ford folks?
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 1:25 PM on November 5, 2013


Is this delay the political equivalent of "freezing" a field goal kicker by taking a time out?
posted by rocket88 at 1:26 PM on November 5, 2013


I think I can smell the Internet burning. It smells like -- burnt toast.
posted by maudlin at 1:26 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


oh my god an NFL tie
posted by tjenks at 1:26 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


This is as sad as Ol' Yeller
posted by KokuRyu at 1:27 PM on November 5, 2013


The I Hate The War on Mayor Ford facebook page is a remarkable picture of true believers painting themselves into a corner but reassuring each other that all will be well.

omg

"Our initial reaction: 1) We wish the Mayor did not have drunken stupors in which he tried crack."
posted by showbiz_liz at 1:27 PM on November 5, 2013 [2 favorites]


And so it begins...
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 1:27 PM on November 5, 2013


A little part of me is hoping against hope for a BABABOOEY.
posted by cortex at 1:27 PM on November 5, 2013 [4 favorites]


oh my god an NFL tie

"Mayor Rob Ford wore cowboy boots for the occasion."

Wow, maybe getting back in to football then?
posted by Theta States at 1:27 PM on November 5, 2013


And ends...
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 1:27 PM on November 5, 2013


"I hope nobody has to go through what I've gone through."

What an asshole.
posted by KokuRyu at 1:28 PM on November 5, 2013 [7 favorites]


Why do digital cameras hafta make that sound?
posted by Artful Codger at 1:29 PM on November 5, 2013


Yeah, this doesn't sound like a resignation.
posted by figurant at 1:29 PM on November 5, 2013 [2 favorites]


"Admitting it was the most difficult and embarrassing thing I have ever had to do "

awww bunny...
posted by Theta States at 1:29 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


Doug was in the dark the whole time.
posted by KokuRyu at 1:29 PM on November 5, 2013 [2 favorites]


Oh man, such classic Ford.
posted by dry white toast at 1:30 PM on November 5, 2013


"Folks, I have nothing left to hide."

I'll take that bet.
posted by argonauta at 1:30 PM on November 5, 2013 [9 favorites]


Holy crap he's actually going to try to ride it out
posted by saturday_morning at 1:30 PM on November 5, 2013 [2 favorites]


"Will never happen again." Ha, it's classic intervention speech. "I've kept this away from my brother" HOW LESS SUBTLE CAN YOU BE
posted by The Whelk at 1:30 PM on November 5, 2013 [2 favorites]


This doesn't even sound like a rehab announcement. This doesn't even sound like anything.
posted by yellowbinder at 1:30 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


"I know I have to re... re.... regain your trust."
posted by KokuRyu at 1:30 PM on November 5, 2013


Honestly though this dude is super weird.
posted by (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates at 1:30 PM on November 5, 2013 [2 favorites]


"The truth is... I am Iron Man." *Rob Ford blasts a hole in the wall with repulsors and flies away*
posted by jason_steakums at 1:31 PM on November 5, 2013 [10 favorites]


Why do digital cameras hafta make that sound?

The lens and mirror in a DSLR (i.e. any decent camera) are a physical thing that moves and makes that noise.
posted by Homeboy Trouble at 1:31 PM on November 5, 2013


I feel incredibly uncomfortable right now.
posted by The Whelk at 1:31 PM on November 5, 2013


@ddale8
Ford: "I know I have to regain your trust." Groans and shouts from outside the office.


UGGH
posted by Theta States at 1:31 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


whaaaaaaaaaat lol gotta get back to work!
posted by tjenks at 1:31 PM on November 5, 2013


Come on say it. Say it... say it..... come on subways.....
posted by yellowbinder at 1:31 PM on November 5, 2013 [2 favorites]


In stunning news, Lucy pulls the football away from Charlie Brown.
posted by dry white toast at 1:31 PM on November 5, 2013 [8 favorites]


"For the sake of the taxpayers" isn't really bucking for the top ten warcries of all time.
posted by cortex at 1:31 PM on November 5, 2013


This is insane. Someone hit him with a tranquilizer and take him to rehab. OMG.
posted by Theta States at 1:32 PM on November 5, 2013 [2 favorites]


sincerely, guys
posted by saturday_morning at 1:32 PM on November 5, 2013 [2 favorites]


SAVING TAXPAYERS MONEY
posted by The Whelk at 1:32 PM on November 5, 2013


Not many people both admit they smoked crack while in office and kick off their re-election campaign the same day.
posted by Homeboy Trouble at 1:32 PM on November 5, 2013 [13 favorites]


He's actually going to turn this into a campaign speech? Holy christ!
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 1:32 PM on November 5, 2013 [2 favorites]


Sincerely! Sincerely! Sincerely!
posted by yellowbinder at 1:33 PM on November 5, 2013


Where is the video feed showing Doug?? I want to see how he is taking this
posted by saucysault at 1:33 PM on November 5, 2013


*LAUGHTER*
posted by (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates at 1:33 PM on November 5, 2013


would do anything to undo the past? like what, kill a crackhouse owner?
posted by Ironmouth at 1:33 PM on November 5, 2013 [2 favorites]


This is all I could think of when he came out.
posted by gman at 1:33 PM on November 5, 2013


MOCKING LAUGHTER
posted by The Whelk at 1:33 PM on November 5, 2013 [4 favorites]


Mission Accomplished.
posted by dry white toast at 1:33 PM on November 5, 2013


Apologizing. Very sorry. Only one person to blame: self. I know that admitting my mistake was the right nothing to do and I feel, like a thousand pounds has been lifted off my shoulders.

Can't explain how difficult it was to do.


(On edge of tears?)

Hopes nobody has to go through what he's gone through. Knows he did wrong and admitting was most difficult and embarrassing thing ever had to do.

Folks, I have nothing left to hide. But can't change past. Must move forward.

I want to be crystal clear. These mistakes will will never EVER EVER happen again.

I kept this from my family, especially my brother Doug, my staff, my council colleagues.


(Internet now smells more like bullshit)

Toronto, I know I let you down, can't do anything but apologize.

Know I have to regain your trust and confidence. Loves his job and city. Loves saving taxpayers money. Love being your mayor. There is important work to advance and decisions to be made.

For the sake of the taxpayers, we must get back to work immediately.


FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FORD.

Was elected to do a job and is exactly what he will continue to do. Have made commitment, have delivered, and will continue.


FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FORD

Will be around for October 27 election. God bless the people of Toronto.

Woman laughs in back. Man calls out God bless you, too.
posted by maudlin at 1:33 PM on November 5, 2013 [2 favorites]


This is horribly sad to see.
posted by zix at 1:33 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


this was as much as I could type - most of it is there.

With todays annoucement I know that I have embarassed everyone in the city.
I know that admitting my mistake was the right thing to do
I feel like 1000 pounds was lifted off my shoulders
Can't explain how difficult this was to do.
I hope that nobody has to go through what I had to go through.
I know that I was wrong and admitting it was the most difficult embarassing thing that I've ever had to do.
Folks, I have nothing left to hide.
I would do anything, absolutely anything to change the past
But the past is the past and we must move forward.
I wanna be clear
I want to be crystal clear to every single person
These mistakes will never ever ever happen again
I kept this from my family, especially my brother Doug, my staff, my council colleagues because I was embarassed and ashamed
To the residents of Toronto, I know that I have let you down, and I can't do anything else but apologize and apologize, and I'm so sorry
I know I have to regain your trust and confidence
I love my job, I love this city, I love saving taxpayers money and I love saving taxpayers money
For the sake of the taxpayers we must get back to work immediately
We must keep toronto moving forward
I was elected to do a job and that's exactly what I am going to continue to do.
In 2010 I made a commitment to Toronto voters. I have delivered on that committment, and I will continue to deliver.
But they have a choice. In October of 2015 I want the residents of this city to decide if the want Rob Ford to be their mayor
Again I sincerely apologize.

God bless the city of Toronto.
posted by davey_darling at 1:33 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


Reporters actually laughed when he "god blessed" the people of Toronto. Like, cackled.
posted by jacquilynne at 1:33 PM on November 5, 2013 [4 favorites]


Announces reelection bid to literal cackles
posted by theodolite at 1:33 PM on November 5, 2013


He's announced he will run again in next fall's election.
posted by rocket88 at 1:34 PM on November 5, 2013


Oh for fuck's sake! This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 1:34 PM on November 5, 2013 [6 favorites]


There you have it, world, I hope you have enjoyed your 10 minutes with our last 3 years
posted by saturday_morning at 1:35 PM on November 5, 2013 [6 favorites]


#HOLYFUCKINGSHITYOUGUYS
posted by Theta States at 1:35 PM on November 5, 2013




"Crystal Clear" the cry of the Conservative these days. Do they all have the same speech writers?
posted by chapps at 1:35 PM on November 5, 2013


> Doug was in the dark the whole time.

Doug is the main reason this farce continues. Rob is now collateral damage, Doug has the political career they're trying to save, as a potential future star in the Ontario PCs.
posted by Artful Codger at 1:35 PM on November 5, 2013 [5 favorites]


I want to see him run with the "I was drunk" defense when called on any part of his record during debates.
posted by jason_steakums at 1:36 PM on November 5, 2013


For a second I almost believed that he was sorry. He's sorry for being caught. He still believes that he could gain our trust. How insulting. This wasn't an announcement at all.

The more he rides this out the bigger the explosion will be when everything in the Police investigation becomes public. That, or because of the slow trickle of details coming out each day, we are being immunized against being shocked and appalled at his behaviour. There's still a chance he could ride this out.
posted by beau jackson at 1:36 PM on November 5, 2013


1010 player has crashed.
posted by maudlin at 1:36 PM on November 5, 2013


This is unsurprising. I didn't think he would step down because he has absolute fucking contempt for the city of Toronto and the job of mayor. He is only sorry he got caught.
posted by Kitteh at 1:36 PM on November 5, 2013 [2 favorites]


God he spoke like he was the city's abusive spouse.
posted by The Whelk at 1:37 PM on November 5, 2013 [15 favorites]


Good lord... Please disregard my earlier comment in this thread.
posted by a box and a stick and a string and a bear at 1:37 PM on November 5, 2013


I gave stronger odds to Rob Ford revealing he was a hyper-intelligent meteorite than just walking out there and saying "Fuck you, I'm MAYOR!" and then *micdrop*
posted by Theta States at 1:37 PM on November 5, 2013


Resignation or leave of absence was the nice, sane way this could have ended. That only leaves the other way.
posted by rocket88 at 1:38 PM on November 5, 2013


Doug was in the dark the whole time.

Could be, or Rob could just be protecting his bro.
posted by beau jackson at 1:38 PM on November 5, 2013


So, Rob Ford admitted he smoked crack, and it was only the second most jaw dropping thing he did today.
posted by dry white toast at 1:39 PM on November 5, 2013 [7 favorites]


Things you learn when your Twitter feed is an unholy mixture of sports and Canadian politics: Rob Ford's NFL tie is at least 15 years old.
posted by no regrets, coyote at 1:39 PM on November 5, 2013 [2 favorites]


There's no fucking way Rob Ford is a hyper-intelligent anything.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 1:39 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


God he spoke like he was the city's abusive spouse.

That's actually a pretty good summary of the situation here.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 1:41 PM on November 5, 2013 [2 favorites]


I'm pretty sure it's actually illegal for him to start formally campaigning before January 2nd.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 1:41 PM on November 5, 2013


@ddale8
Mayor Rob Ford said he has "nothing left to hide" - as if "have you used crack" was the one question, not one of hundreds.

posted by Theta States at 1:41 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


Matk my words, this will be made into a motion picture. The only question is will it be a drama starring Brian Dennehy or a comedy starring Artie Lange?
posted by rocket88 at 1:42 PM on November 5, 2013


Yeah, "I have nothing left to hide" is gonna be the line that comes back to haunt him from today.
posted by dry white toast at 1:42 PM on November 5, 2013 [3 favorites]


Both; Philip Seymour Hoffman
posted by saturday_morning at 1:42 PM on November 5, 2013 [2 favorites]


I kept this from my family, especially my brother Doug, my staff, my council colleagues because I was embarrassed and ashamed

We're going to learn a lot more about how this is not true. For starters, it's likely that at least a few people on his staff knew about the video.
posted by beau jackson at 1:43 PM on November 5, 2013 [3 favorites]


I'd cast Chris Farley. (I miss him)
posted by Artful Codger at 1:44 PM on November 5, 2013 [3 favorites]


Oh, and we can officially reset the clock until he and Doug start blaming everyone else again.
posted by dry white toast at 1:44 PM on November 5, 2013


So, when's the next Toronto meetup so we can drown our sorrow? I'd recommend Bier Markt, but only the Rob Fords of the world can afford to get drunk there. $17 for a bottle of Fin du Monde, right.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 1:45 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


Assholes gonna ass.
posted by The Card Cheat at 1:46 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


Nick Nolte as Rob Ford
Gary Busey as Doug Ford
posted by Kabanos at 1:46 PM on November 5, 2013


Natalie Portman as Hurricane Hazel.
posted by beau jackson at 1:47 PM on November 5, 2013


Karent Stintz looks absolutely joyous today.
posted by Evstar at 1:47 PM on November 5, 2013


So, when's the next Toronto meetup so we can drown our sorrow?

November 13?

posted by ricochet biscuit at 1:47 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


Natalie Portman as plucky, intrepid Toronto Star cub journalist Robyn Doolittle, surely
posted by saturday_morning at 1:47 PM on November 5, 2013 [4 favorites]


Philip Seymour Hoffman

No way, it has to be both Wayans brothers in a single fat suit.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 1:47 PM on November 5, 2013 [6 favorites]


The really sad part is that I think he genuinely believes that these are just things that happen when people get drunk. Like everyone just wanders into crack houses or drives drunk or acts like an ass at official events, but we never talk about it out of politeness. I think he honestly believes that none of this is that big a deal and that people only care because of the lefty media. The man needs help.
posted by no regrets, coyote at 1:50 PM on November 5, 2013 [4 favorites]


Reporters actually laughed when he "god blessed" the people of Toronto. Like, cackled.

It's entirely hypothetically possible that laughter is the only response since they hypothetically know something that they hypotheticallycan't report for legal and/or ethical reasons. Here's Mefi's own Mightygodking on the subject:
[W]hat is being said, publicly, about Rob Ford is quite literally only the tip of the iceberg. Rob Ford’s public alcoholism has been an open secret for literally years; drug use falls into the same area, where everybody knows it happens but nobody can report on it because, after all, if the mayor purely hypothetically speaking stumbles out of a bathroom with white powder on his face, you can’t prove it’s cocaine, and if you don’t have a picture then you can’t even prove it happens. If it had happened, of course. Similarly, if one of the videos the police recovered off those hard drives was the newest candidate for “worst four-word sentence in the English language,” by which we mean “Rob Ford sex tape,” then that’s strictly hypothetical too. Completely hypothetical. And we certainly can’t say if Rob Ford hypothetically uses the services of prostitutes.

And that’s just the light hypothetical stuff. I’m not going to go into the heavier stuff. That way lies madness and accusations of open, active criminality.
If this isn't the end of the Ford administration, then maybe some good might come out of this state of affairs if it at least prompts Canada to reform its ever-so-prim-and-proper libel laws.
posted by Doktor Zed at 1:50 PM on November 5, 2013 [3 favorites]


I would go all-Canadian with Maury Chaykin and John Candy, but alas...
posted by rocket88 at 1:51 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


Guys, he said he was SORRY. Geez...
posted by Theta States at 1:51 PM on November 5, 2013


So, when's the next Toronto meetup so we can drown our sorrow?

Going to the beer store right now.
In case I do anything really bad, I will say in advance that I'm (deep breath) very. very. very. sorry but it was just ONE OF MY DRUNKEN STUPORS.
posted by chococat at 1:51 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


I'd cast Chris Farley. (I miss him)

If we're bringing back the dead, how about John Candy as a cracked-up Tommy Shanks?
posted by Kabanos at 1:52 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


I'm beginning to look back wistfully to Mel Lastman's time in office. #thingsIneverthoughtIwouldsay
posted by orange swan at 1:53 PM on November 5, 2013


I'm drinking tea, not the can of blonde in my basement. I swear.
posted by maudlin at 1:53 PM on November 5, 2013


> I'm beginning to look back wistfully to Mel Lastman's time in office.

Beginning?
posted by The Card Cheat at 1:54 PM on November 5, 2013


"Rob Ford sex tape" puts me in mind of that liberate tuteme ex infernis scene from Event Horizon.

It may also be what I call my next hardcore band.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 1:54 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


It's like the word "Sorry" has lost all meaning. And as a Canadian, that leaves us with little else to talk about...
posted by marylynn at 1:58 PM on November 5, 2013 [14 favorites]


Sorry Mayor is sorry.
posted by Kabanos at 2:01 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


It's entirely hypothetically possible that laughter is the only response since they hypothetically know something that they hypotheticallycan't report for legal and/or ethical reasons. Here's Mefi's own Mightygodking on the subject:

Some more MEFI-EXCLUSIVE hypotheticals!

What if, hypothetically speaking, Doug Ford ordered his goons to beat the hell out of the crack house residents when Team Ford were looking for the video in a panic?

What if Randy Ford, Rob and Doug's less-famous brother, is still dealing drugs? Hypothetically?

What if Rob and Doug are hypothetically involved in Randy's business, and have done business with the Hell's Angels or other motorcycle gang (who have been the biggest force in Ontario crime for years now)?
posted by mightygodking at 2:03 PM on November 5, 2013 [8 favorites]


So, when's the next Toronto meetup so we can drown our sorrow?

Going to the beer store right now.


There's a Beer Store in the same plaza as Richview Cleaners...
posted by Kabanos at 2:04 PM on November 5, 2013 [2 favorites]


mgk, you're such a tease! ;)
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 2:05 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


Some more MEFI-EXCLUSIVE hypotheticals!

What if, hypothetically speaking, Doug Ford ordered his goons to beat the hell out of the crack house residents when Team Ford were looking for the video in a panic?

What if Randy Ford, Rob and Doug's less-famous brother, is still dealing drugs? Hypothetically?

What if Rob and Doug are hypothetically involved in Randy's business, and have done business with the Hell's Angels or other motorcycle gang (who have been the biggest force in Ontario crime for years now)?


Oh please oh please
posted by showbiz_liz at 2:05 PM on November 5, 2013


I'd like to take a moment to reflect on how perfect the title for this thread is.
posted by Theta States at 2:07 PM on November 5, 2013 [7 favorites]


WHAT IF...

...Rob Ford sold nuclear secrets to al-Qaeda?

...sabotaged a Great White North reunion?

...was actually the guy Alannis went down on in the theater?

...ordered a hit on Sidney Crosby?

...traveled back in time and caused the Halifax explosion?
posted by Chrysostom at 2:11 PM on November 5, 2013


Some more MEFI-EXCLUSIVE hypotheticals!

What if, hypothetically, Hizzonor's communications director hired a William Gibson-esque computer hacker to delete the video file of the crack tape from a private website? ... Oh wait, Vice has published the e-mails about that one.
posted by Doktor Zed at 2:11 PM on November 5, 2013


Thing I'm sure Doug Ford said before the announcement:

"Rob, you have to say I didn't know because I still want to run in the next Provincial Election."
posted by dry white toast at 2:12 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


lol Doug still thinks he's going to be Premier one day
posted by The Card Cheat at 2:19 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


I would go all-Canadian with Maury Chaykin and John Candy, but alas...

Shocking fact: Maury Chaykin was born and raised in Broooklyn (and fellow presumed Canadian Colm Feore was born in Boston but largely raised in Canada). However, to maintain our trade balance, fellow stocky actor and seeming American Oliver Platt came into the word in Windsor, Ontario.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 2:22 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


Just checked Facebook for the first time in months to find this at the top of my feed from someone who may belong to a club of motorcycle enthusiasts:

MAYOR ROB FORD IS A HERO. HE IS A REAL MAN AND HE HAS BALLS. HE DOES A GREAT JOB IN OFFICE, HE SAID THE TRUTH AND IT TAKES A MAN TO BE HONEST AND NOT LIE. WHAT THE MAYOR DOES IN HIS PERSONAL LIFE IS HIS BUSINESS. AS LONG AS IT DOESNT INPEDE ON HIS JOB. GOOD FOR MAYOR ROB FORD. MY RESPECT FOR HIM HAS GONE UP BY 100%. IT TAKES A MAN TO ADMIT HE MADE A MISTAKE AND APOLOGIZE. ESPECIALLY IN THE CITCUMSTANCES HE IS IN!!!! Good For him !
posted by [expletive deleted] at 2:23 PM on November 5, 2013


I just got a phone call from "Unknown Name Private Number", and when I answered the line, I heard the words:
"Number 2: Is there such a thing as recreational crack? Not as a thing really no."
And then 10 seconds of dead air.
And then the call ended.

Anyone want to hazard a guess what that was supposed to be?
posted by jacquilynne at 2:27 PM on November 5, 2013


There you have it, world, I hope you have enjoyed your 10 minutes with our last 3 years

Three more years! Three more years!

Love,
Edmonton
posted by No Robots at 2:28 PM on November 5, 2013


Ah, the Grauniad. The headline on this article was briefly Toronto mayor Rob Ford admits to smoking crack but refuses to quit.
posted by figurant at 2:43 PM on November 5, 2013 [4 favorites]


I've been in a fair amount of drunken stupors but even I've never smoked surprise crack. I'd be pissed at whoever handed me the crack pipe. That is who they need to track down, the joker who is handing out surprise crack.
posted by Ad hominem at 2:44 PM on November 5, 2013 [7 favorites]


Where is the video feed showing Doug?? I want to see how he is taking this

Here's the relevant part of an interview.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 2:50 PM on November 5, 2013


Rob Ford will not rest until he finds the person who is responsible for this, the person who is handing out surprise crack, oh wait that guy got murdered nevermind case closed.
posted by (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates at 2:51 PM on November 5, 2013 [5 favorites]


uhh... trigger warning I guess if John Saxon ever exploded a loved one's head.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 2:51 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


Toronto Police referred to the house where the (crack smoking) video was made as a "crack house" and suspect that the property's utility bills were being paid by Rob Ford.
Story here.
posted by rocket88 at 2:54 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


Just checked Facebook for the first time in months to find this at the top of my feed from someone who may belong to a club of motorcycle enthusiasts:

MAYOR ROB FORD IS A HERO. HE IS A REAL MAN AND HE HAS BALLS. HE DOES A GREAT JOB IN OFFICE, HE SAID THE TRUTH AND IT TAKES A MAN TO BE HONEST AND NOT LIE. WHAT THE MAYOR DOES IN HIS PERSONAL LIFE IS HIS BUSINESS. AS LONG AS IT DOESNT INPEDE ON HIS JOB. GOOD FOR MAYOR ROB FORD. MY RESPECT FOR HIM HAS GONE UP BY 100%. IT TAKES A MAN TO ADMIT HE MADE A MISTAKE AND APOLOGIZE. ESPECIALLY IN THE CITCUMSTANCES HE IS IN!!!! Good For him !


Yeah, earlier this afternoon I wrote::

The I Hate The War on Mayor Ford facebook page is a remarkable picture of true believers painting themselves into a corner but reassuring each other that all will be well.

Since the speech, it has been funny to refresh the page and watch comments that are critical of Ford be deleted within seconds. They are really on top of things over there (or perhaps have nothing more pressing to do).
posted by ricochet biscuit at 2:55 PM on November 5, 2013


Guys I just figured it out, Ford is an escaped villian from a 70s era Blaxospitation film. He controls politics! Cannot be caught! Is flooding the streets with crack!
posted by The Whelk at 2:59 PM on November 5, 2013 [4 favorites]


New thread?
posted by Elementary Penguin at 2:59 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


Surprise crack: A Part of Our Heritage.
posted by beau jackson at 3:00 PM on November 5, 2013 [2 favorites]


Much as I'm enjoying all the snark and soap opera-esque aspects of this, I would like to try to focus on what can be done. Can anyone tell me, theoretically, how Rob Ford could be legally removed from office?
posted by orange swan at 3:00 PM on November 5, 2013


FYI: In Rob Ford speak, "work to do" just means "I've still got a bottle of vodka in my office desk to kill."
posted by Kitteh at 3:00 PM on November 5, 2013


orange swan, my understanding from this G&M article is that Rob Ford can be legally removed from office by:
1) Being convicted of a crime
2) Resigning.

That's it. There's no impeachment mechanism.

I personally wonder if the Ontario legislature could pass an extraordinary bill removing him from office - since a municipality is a provincial creation, presumably the province could pass a bill and making it clear that it applies regardless of the fact that every other law about cities is silent; but there's a distinct chance that would be constitutionally not-acceptable, and would get tied up in court whether it's allowable or not.

So, yeah, snark and drama is about all that can happen.

Of course the council motions stripping him of power are a way to effectively remove him without doing so, but I don't know enough about municipal TO politics to say anything.
posted by Lemurrhea at 3:07 PM on November 5, 2013


It's like Rob Ford is George Bush and Doug Ford is Dick Cheney, except Dick Cheney is actually Whitey Bulger and I claim my five UKP.
posted by ardgedee at 3:07 PM on November 5, 2013


"Can anyone tell me, theoretically, how Rob Ford could be legally removed from office?"

They were trying to remove Ford before because he voted on a council motion involving himself - and crackgate goes way beyond that. So his downfall must be inevitable at this point. It's just a matter of time before the lightning gathers enough strength to strike him down.
posted by Kevin Street at 3:09 PM on November 5, 2013


Tommy Boy + Requiem for a Dream
posted by SassHat at 3:10 PM on November 5, 2013 [3 favorites]


I was thinking it is like Flight but instead of Denzel Washington and John Goodman you got Rob Ford and Sandro Lisi.

"Damn, I got an 8am budget meeting and I'm still shitfaced a pot of black coffee ain't going to cut it today. Sandro, get my crack"
posted by Ad hominem at 3:13 PM on November 5, 2013 [2 favorites]


I imagine there are people in high places trying to gauge the negative impact of a trial (with Ford refusing to resign until his inevitable conviction), versus the negative impact of stripping him of his powers and just waiting for the next election.
posted by Kevin Street at 3:13 PM on November 5, 2013


Yeah, but what if he gets re-elected? Which doesn't sound that unlikely with enough space between here and there if he can keep his head down.
posted by marylynn at 3:15 PM on November 5, 2013


I just did a bit of research on how Ford could be removed, and what I learned confirms what several people have said in response to me: a) that Ford must be convicted of a crime or b) the majority of the 44 Toronto city councillors must move a vote of non-confidence in him.

I think criminal charges of some kind seem inevitable at this point and are a matter for the police, but the non-confidence motion is actually something that a concerned citizen can hope to help bring about. I'm going to do some tweeting for starters.
posted by orange swan at 3:15 PM on November 5, 2013


Ford is an escaped villian from a 70s era Blaxospitation film. He controls politics! Cannot be caught! Is flooding the streets with crack!

Then he had best hope Black Dynamite doesn't have jurisdiction in Canada.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 3:16 PM on November 5, 2013


ps for everyone who's only paying attention to Toronto today, the Senate voted to strip Wallin, Duffy, and Brazeau of their seats/pay. First time in 100 years, with the exception of the dude who just didn't show up to his job. I think.
posted by Lemurrhea at 3:17 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


Much as I'm enjoying all the snark and soap opera-esque aspects of this, I would like to try to focus on what can be done. Can anyone tell me, theoretically, how Rob Ford could be legally removed from office?

Orange Swan: As far as I know (not an expert) there are two paths to removal. One is for the Provincial government to amend the City of Toronto Act with a clause allowing them to depose the sitting mayor and then doing so.
The second is if council refuses to meet. I think if 3 or 4 consecutive council meetings fail to meet quorum then new elections are triggered (not as sure of this one...I just read it on MeFi somewhere the other day)
posted by rocket88 at 3:18 PM on November 5, 2013


Mike Del Grande's Facebook page does not currently show what is in this screen cap, courtesy of Steven D'Souza from the CBC:
I have never seen Rob drink- Doug Ford--- not true
I am not an alcoholic- Rob Ford- not true
I have never smoked crack cocaine-Rob Ford- not true
Rob is the most honest person that I know- Doug Ford- not true

Do the die hards understand why I left the fold in January after the last budget?
posted by maudlin at 3:19 PM on November 5, 2013


b) the majority of the 44 Toronto city councillors must move a vote of non-confidence in him.

Where did you see this one? That's the first I've ever heard of that possibility.
posted by saturday_morning at 3:20 PM on November 5, 2013


Rob is the most honest person that I know- Doug Ford- not true

Hey, that last one might be true.
posted by figurant at 3:21 PM on November 5, 2013 [4 favorites]


lol Doug still thinks he's going to be Premier one day

I'm not counting it out yet. Not by a long shot. Assuming that Doug insulated himself sufficiently from the Lisi angle, he can survive this. And big chunks of Ontario love a tough, right-wing government of simple soundbites and easy answers. The Mike Harris years could easily be repeated under Doug, a fiercer political animal than Harris ever was.

Besides -- as terrible as the Mike Harris years were, all that got associated with Harris himself. His associates like Clement, Baird, Jim "Jail The Homeless" Flaherty -- they all came back with relative ease. Why should that not also be true of Rob Ford?

People are unhappy and tired with the provincial Liberals, and still distrust the NDP. The climate is right for the PCs, if only there's a leader for them to gravitate towards. I have no difficulty seeing Doug as being that guy.
posted by Capt. Renault at 3:26 PM on November 5, 2013


(That Rob Ford's troubles get associated with Rob Ford alone, I mean.)
posted by Capt. Renault at 3:27 PM on November 5, 2013


Jeet Heer: ""The past is past" -- Rob Ford. "The past is never dead. It's not even past" -- William Faulkner. Take your pick."

He forgot to add D'Angelo Barksdale: "The past is always with us. Where we come from, what we go through, how we go through it; all this shit matters. Like at the end of the book, ya' know, boats and tides and all. It's like you can change up, right, you can say you're somebody new, you can give yourself a whole new story. But, what came first is who you really are and what happened before is what really happened. It don't matter that some fool say he different 'cause the things that make you different is what you really do, what you really go through. Like, ya' know, all those books in his library. He frontin' with all them books, but if you pull one down off the shelf, none of the pages have ever been opened. He got all them books, and he hasn't read nearly one of them. Gatsby, he was who he was, and he did what he did. And 'cause he wasn't willing to get real with the story, that shit caught up to him."
posted by maudlin at 3:31 PM on November 5, 2013 [11 favorites]


1010 is starting up calls again *RUBS HANDS*
posted by Cosine at 3:35 PM on November 5, 2013


> People are unhappy and tired with the provincial Liberals, and still distrust the NDP.

I get that. I can see *shudder* the PCs winning the next election. I just don't see why they'd want anything to do with the Ford family, but then again I saw someone on twitter quoting Hudak this afternoon to the effect that he'd be happy to have Doug run, so who knows?
posted by The Card Cheat at 3:37 PM on November 5, 2013


I think Hudak is unelectable, and if this sh!t manages to stick to the Fords, it would be a serious blow to the Ontario PCs.

The Liberal hope is that Wynne gives Ontario a few years of sensible, pragmatic government, and continues to mend fences with those McGuinty managed to alienate.
posted by Artful Codger at 3:46 PM on November 5, 2013


Well, if anything, I have learned who my west-end MeFite neighbours are from this thread! Uh, if anyone's down for a Ford-frustrated drink at Boo's later, or whenever, I'm always down...
posted by avocet at 3:55 PM on November 5, 2013


I'm about to leave work. I'm down. Lansdowne & Dupontish, right?
posted by [expletive deleted] at 4:00 PM on November 5, 2013


Yeah, orange swan, there is no mechanism for a no-confidence motion in Ontario municipal politics, only provincial or federal legislatures. If that was a real option, it would be a no brainier at this point, given that his own Executive Committee is moving a motion asking for him to take a leave of absence.

JohnFilion's motion today to strip the Mayor of power to oust Committee Chairs and members of the Executive Committee tells you that the best Council can do is sideline the Mayor, not remove him.

Also, if Council chose not to meet for two sessions, it would dissolve ALL of Council, not just Ford's mayoralty. That's all the Premier could do as well (though amending the City of Toronto Act is viable). Councillors aren't going to be up for that with the next election less than a year away. (Another date that is provincially mandated so they can't just reset the clock)

And any crime he could be charged with won't result in a conviction before next October's election. And if you think being charged with a crime would push him to resign you REALLY haven't been paying attention.

We're stuck with him folks.
posted by dry white toast at 4:02 PM on November 5, 2013


[expletive deleted], I'm just about to start making dinner but could be there for 8:15-8:30...shall we take this to MeMail?
posted by avocet at 4:04 PM on November 5, 2013


(heh, mini-meetup in the works, too late for IRL, but junction/triangle peeps should c'mon out in an hour or so...)
posted by avocet at 4:09 PM on November 5, 2013


I'll be in town next week. I hope I can meet up with some Mefite folks for a drunken stupor.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 4:21 PM on November 5, 2013




...who posted that tweet? Can't really tell from the twitters.
posted by saturday_morning at 4:29 PM on November 5, 2013


Some guy with a locked account. Interesting but not terribly credible in my eyes.
posted by maudlin at 4:30 PM on November 5, 2013


It wasn't locked a few minutes ago. I think he's a regular #topoli dude, a troll, if I remember correctly...
posted by avocet at 4:33 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


This was just shared with me on Facebook. I'm posting it in full because I don't think you'll be able to see it if not logged into FB or connected to the author.

To the Members of the Executive Committee,

I write to you today as a resident and taxpayer of the City of Toronto, but a taxpayer and resident who's had a very different experience over the last year.

Due to circumstances of my self-employment, I have found myself traveling widely through North America in the last year. I am currently working a job in Vancouver. I spent a couple of months in Los Angeles. I also drove across North America to get home this summer, with visits to places like Kansas City, Salt Lake City, Chicago, Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, Detroit and Denver.

I write not as a travelogue -- but as a picture of a Torontonian who's had a chance to view our city from the perspective of others these last several months.

We've become a joke. Everywhere I've gone, in coffee shops, in the offices of my coworkers, in banks and travel agents and conversations with hotel clerks and concierges, I've been asked about our Mayor and our current civic drama. The questions break down to three: 1) How is he still mayor? 2) Why don't the members of the civic government take a stand against him? 3) Is Toronto really that backward a place?

I've been asked versions of these questions while waiting for a beautiful LRT in Salt Lake City, that extensively serves the whole downtown with fast, economical, and affordable service. I've been asked these questions while waiting for my car to be washed, by a man who proudly told me how and why he was voting for Mayor Garcetti -- "He knows how a modern city should work" was the answer. I've been asked that question by a guy at a deli in suburban Detroit who wondered if Mayor Ford was going to wind up like Kwame Kilpatrick.

The hit that Toronto's reputation has taken in the last several months has been sad to witness, and even sadder from so far away. I marvel at the fact that when I return I find streets clogged with more traffic, a subway that is perpetually in Rush Hour, where telephone poles boast of memorial after memorial for cyclists killed trying to get from A to B. And through it all there seems that there is no will to act, no brief, no outrage that will rouse our civic leaders to bridge the gaps and work together in the way our civic system is designed. Shame on you for that. You all bear that stain, though it has been our Chief Magistrate's ultimate legacy.

It is stunning to think that a city that once was home to Jane Jacobs, that sports Richard Florida and so many other smart thinkers about how to forge a modern urban future, is saddled with the sideshow antics and local government paralysis as embodied in the sideshow of our cross-addicted, narcissistic, selfish and divisive mayor.

Though I currently reside downtown, I grew up in Etobicoke, not far from Mayor Ford. I was originally from the US and in my travels there I've seen hollowed out downtowns and the havoc that played with local governance. Toronto has been able to escape many of the paroxysms of decay and decrepitude that sank many urban areas in the US. People live and work downtown, and more commute there, and the result is a vibrant, multicultural, mixed-density and mixed economic city that we love.

We are being ridiculed and reduced in each and every place I've seen over these last six months. It is affecting the image of Toronto as a place to visit, and a place to do business. I'm fielding questions from people who wonder if it's safe to visit, and if there's any point investing there. I've heard from other expats who are selling their properties because they fear what will happen to the city's economy.

But mostly, I'm being asked about will.

How is there the will to allow this continue?

You are the symbol of us, of us all -- of our hopes, our dreams, our business. You represent the entire city.

There is a moral dimension to this for which each of you are responsible. Rob Ford is clearly a man in trouble. He is being enabled by those around him -- including you. It is time to take a stand. It is time to demand that he resign. And if he will not, then it is time to stand up for what is right, whatever your political stripe, and refuse to serve on his executive committee. Toronto deserves better. And any pragmatism you may have about your own careers is secondary at this point to the needs of millions of Torontonians who are being hurt by a man who puts his own ego above the good of the city. SARS harmed our economy for years. Rob Ford has made himself a virus; his lies, weaknesses and tantrums infect the entire body politic, and if you do not act, the fallout will be as great as it was with SARS. But this time, your names will be tied to it. We will not forget.

Rob Ford has shown contempt for our institutions. He has lied repeatedly, shown terrible judgement in his choice of companions, vouched for criminals. He is unfit to serve. And if you serve with him, his tainted Mayoralty will be your legacy as well.

Stand up for the people of Toronto.

It is time for the sideshow to end, and for you to get back to the task of repairing our shattered civic reputation. Demand his resignation. If he will not step aside, then you must. To continue to serve along side him is to say what he is doing is okay. I couldn't live with myself if I were in your shoes and I did nothing. What will each of you do?

Sincerely,
Denis McGrath
posted by dobbs at 4:33 PM on November 5, 2013 [20 favorites]


alright, [expletive deleted] and maybe chunking express and I will be at Boo Radley's for 8:30-ish onward! Dupont just east of Symington, if anyone else wants to join...
posted by avocet at 4:50 PM on November 5, 2013


Just don't get too drunk - you never know when a crack pipe might float by and land in your hands and in your stupor you wouldn't be able to fend it off!
posted by marylynn at 4:56 PM on November 5, 2013 [5 favorites]


dobbs, the traffic/transit problems predate Mayor Ford. He can certainly be blamed for opposing the LRT proposal, but it's a sad fact that traffic and transit issues have mainly just been booted forward for nearly 30 years by every Toronto city council. The province has been little better when it comes to Toronto (here - have a privately-run toll road!), and the federal government is just about AWOL on urban transit.
posted by Artful Codger at 4:57 PM on November 5, 2013


I live right around there. I think I'm gonna stay in tonight as I'm starting a new job tomorrow, but we should do it again some other time. Feel free to MeMail me any other occasion for a round nearby.
posted by Evstar at 4:58 PM on November 5, 2013


as someone who read the previous Ford thread until its final post, and has sadly spent days refreshing twitter during City Hall shitstorms, it is kind of interesting and embarrassing to see this blow up in the last 24-36 hours and notice how many people posting and tweeting and F5 F5 F5ing don't live in the city.
posted by avocet at 4:59 PM on November 5, 2013


good luck with the new gig Evstar!
posted by avocet at 4:59 PM on November 5, 2013


New thread?

No, Toronto is stuck in the past, living with underdeveloped transit lines, like boats against the current..
posted by ovvl at 5:23 PM on November 5, 2013 [2 favorites]


OK, NOW four out of four Toronto newspapers say that Ford must resign. The Invisible Editors at The Globe & Mail have spoken.
Rob Ford is a liar. For months, the Mayor of Toronto tried to deny and evade, but ever since Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair revealed that police were in possession of that supposedly non-existent video of an inebriated Mr. Ford with a crack pipe, the Mayor has been caught in a bind. So on Tuesday, Mr. Ford tried to change the channel from Perry Mason to Oprah. ...
posted by maudlin at 5:26 PM on November 5, 2013


My latest batch of homebrew is just now ready to go, a ridiculously boozy imperial IPA, and I sat in traffic today mulling over potential names for it. Then the news came on and inspiration struck - I am labelling it as Crack Ford, and its stupors shall be drunken.
posted by mannequito at 5:27 PM on November 5, 2013 [2 favorites]


I swear I will never, ever forgive the previous mayor, David Miller, for stepping down after one term as mayor. He could have been re-elected and spared us this.
posted by orange swan at 5:28 PM on November 5, 2013


Err.. David Miller served two terms.
posted by Harpocrates at 5:31 PM on November 5, 2013


Miller served two terms. A third might have been nice, but I'm not entirely sure he could have been re-elected. The garbage strike pissed off a lot of people, even though he did go up against the unions in that one.
posted by maudlin at 5:32 PM on November 5, 2013


IIRC, there were polls indicating that if Miller had run again he would have been favoured to win
posted by The Card Cheat at 5:34 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


From Doug's appearance at Ryerson today: The Fords versus the truth: an unfair fight.
posted by maudlin at 5:34 PM on November 5, 2013


IIRC, there were polls indicating that if Miller had run again he would have been favoured to win

Really? It would have been nice to see him try. Who the hell knows, eh?
posted by maudlin at 5:35 PM on November 5, 2013


Yes, that's right. Those two terms seemed much shorter than this single term of long-drawn-out humiliation.

Incidentally, back in April of 2008, I found myself standing right next to Mayor Miller on the subway one morning. Pretty cool, but if a time machine were to whisk me back in time now I'd fall on my knees and beg him to stay on as mayor.
posted by orange swan at 5:39 PM on November 5, 2013


IIRC, there were polls indicating that if Miller had run again he would have been favoured to win

I recall that as well, which has always baffled me, since the conventional wisdom is that Ford got elected by riding the wave of anti-Miller anger... how can both things be true?
posted by Crane Shot at 5:41 PM on November 5, 2013


Miller had charisma and Pantalone didn't?
posted by maudlin at 5:44 PM on November 5, 2013


Ford got elected because there wasn't a strong opposing candidate. As we saw in the Bush-Kerry race in 2004, if your most outstanding characteristic is that you are Not the Other Guy, you'll lose.
posted by orange swan at 5:44 PM on November 5, 2013




Towhey on that VICE story: "Allegations made about me in Vice are patently false in their entirety. I am completely unaware of any facts that support their story."
posted by maudlin at 5:48 PM on November 5, 2013


Or perhaps there were too many strong opposing candidates. Most of the other big contenders attracted people along the centre/left spectrum. thus splitting up the vote. It's the same reason the Conservatives got elected once the Reform and PC parties merged.
posted by beau jackson at 5:48 PM on November 5, 2013


I can't blame Miller for stepping out. He was given a rough ride on a lot of things, particularly on the garbage strike (where I recall he didn't have a lot of options, legally speaking). In many people's opinion, he couldn't ever, ever, ever do anything right (I'm looking at you, Royson James), and I certainly could understand him grabbing a hold of a nice, quiet, cushy job while musing to himself "you are all so fucked."
posted by Capt. Renault at 5:51 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


Amin Massoudi (or his lawyer) is also denouncing the VICE story.

Bonus: try the poll at the right.
posted by maudlin at 5:54 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


A beatdown from The Sun: "The bottom line is simple. If Ford loves Toronto as he claims, he’ll step down and seek help. If he doesn’t, then we’ll know that claim, too, is just one more lie by the mayor."
posted by maudlin at 6:02 PM on November 5, 2013 [3 favorites]


'Dixon St. Goonies' is such a sweet name for a street gang.
posted by Flashman at 6:03 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


The most legal, most accepted recreational drug is used as an excuse for the least legal, least acceptable recreational drug.

What a weasel.
posted by telstar at 6:25 PM on November 5, 2013


Appears that Rob Ford thought overcoming a problem with alcohol would be as easy as building subways all over the city without any public money.
posted by TimTypeZed at 6:38 PM on November 5, 2013 [2 favorites]


Oh dear GOD. I just quoted The Toronto Sun in a Facebook status update. We are officially through the looking glass.
posted by orange swan at 6:45 PM on November 5, 2013 [8 favorites]


Rather than focus on the criminality of using the substances involved, I think it is more important to focus on his attempts to cover it up and his penchant for booze fueled blackouts wherein he engages in all manner of irrational and violent behavior. The allegations of assault, battery, conspiracy, extortion, obstruction of justice are particularly troubling. These are major criminal acts and should result in a long prison sentence. It has been alleged that the man who took the video was murdered by associates of the Fords.
posted by humanfont at 7:09 PM on November 5, 2013 [5 favorites]


KokuRyu: Doug was in the dark the whole time.

You know, I am willing to wager that the entire purpose of the second press conference was to get this line out. I'm picturing the scene after Doug heard Rob's confession: "You go back out there and tell them I didn't know anything about this, or so help me I'll pop your puffy little head right off its mount".
posted by Popular Ethics at 7:32 PM on November 5, 2013 [14 favorites]


Yeah, it was an attempt on my part to be ironic.

What a twisted family.
posted by KokuRyu at 7:47 PM on November 5, 2013 [2 favorites]


Well. What a day.

I hope his legal team is taking a well deserved rest.
posted by jokeefe at 7:58 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


There are rumours from multiple sources that the second video is now in the wild and being viewed by people (mostly in the media) tonight. One report says prostitution.
posted by sweet mister at 8:54 PM on November 5, 2013


Yes, it's called "Gravy Train"
posted by KokuRyu at 9:10 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


Rob Ford for Senate!
posted by chapps at 9:17 PM on November 5, 2013


I can't wait for the 3rd Act.
posted by chunking express at 9:59 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


Evstar: "Yeah, I don't mean to drag my dad out for ridicule, just to highlight the way people of different backgrounds and affiliations are processing this scandal. I stand before the yawning chasm that is the generation gap.

I wish we could talk local issues on MeFi more often.
"

Yeah, well, some of us don't live places all kinds of interesting like Ontario.
posted by Samizdata at 10:13 PM on November 5, 2013 [1 favorite]


Prostitution is worse than smoking crack? I know which I'd prefer my elected leaders to engage in when making important life or death decisions.
posted by Justinian at 12:55 AM on November 6, 2013 [1 favorite]


I can't wait for the 3rd Act.

The Aristocrats!
posted by Elementary Penguin at 2:11 AM on November 6, 2013 [6 favorites]


In the case of a prostitution video I wonder if the issue is more about vulnerability to extortion and manipulation than prostitution. Especially since the rumour is that is was a set-up. Anyway, at this point it is just that- an Internet rumour.
posted by beau jackson at 4:22 AM on November 6, 2013


Thanks to MeFi, I'm a little more educated on Canada's politics (which is shameful, my living within 200 miles of the border my whole life and all), but here's my takeaway from all this:

I know the Ford phenomenon is just the latest in a larger rightward shift, but seriously, Canada, take a lesson from us in the States. Nip your Tea Party tendencies in the bud. You don't want to have to try to reverse this trend after it's thirty years too late. If you value (as you should!) your education system, your health care system, your clean cities, your low crime rates, your sane wealth disparity, your strong civil society--look southward and tell yourselves, "That's not gonna be us." You're so much better than this.
posted by Rykey at 5:21 AM on November 6, 2013 [1 favorite]


I know the Ford phenomenon is just the latest in a larger rightward shift

I don't believe that it is. In a lot of cases, it's mostly because the majority of the electorate can't decide whether it's slightly left of center or solidly left of center, so the Tories keep winning seats in swing ridings where the majority of the voters vote for "not the Tories." That's largely the fault of the first-past-the-post voting system.

Ford did win an outright majority of the vote, but I think a lot of that has to do with fallout from the garbage strike, and Ford's ability to woo low-information voters who believed that he could summon subways into being by saying "subways" three times while staring into a mirror.
posted by one more dead town's last parade at 5:41 AM on November 6, 2013 [1 favorite]


As much as I like to troll my Canadian husband over whose country is better on what, I'm not a fan of country moralizing. The US isn't perfect but Canada isn't a shining utopia either. Thinking "we're okay because at least we're not like *them*" can be pretty harmful in general.

It's amazing how crazy this all is and it's still only the tip of the iceberg. It's very surreal to know that the police investigation and the crack were happening within a 15 minute drive from where I live. I'd never vote for him but I still can't help but feel a small twinge of sympathy for him. He obviously isn't seeing the entire picture clearly and I fear the whole situation is going to end in suicide by OD or gun.
posted by zix at 5:52 AM on November 6, 2013


yes, the Canadian right-wing establishment has drawn inspiration and tactics from the US right. But we've added our own special Canadian brand of small-mindedness to it.

The "Rob Ford" fiasco came about because, despite his being no more than a classic reactionary municipal councillor, he was mathematically electable, and the right-wing establishment jumped in with both feet to help get him elected. They simply had to seize this opportunity to put a conservative in charge of Canada's largest city. Character and ability didn't enter into it.

That was 3 years ago. Since then, the federal conservatives have been tarnished a little, and they have swung a little towards the center again in the hopes of securing another majority government. They're getting a bit more choosy about who carries their banner.

Best regards to my American friends. Your right-wing seems in disarray; perhaps this signals the re-emergence of some progressive thought.
posted by Artful Codger at 5:52 AM on November 6, 2013 [2 favorites]


I'm not a fan of country moralizing. The US isn't perfect but Canada isn't a shining utopia either. Thinking "we're okay because at least we're not like *them*" can be pretty harmful in general.

No doubt. My sentiment is more rooted in a "Oh shit, this is starting to happen to you guys too" kind of feeling than a grass-is-greener distortion about how great Canada is, and how bad the USA sucks. There's plenty to love about living here--and I do--I just look at the outrageous stuff we've had to weather since 1980 (and even more so since 9/11), and it makes my skin crawl to see what's going on up north.
posted by Rykey at 6:08 AM on November 6, 2013


Samizdata: "Yeah, well, some of us don't live places all kinds of interesting like Ontario."

Pittsburgh just elected a really promising mayor, if we want to talk about it.
posted by Chrysostom at 6:21 AM on November 6, 2013


The Globe and Mail contends that Rob Ford is, in fact, a hoser: “I shouldn’t have got hammered,” as Ford said, is hoserdom defined.
posted by molecicco at 6:32 AM on November 6, 2013 [2 favorites]


Matt Elliott: Lies, consequences and a mayor that needs to leave.
Who benefits from Ford sticking around and continuing to fight? Not the so-called “taxpayer.” Ford doesn’t just save money by hanging around city hall. He doesn’t possess a magic rock that keeps socialist tigers away. In reality, he’s a mayor who can barely win a council vote, meaning that a great deal of his platform has gone absolutely nowhere. ...

All this adds up to a situation where the only person who really seems to benefit from the mayor’s refusal to take a leave is Rob Ford himself. And that’s reason enough for him to go. Our elected officials have to put the good of the city above their own wants and desires. We have to demand better.
posted by maudlin at 6:34 AM on November 6, 2013 [1 favorite]


Pittsburgh just elected a really promising mayor, if we want to talk about it.

From Wikipedia:
In 2007, at age 42, Peduto received his diploma from Penn State University. At the time, he was the only person on the nine-member City Council of Pittsburgh with a bachelor's degree.
That's... kind of amazing.
posted by Etrigan at 6:40 AM on November 6, 2013 [2 favorites]


Prostitution is worse than smoking crack? I know which I'd prefer my elected leaders to engage in when making important life or death decisions.

It's a tough call. That's why we in DC split the decision and elect people that smoke crack with prostitutes.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 6:42 AM on November 6, 2013


For good or ill, Pittsburgh often seems to be stuck in a time warp.

Sorry for the Pgh derail. Continue, Torontonians!
posted by Chrysostom at 6:43 AM on November 6, 2013


For anyone else also interested in armchair analysis of Doug Ford's control of Rob, Spacing has an interesting article.
posted by saucysault at 6:44 AM on November 6, 2013 [1 favorite]


Meanwhile over at ThreeHundredEight.com, Éric Grenier does some Nate Silver-izing to argue Ford's approval rating probably hasn't actually risen since the news came out.
posted by saturday_morning at 7:29 AM on November 6, 2013 [1 favorite]


yes, the Canadian right-wing establishment has drawn inspiration and tactics from the US right. But we've added our own special Canadian brand of small-mindedness to it.

The "asshole populism" of Ford Nation and the Tea Party seems to be a global phenomenon (at least in countries where you can vote these assholes in). Look at the recent Australia elections. There's also UKIP in Britain. Japan also has a similar asshole populism movement called Ishin no Kai - the Japan Restoration Party - that built on critical mass from asshole mayors in three of its largest cities, Osaka, Nagoya and Tokyo.

Japan Restoration Party of course has imploded because these assholes are generally unfocused and undisciplined.

British Columbia, where I live, has its own version of an asshole populism party, the Conservatives, and they were poised to leap from obscurity in an election this past year to claiming a sizable number of seats. They imploded. Why? Because the party is made up of a bunch of assholes who don't know how to work with each other, and aren't used to working with each other. The assholes are not used to winning.

It's sort of the Achilles heel of asshole populism.
posted by KokuRyu at 7:52 AM on November 6, 2013 [10 favorites]


This is Just to Say

I have smoked the crack
That was in the video
And which you were probably
Hoping I wouldn't
Forgive me
It was delicious
(I think...)
I was drunk
posted by ilana at 7:53 AM on November 6, 2013 [23 favorites]


http://www.slate.com/blogs/crime/2013/05/17/rob_ford_crack_cocaine_simpsons_mayor_diamond_joe_quimby_or_toronto_mayor.html
posted by gingerbeer at 8:11 AM on November 6, 2013 [1 favorite]


Don Peat ‏@reporterdonpeat

Rob Ford staff exit begins again: Brooks Barnett - Mayor Rob Ford's policy advisor - quit the mayor's office Wednesday morning
posted by saturday_morning at 8:17 AM on November 6, 2013


it's mostly because the majority of the electorate can't decide whether it's slightly left of center or solidly left of center

You're living in a different Canada than I am, then.
Canadian conservatism is alive and well and perpetually strong outside of city cores and university campuses. The majority of Canadians believe their tax money (and they emphasize "their") is being misspent at every level of government. A significant number of them believe the answer lies in smaller government* and lower taxes.

*Of course this doesn't apply to free health care, armed forces, policing, fire fighting, snow plowing, pothole filling, or any services they or their family use. Just all the other stuff.
posted by rocket88 at 8:19 AM on November 6, 2013


Robyn Doolittle has a great article in today's Toronto Star on the newspaper's efforts earlier this year glimpse the infamous crack video.
posted by New Frontier at 9:04 AM on November 6, 2013 [1 favorite]


Rob Ford has said that the confession has made him feel like "a thousand pounds" has been lifted off his shoulders. I spent a few years being a tour guide in Toronto, and somehow the phrase "a thousand pounds" in connection with a Toronto mayor rang a distant bell in the back of my head. I realized this morning that a thousand pounds was the bounty offered by the governor for William Lyon Mackenzie. Mackenzie was Ford's sixty-three-times-removed predecessor, the first mayor of Toronto, who was one of the leaders of the Upper Canada Rebellion in 1837. He was perforce obliged to hide in the USA for eleven years to avoid prosecution.

So say what you will of His Worship Mayor Ford, at least he has not committed treason or had to flee the country to avoid the noose*.

*This may of course be subject to change depending on how truthful the phrase, "I have nothing left to hide" is.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 9:07 AM on November 6, 2013 [8 favorites]


Listening to 1010 right now makes me wonder if there is any form of media that Mike Bullard doesn't suck in.
posted by davey_darling at 9:17 AM on November 6, 2013 [2 favorites]


Rob Ford has said that the confession has made him feel like "a thousand pounds" has been lifted off his shoulders.

The lawyers must have advised against saying "a thousand kilos."
posted by Rykey at 9:23 AM on November 6, 2013 [6 favorites]


Nip your Tea Party tendencies in the bud. You don't want to have to try to reverse this trend after it's thirty years too late. If you value (as you should!) your education system, your health care system, your clean cities, your low crime rates, your sane wealth disparity, your strong civil society--look southward and tell yourselves, "That's not gonna be us." You're so much better than this.

Heya, Rykey, I know you mean well, but Canada isn't living 30 years in the US's past, and our future isn't naturally going to be some variation of the American present. We aren't really in a position to look south and say, "Let's not become that," because we are a different country, with a different population, governance structure, history, policy tradition, political parties, and social expectations, so what happens here will naturally be different than what happens in the US. I know you probably didn't mean it that way, but it's a common deeply-buried core belief among Americans to see other countries as some kind of stepping stones toward America, as if we are all living in the past with our eyes on the our manifest American destiny.

Sometimes Canada's issues are just Canada's issues, and there's no relationship whatsoever to the ones you're currently wrestling with in the US.
posted by Hildegarde at 9:26 AM on November 6, 2013 [10 favorites]


Rob Ford crack admission raises popularity! Toronto is crazy. From everyone's favorite Taiwanese animated news agency, NMAWorldEdition. Features simulated video of Rob Ford smoking crack with The Queen.
posted by Nelson at 9:29 AM on November 6, 2013 [1 favorite]


depending on how truthful the phrase, "I have nothing left to hide" is.

My guess is, not at all. I'm waiting for the next bombshell.

But I think it's time our other scandal got back to the top of the news - I'm waiting for Duffy, Wallin, and Brazeau to fight back with some incriminating documents or juicy tidbits now.

I think we have to keep both simmering and not let one or the other completely boil over at any given time.
posted by nubs at 9:34 AM on November 6, 2013


But the resentment of the white suburban working and middle classes against the truckloads of their cash delivered by liberals to undeserving poor folks is EXACTLY the same in both Canada and the US (and a bunch of other countries as well). Never mind that this idea is 99% cooked up out of nothing, it's still a powerful one. And these people are right about one thing: their place in the world is slipping away from them, and has been for forty years. Their justifiable anger at their economic and social stagnation is being misdirected away from the real causes and against not just poor welfare recipients but the effete New Urbanist latte drinkers as well. Fordism isn't that much different than Palinism when you get down to it.
posted by Fnarf at 9:35 AM on November 6, 2013 [2 favorites]


Dave Agar of 1010 calls Ford an addict, compares him to his alcoholic dad. The comments are the comments you would expect from 1010.
posted by maudlin at 9:35 AM on November 6, 2013


Ford did win an outright majority of the vote,

Only in the Fordian sense that 47.1% is a majority.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 9:36 AM on November 6, 2013 [2 favorites]


Heya, Rykey, I know you mean well, but Canada isn't living 30 years in the US's past, and our future isn't naturally going to be some variation of the American present. We aren't really in a position to look south and say, "Let's not become that," because we are a different country, with a different population, governance structure, history, policy tradition, political parties, and social expectations, so what happens here will naturally be different than what happens in the US. I know you probably didn't mean it that way, but it's a common deeply-buried core belief among Americans to see other countries as some kind of stepping stones toward America, as if we are all living in the past with our eyes on the our manifest American destiny.

Sometimes Canada's issues are just Canada's issues, and there's no relationship whatsoever to the ones you're currently wrestling with in the US.


^This.^

I understand that it's easy to make anything involving Canada the butt of jokes back home, but it does get tiresome from family and friends who automatically think Canada wants to be the US, or thinks Canada should be like the US, or that Canadians all just want to be Americans. It was easier to see it from a remove before I married a Canadian and moved up here, but dang, Canada is its own country with its own problems/perks and I prefer it that way.
posted by Kitteh at 9:38 AM on November 6, 2013




For a long time, there has been a movement among Canadian conservatives to emulate their brethren in the United States. This continentalist movement exists in counter-distinction to the older nationalist conservatism. See "It Now Comes Down to the Battle Between Two Little Books."
posted by No Robots at 9:51 AM on November 6, 2013 [1 favorite]


You're living in a different Canada than I am, then.

The right-of-center parties have gotten a larger share of the popular vote than the left-of-center parties in exactly one federal election in the past five decades.

The Ontario Liberals and Ontario NDP have gotten a combined majority of the popular vote in every election since 1959, when the latter was still the CCF.
posted by one more dead town's last parade at 9:56 AM on November 6, 2013


And yet here we are.
posted by mazola at 9:58 AM on November 6, 2013


Only in the Fordian sense that 47.1% is a majority.

Whoops, I think I was having flashbacks to election night 2010. And while Smitherman and Pantalone combined beat Ford by 2000 votes, the likelihood that you'd have gotten enough Pantalone voters to vote for Smitherman to put him ahead of Ford is pretty much zero.
posted by one more dead town's last parade at 9:58 AM on November 6, 2013


Features simulated video of Rob Ford smoking crack with The Queen.

This reminds me of a small framed photo mashup I saw in a Vancouver shop window showing QEII happily snorting lines off a a mirror.
posted by telstar at 10:16 AM on November 6, 2013


Ford sounded just like Ricky talking to cops in that first admission, or Ricky talking to a judge.

I hope his legal team is taking a well deserved rest.

November has only just started, so not quite yet. Soon they'll be spending the winter in comfy prison. Next spring they'll be back out and hatching a new get rich quick scheme.
posted by Chuckles at 10:32 AM on November 6, 2013 [1 favorite]




"The Ontario Liberals and Ontario NDP have gotten a combined majority of the popular vote in every election since 1959, when the latter was still the CCF."

The existence of the NDP is perhaps the primary reason that Canadian politics are so different from the American version (standard disclaimer: outside Quebec), in the provinces and federally. The NDP has simultaneously provided the most truly left-wing ideas in our discourse and played the spoiler that often allows Conservatives to come into power. Without them, the Liberals would probably be much closer to the centre.
posted by Kevin Street at 10:35 AM on November 6, 2013


Heya, Rykey, I know you mean well, but Canada isn't living 30 years in the US's past, and our future isn't naturally going to be some variation of the American present.

it does get tiresome from family and friends who automatically think Canada wants to be the US, or thinks Canada should be like the US, or that Canadians all just want to be Americans.


I totally understand all this. Enjoy your all-Canadian, totally unique brand of political asshattery.
posted by Rykey at 10:45 AM on November 6, 2013


I realized this morning that a thousand pounds was the bounty offered by the governor for William Lyon Mackenzie.

Sorry, I meant to link to the lieutenant governor's proclamation as well.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 10:46 AM on November 6, 2013


Today I went back to have another look at the previous thread from last May when the story first broke. I was much impressed by mathowie's remarkably prescient comment: Yeah, considering all the insane stories I've heard about Ford, I suspect even if this is true and becomes public, somehow he'll stay in office and continue being crazy.

Whoa. I see why he gets to be user #1.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 11:00 AM on November 6, 2013


The latest from Ed Keenan, a great reporter and one of Ford's most consistently insightful critics:

Anyone with any experience of people suffering from addiction problems would have recognized Rob Ford’s emotional confession and apology yesterday. It had the admission of lies and wrong-doing, the claims to personal humiliation and shame, the self-pity that seems to take precedence over the damage inflicted on others, and the promise that this will never, ever, ever, ever happen again. And then, also familiar, is what it did not have: any specific acceptance of consequences, any concrete actions he’s taking to minimize the damage and ensure the future will be different, any recognition that more than an apology is necessary, or even possible. And finally, it was familiar in the desire to file the whole thing into the archives and boldly move forward to write a glorious new chapter. “The past is the past,” he said, “and we must move forward.”

But for Ford, the past is not the past. In fact, as that famous literary drunk William Faulkner said, it’s not even past. The details of the ongoing police investigation have yet to be fully revealed, and have yet to be even partially addressed. He has said nothing of the racist and homophobic remarks he reportedly uttered on video. He has not addressed the campaign of vicious lies he and his brother directed for months at people whose offence was telling the truth. He still holds the position of public trust he was elected to, a trust he has so repeatedly violated. And if he claims that he will not stop drinking entirely—as he has—then not one person familiar with drinking problems would bet on his troubles being behind him...

posted by Shepherd at 11:02 AM on November 6, 2013 [11 favorites]


The federal Liberal party hasn't been left of center since Trudeau. They just serve a different set of corporate masters from their Conservative brethren.
posted by rocket88 at 11:03 AM on November 6, 2013 [1 favorite]


The federal Liberal party hasn't been left of center since Trudeau. They just serve a different set of corporate masters from their Conservative brethren.

Well, we had Dion for a heartbeat, but that movement was quickly stamped out by the corporate lap dogs.
posted by Chuckles at 11:11 AM on November 6, 2013 [2 favorites]


And let's not forget, every crackhead out there can now say, "hey, the Mayor of Toronto does it."
posted by telstar at 11:17 AM on November 6, 2013 [1 favorite]


The federal Liberal party hasn't been left of center since Trudeau.

Only with a no-true-Scotsman definition of the center.
posted by one more dead town's last parade at 11:21 AM on November 6, 2013 [1 favorite]


Everyone's favourite Ontario Tory, Tim Hudak, says that Ford should get help aaaaand not so fast there, Doug.
Toronto Councillor Doug Ford has made no secret of his intention to run at the provincial level.

Hudak said it was not the time to talk about a possible Doug candidacy, and he would not be “playing this game” and politicizing Ford’s troubles.

“I think provincial politics is probably the farthest thing from Doug Ford’s mind at this point,” he said, despite a radio interview earlier this week in which Rob Ford said his brother would be premier of the province one day.
When The Sun brings the snark, it's all the tastier.
posted by maudlin at 11:22 AM on November 6, 2013


Well, we had Dion for a heartbeat, but that movement was quickly stamped out by the corporate lap dogs.

Worth noting that he was the last leader of a major party to treat climate change as a serious issue.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 11:23 AM on November 6, 2013 [1 favorite]


he federal Liberal party hasn't been left of center since Trudeau.

I quite like the federal Liberals. They were cosmopolitan and understood international trade, and also understood the knowledge economy. They stood up to the States (no Iraq War) and had genuinely progressive things to say.
posted by KokuRyu at 11:25 AM on November 6, 2013


Too bad Bob Rae isn't ten years younger.
posted by KokuRyu at 11:26 AM on November 6, 2013 [2 favorites]


Too bad Ontario still seems to be petulant about the 90s. I would have loved to see Rae get the leadership but, like Miller, there was enough conflicting information about his chances of success that the Liberals played it safe and froze him out.
posted by maudlin at 11:28 AM on November 6, 2013 [1 favorite]


Smoking Crack with Rob Ford.
posted by mannequito at 11:33 AM on November 6, 2013 [1 favorite]


Amazing what you can do with MS Songsmith
posted by KokuRyu at 11:54 AM on November 6, 2013


Sue Sgambati reports the latest from Hotmail Lawyer, working on behalf of a client who really, really ... REALLY wants the video released: "Mayor Ford's lawyer Dennis Morris says he will not be joining in a court application on Friday to obtain a copy of the #crackvideo."
posted by maudlin at 12:04 PM on November 6, 2013


The federal Liberal party hasn't been left of center since Trudeau.

Only with a no-true-Scotsman definition of the center.


Income inequality increases when they're in power, albeit slower than when the Tories run the show. They cut corporate taxes drastically. They expanded free trade.
Where would you define center?
posted by rocket88 at 12:40 PM on November 6, 2013 [1 favorite]


I dunno, you would have to look at the root causes of income inequality, and the NAFTA ain't one of them. The deregulated banking system is one reason for income inequality in the States, and to their credit the Libs actively opposed efforts by the big banks (RBC for example) to merge.

Sure, the Liberals were fiscal conservatives, but their efforts made Canada more resilient compared to the rest of the world during the various economic shocks of the last decade.

The Conservatives, on the other hand, just build roads and things with debt.
posted by KokuRyu at 1:06 PM on November 6, 2013


From a US perspective, it's the fact that the different notions of correct small-l liberal policies have different political parties which allows the right-wingers to win elections. We have these same arguments, but we keep them in a single Democratic party, which allows us to win, and keeps the wingnuts from running the show (sometimes). It makes some of us sad, as liberal internationalists, to see a conservative government win in your country with such a small minority, when you could easily defeat them if you got your act together.

The perfect is the enemy of the good, you know. Especially when there's only one winner. It would be lovely to address income equality etc. from a leftist angle but you just can't.

If Toronto cannot build and hold together an "anybody but Ford" coalition, you're doomed forever (or as long as his heart holds out, I guess).
posted by Fnarf at 1:42 PM on November 6, 2013


It's the National Post, but still...

Rob Ford asked to take a ‘pause’ from the job by deputy mayor

"Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly has asked Mayor Rob Ford to step down temporarily from the job to deal with his personal issues, but indicated the mayor was not taking his advice, nor anyone else’s at City Hall."

Also, the Iron Sheik showed up at City Hall and challenged the mayor to an arm wrestling contest. Apparently Hulk Hogan let Ford win an earlier match, so Mr. Ali Vaziri has taken it upon himself to reclaim the dignity of professional wrestling. Security guards had to calm him down.
posted by Kevin Street at 1:48 PM on November 6, 2013 [1 favorite]




Canadian regime roiled by provincial scandal, sparking fears of instability.

The WaPo examines what it would be like if Canada was an "exotic" country.
posted by Lemurrhea at 2:19 PM on November 6, 2013 [4 favorites]


When you lose Nunziata ...
Ms. Nunziata said she visited him in his office on Wednesday, advising him to step aside. "We're trying to give him sound advice as supporters," she said, adding other councillors have met with him to give him the same advice. "He needs to listen and he's not listening and I'm very disappointed."

"I'm banging my head against the wall," she said. "I think we're all frustrated."
Nunziata campaigning for Ford in 2010.
posted by maudlin at 2:21 PM on November 6, 2013


I love the Ford photo at the top of this article.
posted by Theta States at 2:21 PM on November 6, 2013


I love the Ford photo at the top of this article.

You just know that photo editors are scouring pics like this for any sign of a white-rimmed nostril "just in case".
posted by davey_darling at 2:23 PM on November 6, 2013


It was only a matter of time before the Downfall parody was made.
Here it is.
Hitler learns Mayor of Toronto Rob Ford smokes crack
posted by dougzilla at 5:20 PM on November 6, 2013 [1 favorite]


Just over three years ago, the Globe & Mail tepidly endorsed Smitherman over Ford.

On November 1 (as noted above), they plaintively asked Ford to "talk to us".

Yesterday, they sighed and asked him to resign.

And today, they channelled their inner Jon Stewart: Stop Enabling Rob Ford. "The city of Toronto is the one that needs help. The term “enabling” has particular resonance around substance abuse. It describes the process of removing consequences, with disastrous results. Mr. Ford’s actions – and getting hammered and high is the least of it – should have consequences. Now, more than ever, it’s time for an intervention."
posted by maudlin at 5:35 PM on November 6, 2013


Huh. 1010 has just been playing a weird robocall / poll that includes questions such as "Should Ford resign?", "Would you vote for Ford in 2014 if he had gone to rehab?", "Do you approve or disapprove of the job Bill Blair's has been doing?", "Should Blair resign?", and "Would you vote against your local councillor in 2014 if Ford asked you to?"

It just came out tonight. Hmm.

They seem to think it's a really clumsy Fordian push poll, or maybe just an self-appointed ally, and I think they're right. They're still talking about it now.
posted by maudlin at 6:19 PM on November 6, 2013


Over at UT speculation is rampant that the (second? third?) video that is circulating among the media (Rob's good buddy Joe Warmington has reported on it) features a cracked out Ford receiving a hand-job from a young-looking girl on the same night/place as the crack video.
posted by saucysault at 8:08 PM on November 6, 2013


Now there's something I wish I could unread.
posted by one more dead town's last parade at 8:20 PM on November 6, 2013 [9 favorites]


The speculation over there is getting more sordid and outlandish by the minute... I'm starting to wonder whether some of these rumours are being planted by the Ford camp, so as to make the actual crack video seem tame in comparison.
posted by Crane Shot at 8:30 PM on November 6, 2013




Worst. Brother. Ever.
It’s a pattern that has become familiar—not just in the past six months, but from the early days of Rob Ford’s administration, through myriad political snafus and personal embarrassments. The mayor gets into trouble, attempts to explain himself (often inadequately or hesitantly), and then, boom, there’s big brother Doug—“pass it over to me now, Rob”—defiant, bombastic, on the attack, and full of wild ideas. ... Doug appears to think he’s helping his brother. But from where I’m sitting, Doug’s involvement always seems to pour oil on the bonfire of Rob’s personal unravelling and political self-destruction. It doesn’t look much like help at all.
posted by maudlin at 8:44 PM on November 6, 2013 [4 favorites]


Over at UT speculation is rampant that the (second? third?) video that is circulating among the media (Rob's good buddy Joe Warmington has reported on it) features a cracked out Ford receiving a hand-job from a young-looking girl on

Why blackmail the man with a video of him smoking crack, when you can do that AND blackmail him a second time with another video of him getting a handjob while messed up on crack? That's just savvy business acumen.
posted by Elementary Penguin at 2:58 AM on November 7, 2013


Maybe this will jog your memory: Ford and police in talks to arrange private viewing of crack video.
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford is negotiating with police through his lawyer for a private showing of the video that apparently shows him smoking crack cocaine.

The discussions include several other “related topics,” including a request by investigators to question Mr. Ford, his lawyer Dennis Morris told The Globe and Mail.

“I’m in the middle of discussions with the police in reference to that, but whatever it is has very serious conditions on it,” Mr. Morris said in an interview Wednesday. “I’m trying to do my best to get rid of conditions.”
posted by maudlin at 6:48 AM on November 7, 2013


I just hope the private showing includes a trailer for Requiem for a Dream.
posted by Etrigan at 6:54 AM on November 7, 2013 [2 favorites]


Oh, wow: "BREAKING Denzil Minnan-Wong says if Rob Ford doesn't take a leave, he will ask council to ask province to pass legislation to remove mayor."

On second read, there's at least two asks in that sentence. Herd of Cats, Hogtown Edition may or may not get its shit together for this.

OTOH, this may come up for consideration soon: "Coun. Minnan-Wong says he has amended his motion to ask the premier to remove Mayor Ford from office if he refuses to take a leave."

So much for the "toothless" set of motions. I suspect that the Ford allies who have been saying they support at least some of DM-W's motions will balk at this. Expect screaming and shouting about a lefty -- oh, wait ....
posted by maudlin at 7:00 AM on November 7, 2013


Just want to pop in real quick and remind everyone that the mayor of Toronto smoked crack and then admitted it and then kept on being mayor!
posted by (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates at 7:00 AM on November 7, 2013 [7 favorites]


"Coun. Minnan-Wong says he has amended his motion to ask the premier to remove Mayor Ford from office if he refuses to take a leave."

I imagine the Wynne government would be none to happy to see this on their plate. Given their precarious grip on power I imagine they would prefer if it was all done "in house" so they can't be accused of overstepping their bounds. (even if TO council asked them to do it)
posted by davey_darling at 7:06 AM on November 7, 2013


Just want to pop in real quick and remind everyone that the mayor of Toronto smoked crack and then admitted it and then kept on being mayor!

You left out the best part: the tearfull apology that looked very much like it was going to be a resignation but suddenly turned into a reelection campaign speech!
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 7:42 AM on November 7, 2013




Just want to pop in real quick and remind everyone that the mayor of Toronto smoked crack and then admitted it and then kept on being mayor!

You left out the best part:


that the reason he smoked cracked was that he was in a drunken stupor at the time, and that his big takeaway from it all is that in future, he'll only get "hammered" at home.

this, of course, speaks to his meat and potatoes, just-a-regular-guy style that makes him so electable. One more argument against democracy.
posted by philip-random at 8:39 AM on November 7, 2013 [1 favorite]


The Sun is making promises: "Startling new Rob Ford revelation coming on @TheTorontoSun shortly"

(It's not "Flaherty chokes up": I checked.)

Twitter comments are skeptical. "Did he yell at Joe Warmington again?"

NOPE. New video: Ford threatens murder.
posted by maudlin at 9:03 AM on November 7, 2013 [1 favorite]


I can't be the only one who's surprised this is the first video of Rob Ford yelling about murdering somebody.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 9:05 AM on November 7, 2013 [1 favorite]


.... but this could be hyperbole. And it really is Joe Warmington reporting on it:
A source close to the mayor confirmed it is Ford in the video and that it "looks a lot worse than it really is" since "he sometimes goes off on tangents" and a few minutes later everything is fine.

The behaviour is also consistent with several conversations I've had with Ford in which he used similar inflammatory vernacular.

The mayor has not returned my calls on this matter.
Surely THIS ... score: 2.7 if this is all there is with no additional context.
posted by maudlin at 9:05 AM on November 7, 2013 [1 favorite]


That Sun video is amazing. Does Ford always seem that agitated? Or is he only like this when he's cracked out? I don't see much drunken stupor though.

Also loving a newspaper posting a video of someone pointing a cell phone camera at a laptop screen showing what's probably a cell phone video. Way beyond "medium is the message" territory here.
posted by Nelson at 9:11 AM on November 7, 2013 [3 favorites]


Star says that's just a short clip and they will have a much longer clip shortly.
I'm hoping Ford is cuffed today.
posted by chococat at 9:11 AM on November 7, 2013


The Sun posted only 5 seconds of a full 1 minute 17 second clip that The Star is promising to share shortly.

From the Sun: "The video was this week being shopped around by someone looking to make thousands of dollars. The Toronto Sun discussed the video with the vendor but did not purchase it or enter into negotiations. The anonymous person sent the Toronto Sun two short clips from the video which appear to show the mayor impaired and in an apparent rage and in an inebriated state."

So did The Star actually pay for a whole video this time?
posted by maudlin at 9:12 AM on November 7, 2013




Daniel Dale: 'I approached a Ford staffer yesterday about this video. Reaction: "Are you KIDDING me?" "I can't deal with another video." "I am done."'

Ivor Tossell: "Got a Ford video kicking around? Sell 'em if you got 'em, people. It's now or never."

Rob Ford videos: the Beanie Babies of the 21st century.
posted by maudlin at 9:18 AM on November 7, 2013 [8 favorites]


So it looks like that Colbert Report bit was pretty accurate.
posted by chococat at 9:23 AM on November 7, 2013


The Star has it -- warning: AUTOPLAY!
posted by maudlin at 9:24 AM on November 7, 2013


The Star: "There is no suggestion that this video is the second video Blair referred to in his press conference. The Star purchased this video."

If you turn off your audio before you click that link and just wait, you can watch the silent Rob flailing several times, with captions appearing in the last bit, just so you don't miss a single word.

He's angry, he's drunk or stoned, aaaand -- that's all, really. Screaming at the converted, not a game-changer.
posted by maudlin at 9:27 AM on November 7, 2013


Well then...

That video is non-specific to say the least. I mean, he could be pumping himself up for arm-wrestling with Hulk Hogan for all we know.
posted by dry white toast at 9:29 AM on November 7, 2013 [1 favorite]


So, Ford screaming incoherently about murdering someone while hammered out of his mind on liquor and crack is no big deal, it's just him "going off on tangents"?

This guy isn't really the mayor at all, is he? There's another guy running things behind the scenes, right? Is that Doug? And this is OK with large numbers of Torontonians?

He reminds me of Edith Massey, the Egg Lady in "Pink Flamingos", sitting in her crib screaming "Eggs! Eggs! Eggs!".
posted by Fnarf at 9:36 AM on November 7, 2013 [3 favorites]


The Star has it -- warning: AUTOPLAY!

The worst crime in the video is the ugly faux Tuscan style decor in his house!
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 9:38 AM on November 7, 2013 [3 favorites]


The worst crime in the video is the ugly faux Tuscan style decor in his house!

I was coming here to say the same thing!
posted by KokuRyu at 9:40 AM on November 7, 2013 [2 favorites]


Ford comments: "Obviously I was very very inebriated. I've apologized. Again, I've made mistakes. All I can do is reassure the people. I don't know what to say."
posted by dry white toast at 9:41 AM on November 7, 2013


That style of decor is super, super common in Italian-Canadian households -- I'm guessing Renata is Italian?

I also suspect a lot of that furniture is probably authentic. Importing ugly-assed furniture from Italy is a pretty big business in Toronto.
posted by jacquilynne at 9:42 AM on November 7, 2013 [2 favorites]


Coyne: "From now on, I can assure you, i’ll only utter death threats in my basement. Hopefully."
posted by maudlin at 9:43 AM on November 7, 2013 [1 favorite]


That style of decor is super, super common in Italian-Canadian households -- I'm guessing Renata is Italian?

Yeah, if that style offends you, don't ever visit a house in suburban Toronto.
posted by dry white toast at 9:45 AM on November 7, 2013


looks a lot worse than it really is

"It's not an optical illusion; it only looks like one."
posted by ricochet biscuit at 9:47 AM on November 7, 2013 [2 favorites]


Well, at least it shows he is still able to stay focused on a goal.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 9:50 AM on November 7, 2013


Even Urban Toronto seems more skeptical about this than you would expect. Looks like a misfire by The Star.
posted by maudlin at 9:50 AM on November 7, 2013


As someone who has never done coke or things of its ilk, I can't help but wonder if that's what someone who's high on coke looks like?
posted by dry white toast at 9:52 AM on November 7, 2013 [1 favorite]


Also loving a newspaper posting a video of someone pointing a cell phone camera at a laptop screen showing what's probably a cell phone video. Way beyond "medium is the message" territory here.

This is actually something that legal departments in news operations (in the US, anyways) increasingly recommend, that instead of directly pulling a video off of YouTube with a downloader or whatever to play on air, you just shoot video of the screen while it's playing, so you show it in the context of "this is a YouTube video". Apparently just downloading the file directly and playing it out of that context can open you up to suits from the content owners, since Fair Use gets a little wibbly-wobbly around the edges.
posted by jason_steakums at 9:54 AM on November 7, 2013 [4 favorites]


Finance Minister Jim Flaherty fights back tears when answering a question about Ford. Autoplay video.
posted by dry white toast at 9:55 AM on November 7, 2013


The CBC is playing a bit of that impromptu press conference. He sounds ashamed, quiet, and, umm, reasonable. He talks again about not being able to remember things when he's in a state like that.

If I wasn't pretty damn sure that Doug is going to bully him into "fighting" again, I would think this could actually be a turning point.
posted by maudlin at 9:59 AM on November 7, 2013


Five minutes, ten minutes, no wait, five minutes!

Damn Rob, underpromise and overdeliver. Give yourself fifteen then surprise everyone by killing him in five.
posted by Ad hominem at 9:59 AM on November 7, 2013 [1 favorite]


That video is like a sad audition tape for a live action Yosemite Sam movie.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 10:00 AM on November 7, 2013 [7 favorites]


That video is like a sad audition tape for a live action Yosemite Sam movie Ubu Roi.
posted by oulipian at 10:05 AM on November 7, 2013 [1 favorite]


If I wasn't pretty damn sure that Doug is going to bully him into "fighting" again, I would think this could actually be a turning point.

Except that the story on Tuesday was that Doug and his staff were telling him to leave and he insisted on staying.
posted by dry white toast at 10:09 AM on November 7, 2013


Except that the story on Tuesday was that Doug and his staff were telling him to leave and he insisted on staying.

It was?
posted by saturday_morning at 10:10 AM on November 7, 2013


He looks and sounds like Tuco on Breaking Bad.
posted by The Card Cheat at 10:12 AM on November 7, 2013


It was?

Could be more of the "Protect Doug's political career" bullshit that they are working as hard as they can.
posted by davey_darling at 10:12 AM on November 7, 2013 [2 favorites]


> inance Minister Jim Flaherty fights back tears when answering a question about Ford.

Boo-fucking-hoo. As multiple people on Twitter have pointed out, if Ford were poor and/or not white, Cons like Flaherty would be all for letting him rot in prison.
posted by The Card Cheat at 10:13 AM on November 7, 2013 [1 favorite]


Without context that video is pretty meaningless - he could be pumping himself up for a charity boxing match for all we know. In fact, I wonder if this was shot around the same time as the Trudeau/Brazeau bout?

It paints him in a bit of a bad light, but that light has been shining the same for a while.
posted by davey_darling at 10:13 AM on November 7, 2013


Yeah, if that style offends you, don't ever visit a house in suburban Toronto.

Pretty common in the suburban States too. But remember "tasteful" and "common" are not synonyms.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 10:14 AM on November 7, 2013


dry white toast, the story I heard is that his staff wanted him to leave, then Doug got him for an hour.
posted by maudlin at 10:15 AM on November 7, 2013


Without context that video is pretty meaningless

It's true, but there is the fact that he's talking about how the supposed victim-to-be is calling him & his brothers liars and thieves. So it's probably in relation to this whole shebang.

I wonder if it's about that big long expose the...G&M(?) did about how they used to deal hash.
posted by Lemurrhea at 10:17 AM on November 7, 2013


Minister Jim Flaherty

Not knowing what Flaherty looked like before clicking the link, I was really picturing/hoping he looked like Joe Flaherty.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 10:17 AM on November 7, 2013


Well that's certainly more consistent with the pattern. I came across this nugget from a reporter giving background on Twitter, so it's entirely possible I misread.
posted by dry white toast at 10:18 AM on November 7, 2013


Jim Flaherty fights back tears

I am genuinely astonished that Jim "Jail The Homeless" Flaherty is capable of empathy.
posted by Capt. Renault at 10:20 AM on November 7, 2013 [2 favorites]


Actually, the Count Floyd/Guy Caballero/Sammy Maudlin Joe Flaherty does have a brother named Jim, whom I know slightly -- used to be on a local BBS with him a quarter century ago.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 10:20 AM on November 7, 2013


Without context that video is pretty meaningless

He looks insane. Or maybe high on cocaine. But I guess it's not a video of him actually hitting the pipe nor him posing with a bunch of thugs who are now dead or in jail. It's a measure of how deep the crazy situation in Toronto goes that people would look at a video of their mayor acting like this and just shrug.
posted by Nelson at 10:26 AM on November 7, 2013 [1 favorite]


Not so much actually.. It is a funny thing. First, there is still some distance between home life and public life in Canadian politics. Second, this is how the hoser set thinks disputes should be settled.
posted by Chuckles at 10:32 AM on November 7, 2013


I mean, I think Rob Ford was always a truly awful choice, but the electorate didn't agree with me. Once you've decided you want Ricky from Trailer Park Boys as your mayor, you shouldn't really expect anything different, you know... And as much as there is separation between home life and political life, everybody did know who he was before they voted for him--or at least they knew as much as they wanted to know.. Ya, it is a funny thing.
posted by Chuckles at 10:35 AM on November 7, 2013 [1 favorite]


I'm rooting for the guy in orange :-)
posted by maudlin at 10:35 AM on November 7, 2013


I am genuinely astonished that Jim "Jail The Homeless" Flaherty is capable of empathy.

Yeah, I was pretty shocked to see tears from him, still I'm not holding out hope for any kind of road to Damascus moment or something. You'd think experiences like this would force people like Flaherty to maybe re-evaluate policies they champion that pile misery and humiliation and torment on people who aren't lucky enough to be so insulated from the consequences of their weaknesses.

Hell, I'm willing to bet that in no more than a year, tops, provided he survives, Ford will be right back to his old ways ranting about how instead of harm reduction, we should just encourage junkies and crackheads to kill themselves and save the taxpayers the hassle of dealing with them.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 10:37 AM on November 7, 2013


Actually, the Count Floyd/Guy Caballero/Sammy Maudlin Joe Flaherty does have a brother named Jim, whom I know slightly -- used to be on a local BBS with him a quarter century ago.

Makes sense, these guys are like something from an SCTV sketch.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 10:40 AM on November 7, 2013


Robbie can't fight with his pants on, he doesn't want to tear his precious little pants.

So when the pants come off, look the fuck out!
posted by mazola at 10:43 AM on November 7, 2013 [2 favorites]


So when the pants come off, look the fuck out!

And there you have it. Rob Ford is Trevor from GTA V.
posted by dry white toast at 10:45 AM on November 7, 2013


when the pants come off

So those Taiwanese videos aren't as cartoonish as we thought?
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 10:46 AM on November 7, 2013


>So when the pants come off, look the fuck out!

And there you have it. Rob Ford is Trevor from GTA V.


Sorry, CanCon rules for this MeFi thread decree this is a reference to Randy from TPB.
posted by KokuRyu at 10:48 AM on November 7, 2013 [10 favorites]


Once you've decided you want Ricky from Trailer Park Boys as your mayor, you shouldn't really expect anything different, you know..

Hey, don't you talk about Ricky like that! If anything, Ford is more like Lahey.
posted by jokeefe at 10:56 AM on November 7, 2013 [2 favorites]


Star editor says they paid the price of "a good dinner" for the Ford ranting video.
posted by dry white toast at 11:09 AM on November 7, 2013


Star editor says they paid the price of "a good dinner" for the Ford ranting video.

If it was at anywhere pricier than Tim Hortons they got taken!
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 11:11 AM on November 7, 2013


"New video show Ford in fury, threatening to kill person" is the the title of the Canadian Press article. Are people suggesting that he is really talking about murdering someone? He's just super high and shit-talking with a buddy.
posted by beau jackson at 11:12 AM on November 7, 2013 [2 favorites]


Surely he's talking about The Green Bastard in the video.
posted by mazola at 11:15 AM on November 7, 2013 [2 favorites]


He's just super high and shit-talking with a buddy.

Oh, well, that's all right then.
posted by Fnarf at 11:15 AM on November 7, 2013 [1 favorite]


Surely he's talking about The Green Bastard yt in the video.

God, that is the perfect tv show.
posted by KokuRyu at 11:16 AM on November 7, 2013


@BenSpurr: Former wrestler Brutus "the Barber" Beefcake has come to the mayor's office. I am not joking.

I'm too young to have seen it, but this is what I imagine an episode of Laugh-In to have been like.
posted by dry white toast at 11:16 AM on November 7, 2013 [3 favorites]


Good ol' Norm Kelly got in front of the cameras a few minutes ago and called it a "private moment" and "the language of the locker room." I played hockey for 12 years and nobody ever really spoke like that, but then again we were kids and didn't have much money for drugs.
posted by The Card Cheat at 11:17 AM on November 7, 2013 [1 favorite]


He's just super high and shit-talking with a buddy.

Oh, well, that's all right then.


Well no, but it's pretty standard behavior for him at this point, so not a breakthrough.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 11:20 AM on November 7, 2013


He's coked out like a motherfucker in that video that was released today.

DJ Steve Porter - Rob Ford Crack Remix
posted by gman at 11:21 AM on November 7, 2013 [2 favorites]


Well no, but it's pretty standard behavior for him at this point, so not a breakthrough.

Maybe not a breakthrough in the overall case against him, but could be a sizable political breakthrough. This is the first time we've actually seen video of him all fucked up like this. Written accounts are one thing, even when the mayor admits they happened, but when Mr. and Mrs. Etobicoke actually get to sit down around the family computer and watch the mayor coked out of his mind? I think that'll matter.
posted by saturday_morning at 11:25 AM on November 7, 2013 [1 favorite]


Dale on Mammoliti's fresh statement: "If it is in their power, the Mayor's family needs to intervene and attempt to get him to a drug rehabilitation centre."
posted by maudlin at 11:32 AM on November 7, 2013


Two things.. one has to wonder just how many videos there are out there of Ford. We live in such a ubiquitous world of video and photos I imagine there is a lot still waiting to be discovered.

and two, at this point people can just make up any old shit "I saw Rob Ford felat a platypus while high on crack!" and it'll be hard for him to refute it.


"Ford Zoo Rampage!!"
posted by edgeways at 11:33 AM on November 7, 2013


This is the first time we've actually seen video of him all fucked up like this.

Well yeah, fucked up like that, but not just generally fucked up.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 11:33 AM on November 7, 2013


Granted!
posted by saturday_morning at 11:36 AM on November 7, 2013


Yeah, there's no context in which Ford looks good here. A quick perusal of the comments on the Sun's story about this video seems to indicate near-universal disgust. This takes a big bite out of the "he's a nice guy" narrative, even if he's "just" drunk/coked up and raving about nothing important.
posted by The Card Cheat at 11:37 AM on November 7, 2013


video #2 is very weak soup. It's totally shit-talking with a buddy. Rob seems hyper, but not out-of-control angry, and doesn't seem drunk/stoned to me.

It's classic type-A behind-closed-doors behaviour: for psyching oneself up, or letting off steam. If it seems unusual, you haven't hung out with that many execs or CEOs.
posted by Artful Codger at 11:42 AM on November 7, 2013 [1 favorite]


There's an update at the Star video link. This was filmed not at 15 Windsor, not at Ford's place, not on the afternoon of the crack smoking, but in the evening at the home of a reputable middle-aged Ford supporter:
The Star purchased the video from a source who filmed the video from someone else’s computer. The person with the computer was there in the room, the Star was told.

The Star is not disclosing what it paid for the video but it is consistent with fees paid by news organizations for exclusive videos or photographs.

The Star has been assured the money went to “the legal and beneficial use of a family.”

The Star was told that Ford arrived at a Ford supporter’s home and was clearly impaired. The Ford supporter was described to the Star as a businessman. Four people between the age of 20 and 60 were present during Ford’s outbursts. One filmed the video with a phone camera. This man appears to have been sitting on a couch near where the mayor was pacing in front of a dining room table covered with a white tablecloth and surrounded by four chairs. Blinds are drawn and a chandelier lights the room. It is nighttime.
posted by maudlin at 11:42 AM on November 7, 2013


Oh, crap. sorry, hit Post too soon. This is very interesting context: he was ranting in front of civilians, not a buddy. I wonder who the hell Ford was angry at and what everyone in the room was thinking.

Looks like I may be wrong again about the impact of this video. This video rattled Ford badly, and it's not just that everyone in the world can see it today, but that he was obviously blasted in front of mostly-loyal supporters.

Not a misfire, Star people. Sorry.
posted by maudlin at 11:45 AM on November 7, 2013 [1 favorite]


> If it seems unusual, you haven't hung out with that many execs or CEOs.

*thanks heavens for small blessings*
posted by The Card Cheat at 11:46 AM on November 7, 2013 [3 favorites]


Oh, well, that's all right then.

Not an excuse, just an explanation for Ford's words and actions in this video, in case anyone was tempted to suggest that he's actually talking about really murdering someone. The Canadian Press article title just seemed a bit irresponsible to me.

This whole circus seems to be getting drawn out as long as possible. It's exhausting. And there is another police video yet to come out. What, if anything, will finally convince Ford that it's time to go?
posted by beau jackson at 11:47 AM on November 7, 2013


At this point, I feel like Ford's story is going to end the same way Jerry Lundegaard's did in Fargo.
posted by The Card Cheat at 11:49 AM on November 7, 2013 [1 favorite]


maudlin > he was ranting in front of civilians, not a buddy.

really? sounded to me like he was being egged on.
posted by Artful Codger at 11:50 AM on November 7, 2013


*thanks heavens for small blessings*

Oh c'mon. What do you think Steve Ballmer is like when the camera's off? ;^)
posted by Artful Codger at 11:52 AM on November 7, 2013


Oh c'mon. What do you think Steve Ballmer is like when the camera's off? ;^)

Erudite? Speaking the Queen's English?
posted by mazola at 12:00 PM on November 7, 2013


Jesus! All I asked was if he'd heard about the bird!
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 12:04 PM on November 7, 2013 [4 favorites]


I'm none too happy about Ford being the mayor, but maybe at this point the best thing is to leave him in office. Counsel is voting to strip him of powers so he wouldn't be able to do actual damage to the city (beyond to our reputation that is), so why not let him stay. Surely there will be more revelations of past bad conduct, and most likely more bad conduct in the future. Let Ford Nation live with their choice for a bit so that next time they will put a bit more thought into it.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 12:07 PM on November 7, 2013


I feel like Ford's story is going to end the same way Jerry Lundegaard's did in Fargo.

The difference being that in this case it will be Doug stuffing Rob into the wood chipper.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 12:11 PM on November 7, 2013


dry white toast: "@BenSpurr: Former wrestler Brutus "the Barber" Beefcake has come to the mayor's office. I am not joking."

The Bootyman!
posted by mannequito at 12:12 PM on November 7, 2013


It was funny when the Iron Sheik did it, but now they're just being derivative.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 12:14 PM on November 7, 2013


Former wrestler Brutus "the Barber" Beefcake has come to the mayor's office. I am not joking.

They are trying to drum up publicity for this event.
posted by davey_darling at 12:16 PM on November 7, 2013 [1 favorite]


CBC Radio One is playing the audio of that video on-air. Twice now in the last 15 min - on the national news and now on their afternoon drive show. WTF? sorry I mean what the heck? Seriously, though... it's daytime, kids are home...
posted by Artful Codger at 12:16 PM on November 7, 2013


I have to admit that I didn't have "multiple washed-up pro wrestlers show up at Ford's office to protest his crack use" on my Ford bingo card.
posted by The Card Cheat at 12:17 PM on November 7, 2013 [12 favorites]


A sleeper hold might be the only way to get him out of the mayor's office so the right guy is finally there.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 12:18 PM on November 7, 2013


The thing is, while it isn't hard to imagine that what's in the video is relatively benign joking around, when Ford spoke to reporters after it came out, he was asked who he was talking about killing, and if he was involved in a murder plot. Both times, no answer. If he wanted to explain he was just having some drunken fun, that would be the time, no?

Which is further evidence of how quickly he's discovering the value of "I was really drunk" as an excuse for all kinds of shit.
posted by dry white toast at 12:19 PM on November 7, 2013


It is so incredibly profound that Ford's office has been assailed by ex-professional wrestlers that have dealt with their own substance abuse issue. Ford, the universe speaks to you in weird ways, but best listen this time.
posted by Theta States at 12:19 PM on November 7, 2013


Former wrestler Brutus "the Barber" Beefcake has come to the mayor's office. I am not joking.

You mean Brutus "caused an anthrax scare by forgetting his bag of cocaine" Beefcake? They must be besties!
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 12:22 PM on November 7, 2013


CBC Radio's playing the audio again. At least now they've bleeped the f-bombs.
posted by Artful Codger at 12:32 PM on November 7, 2013


So he's an alcoholic drug addict, it isn't like he's launched drone strikes against a half dozen countries killing scores of civilians nor has he approved programs that violate individual privacy rights on a never before seen scale. I mean sure mass transit funding and he's quite an asshole; but really do have some perspective. Toronto hasn't been Katrina'd. He had blackouts not black sites.
posted by humanfont at 12:51 PM on November 7, 2013 [1 favorite]


LOL ok
posted by (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates at 12:52 PM on November 7, 2013 [16 favorites]


So he's an alcoholic drug addict, it isn't like he's launched drone strikes...

He only made it to the top of Toronto. What do you think he would have done next? Provincial politics? God forbid he and Doug had ever made the national scene what sort of damage they could have caused and I'm talking about when sober!
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 12:55 PM on November 7, 2013


Well sure, but if the mayor of Toronto could launch drone strikes against half a dozen countries and institute black sites, let alone would, we'd be in a very different world.
posted by Lemurrhea at 12:56 PM on November 7, 2013


humanfront, you may not have been paying close enough attention, but the actual drugs and drinking are only the tip of the iceberg with respect to his potential wrongdoing.

But you know, that's a pretty strawman and everything.
posted by dry white toast at 1:03 PM on November 7, 2013 [1 favorite]


CBC Radio's playing the audio again. At least now they've bleeped the f-bombs.

The 4:00 PM Toronto newscast introduced it with a caution that there was graphic content. It then ran it with most of the audio intact but there was a single bleep. Perhaps the compromise was that "fucking" is okay but "motherfucker" is not on CBC.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 1:04 PM on November 7, 2013


> but really do have some perspective.

We just want him to quit and go away. It's not like we're proposing he be drawn and quartered.

Oh, and take Doug with him too.
posted by Artful Codger at 1:05 PM on November 7, 2013 [1 favorite]


"Fucking"'s been ok on the CBC ever since Caitlin found out Joey was fucking Tessa Campinelli.
posted by yellowbinder at 1:15 PM on November 7, 2013 [11 favorites]


If it seems unusual, you haven't hung out with that many execs or CEOs.

I've hung out with a fair few CEOs and other executives, and they don't act like that. Far from it. Maybe a few Ballmer types go on rages; hell, I go on rages myself sometimes. But they don't look anything like this: the punching the imaginary figure, the pacing, the knee-raising, the hiked pants, the frankly ridiculous, drawn-out discussion of how many minutes exactly. He's acting like he's five years old.

What this looks like isn't a CEO but a mentally-ill person having an episode. It's not right. The man is not OK. If he WAS a CEO, he'd be fired, or perhaps hustled away to a secure rehab facility against his will, almost immediately.
posted by Fnarf at 1:26 PM on November 7, 2013 [1 favorite]


OK, I laughed.
posted by maudlin at 1:26 PM on November 7, 2013 [5 favorites]


Rob Ford broke the National Post. (Imgur cap) He already broke Sun News. Is there no end to this man's war on the media?

Bonus: BuzzFord. I wonder if they're hiring.
posted by maudlin at 1:46 PM on November 7, 2013 [1 favorite]


So he's an alcoholic drug addict, it isn't like he's launched drone strikes against a half dozen countries killing scores of civilians nor has he approved programs that violate individual privacy rights on a never before seen scale. I mean sure mass transit funding and he's quite an asshole; but really do have some perspective. Toronto hasn't been Katrina'd. He had blackouts not black sites.


I guess he deserves to be elected mayor-for-life now.

the next probable AG of Virginia proposed that women who miscarried should "report to the police". But at least he didn't fire drones at people, so "a sense of proportion" should be maintained eh?
posted by edgeways at 1:46 PM on November 7, 2013 [2 favorites]


Guy really needs to get a user number.
posted by buzzman at 1:51 PM on November 7, 2013


Hey, Virginia AG is going to recount, don't give up on the Democrat yet.
posted by Chrysostom at 1:52 PM on November 7, 2013


Chris Selley at NatPost: "And here we see the most common fallacy in Ford-related punditry: Trying to compare his situation to that of other Canadian politicians. It’s a bit like trying to compare a tuna sandwich to Jupiter."
posted by maudlin at 1:55 PM on November 7, 2013 [5 favorites]


"Fucking"'s been ok on the CBC ever since Caitlin found out Joey was fucking Tessa Campinelli.

By the way, I'd like to take this moment to publicly thank my neighbors to the north on the Internet for each and every time you've made a Degrassi reference during this scandal. It's really helped me get my head around the situation.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 1:57 PM on November 7, 2013 [4 favorites]


Degrassi was our The Wire. Before Ford, of course.
posted by dry white toast at 1:58 PM on November 7, 2013 [5 favorites]


RoFo's mother and sister live on CP24 right now. Astonishing interview.
posted by sweet mister at 2:13 PM on November 7, 2013


1010 is streaming an interview with Rob's mother and sister. They say that he's done wrong but deserves forgiveness for his mistake or mistakes. He won't resign and shouldn't resign. He's been under so much pressure since he was elected. It's not fair. The media won't forgive. He's such a hard worker. The fact that he apologized so quickly today shows what a good character he has. It hasn't affected his work. He works so hard. He can't see his family on weekends because he has to work.

Not a drug addict. Couldn't accomplish what he has if he were an addict. Is he an alcoholic? Some people have varying definitions. Robbie doesn't drink every night, but he doesn't drink just one when he does drink. But getting blitzed is not part of their family culture.

********************

As long as they're saying this, Rob isn't going to resign.
posted by maudlin at 2:14 PM on November 7, 2013 [1 favorite]


John Tory is pointing out that there was no mention of Ford hanging out with criminals. This story is about more than substance abuse.
posted by maudlin at 2:15 PM on November 7, 2013


This is really brutal to watch. His sister has her own problems.

As someone on Twitter pointed out, it quickly becomes clear his mother is as corrosive an influence as Doug.

Honestly, you can imagine Rob wanting to resign and his family pushing him to say.
posted by dry white toast at 2:17 PM on November 7, 2013


Oh shit, mom says the weight is his real problem and addressing that is the bigger priority.
posted by dry white toast at 2:18 PM on November 7, 2013


"Get help."
"For what?"

This is fucking unbelievable.
posted by The Card Cheat at 2:19 PM on November 7, 2013


So his mom is basically Brianna Barksdale?
posted by sparklemotion at 2:20 PM on November 7, 2013 [4 favorites]


And that he should get an alcohol detector in his car. The lack of self-reflection in this family borders on the sociopathic.
posted by dry white toast at 2:21 PM on November 7, 2013 [1 favorite]


So his mom is basically Brianna Barksdale?

Or Wee-Bay's baby mama.
posted by dry white toast at 2:21 PM on November 7, 2013


It's not just that Rob is being encouraged by his family not to resign from the job he loves, but that they'll be so disappointed in him if he does.

I'm back to poor fucker territory for this guy.
posted by maudlin at 2:23 PM on November 7, 2013 [1 favorite]


But you know, that's a pretty strawman and everything.

I thought humanfront's comment spoke more to the fact that some day our grand kids will ask us about the life in the early part of the 21st century, bringing up the horrible things done to "protect our way of life". They might ask us what we did personally to fight against the perpetuation of those crimes. They won't be asking about the Rob Ford scandal.

(I hates me some RoFo but it feels like a sideshow)
posted by bonobothegreat at 2:25 PM on November 7, 2013


Yeah, if the goal of this PR move was to make people sympathize with the Mayor, job well done. Sheesh.
posted by dry white toast at 2:25 PM on November 7, 2013


Also, does anyone doubt now that Doug Ford, Sr. was a raging drunk?

Addicts are the children of addicts.
posted by dry white toast at 2:27 PM on November 7, 2013


I thought humanfront's comment spoke more to the fact that some day our grand kids will ask us about the life in the early part of the 21st century, bringing up the horrible things done to "protect our way of life". They might ask us what we did personally to fight against the perpetuation of those crimes. They won't be asking about the Rob Ford scandal.

In Canada, the only thing they will be asking is how we could be so myopic and selfish as to double down on a fossil fuel economy even when we knew how comprehensively destructive it would be.

I actually think Rob Ford will be more than just a footnote in all this, as he represents the suburban denial populist better than most, with his "war on cars" nonsense, and his contempt for transit and cycling. I actually think Ford will be no small figure in the history of horrible things done to "protect our way of life".

Nothing like Harper though, don't get me started.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 2:33 PM on November 7, 2013 [7 favorites]


I thought humanfront's comment spoke more to the fact that some day our grand kids will ask us about the life in the early part of the 21st century, bringing up the horrible things done to "protect our way of life".

I think it possible to be both outraged at Obama and disgusted by Rob Ford at the same time, thank you very much, or maybe someone is upset we are not talking about the United States in this thread. Sheesh.
posted by KokuRyu at 2:39 PM on November 7, 2013 [2 favorites]


It's the Fords that elect the Harpers, in the grand scheme of things. Gotta support the team, no matter what.
posted by Kevin Street at 2:40 PM on November 7, 2013


I'm back to poor fucker territory for this guy
Yeah sorry, still no for me.
Don't use the city to work out your Mommy and Daddy issues.
I had sympathy for him in May. Totally evaporated now.
posted by chococat at 2:41 PM on November 7, 2013 [1 favorite]


If you needed more convincing that it will take criminal conviction, death, or the Province stepping in for Ford to leave office, I hope that interview did the trick.
posted by dry white toast at 2:44 PM on November 7, 2013 [1 favorite]


Besides, in the grand scheme of things, The Rob Ford Show *is* a big deal. How is it possible that a guy who hangs around with gangsters and is linked to a murder is the mayor of a major North American city?

This Rob Ford thing is also going to affect Canadian politics across the country. It's toxic, and also helps construct the weird "liberal/socialist vs. conservative Canadian values" dichotomy that is an invention of Harper's True Blue conservatives.

Rob Ford is helping propel Canada into a more nasty era. I think it sucks and I do think it is a big deal.

In regards to "how did I fight injustice at the beginning of the 21st Century", well, I have volunteered on political campaigns. I have attended rallies. I have written letters to cabinet ministers.
posted by KokuRyu at 2:45 PM on November 7, 2013 [5 favorites]


There's a difference between "aghast, can't look, will look, oh fuck" sympathy and enabling sympathy. Current Rob Ford is a fuck-up who is fucking us over; this family helped transform him into that fuck-up.

I excuse nothing that he has done, but I can still feel for the bits of the boy he once was who deserved a lot better than to end up like this.
posted by maudlin at 2:45 PM on November 7, 2013 [1 favorite]


> Rob Ford is helping propel Canada into a more nasty era.

This x1000. A few days ago I walked into a variety store and the clerk and some guy trying to buy a Toronto Star were yelling at each other about Ford.
posted by The Card Cheat at 2:49 PM on November 7, 2013


Yeah I get what you mean, maudlin. But I guess I'm just a cold hard bastard because I feel like this is all inevitable consequence-time happening now; consequences that he could have prevented. And so yes, hard to watch, but my sympathy is dried up. Nothing for him.
I'm sorry for Toronto. It's a fucking sad, sad joke.
posted by chococat at 2:53 PM on November 7, 2013


Next Rob Ford press conference: NOW do you guys understand?!?
posted by dry white toast at 2:54 PM on November 7, 2013


He looks just like the coked up folks at a neighbourhood bar I used to sorta know a decade (or more now) ago, just before things went to shit for them. Same bluster, same "woulda, coulda, just let-me-at-im" hyperactivity. And, just like those barflies, it looks like his life is blowing up too.
posted by bonehead at 2:56 PM on November 7, 2013 [2 favorites]


NOW do you guys understand?!?

Increasingly, no, we don't.
posted by one more dead town's last parade at 2:57 PM on November 7, 2013


I'm pretty sure the hacker in the Vice story is @ManuvSteele on Twitter. He's been posting and deleting screenshots and screen caps all day and from my interaction with him I think he's the real deal.

In other news, there are a lot of rumours floating around that Ford's wife is in a very bad state herself, with respect to drug use (which would not be surprising, giving the circumstances).

Also, Doug wasn't seen today and Rob is taking the day off tomorrow.
posted by sweet mister at 3:02 PM on November 7, 2013


Doug wasn't seen today and Rob is taking the day off tomorrow.

They have had a hard week of respecting the taxpayer, you can hardly begrudge them a day off.
posted by davey_darling at 3:04 PM on November 7, 2013 [1 favorite]


sweet mister, I've seen those rumours about his wife on UT as well, and the source cited there was saying that she thought this was a PR move to discredit Renata. That source is saying that she looked lively and healthy a few weeks ago, and now all of a suddent "everyone" is saying that she's at death's door. Suspicious timing, if anything.
posted by maudlin at 3:04 PM on November 7, 2013


> Rob Ford is helping propel Canada into a more nasty era.

Good Lord, yes. I now find myself in agreement with Denzil Minnan-Wong on a daily basis. I have no idea how this happened, or that it was even possible. Minnan-Wong and Adam Vaughan on the same side of the subway debate was about as much bizarre as I can take.
posted by Capt. Renault at 3:05 PM on November 7, 2013




humanfront, you may not have been paying close enough attention

My username is humanfont. Apparently you are not very observant and also incapable of detecting sarcasm.
posted by humanfont at 3:12 PM on November 7, 2013 [1 favorite]


It's kind of a Poe's Law comment, humanfont. I guessed you were being sarcastic based on some of your other comments in this thread but I think it could have used a few more winks (or just accept that finely-crafted sarcasm will be confused with sincerity from time to time).
posted by muddgirl at 3:45 PM on November 7, 2013 [2 favorites]


sweet mister, I've seen those rumours about his wife on UT as well, and the source cited there was saying that she thought this was a PR move to discredit Renata. That source is saying that she looked lively and healthy a few weeks ago, and now all of a suddent "everyone" is saying that she's at death's door. Suspicious timing, if anything.


Maudlin, yep, but if you track back some of the conversations on Twitter (and on UT) there's some confirmation. I absolutely don't know the truth of it (it's all second and third hand) but most likely there's a bit on both sides. It doesn't seem unlikely that there's a bunch of codependency and co-addiction going on, nor that the events of recent days and weeks have taken a toll. We've seen a split between Doug and Rob yesterday and today... it's not a stretch to think that times are tough in the DoFo household and lines are being drawn using whatever ammunition's to hand.
posted by sweet mister at 4:37 PM on November 7, 2013


> Chris Selley at NatPost: "And here we see the most common fallacy in Ford-related punditry: Trying to compare his situation to that of other Canadian politicians. It’s a bit like trying to compare a tuna sandwich to Jupiter."

One causes giant gas and the other is a gas giant. Works for me.
posted by ardgedee at 4:54 PM on November 7, 2013 [1 favorite]


Mitchell Anderson in the Star last May about de-amalgamating Toronto, and how His Worship's troubles might prove a catalyst: Even Mayor Ford is in favour of de-amalgamation. In 2011 he said, “Would I like to go back to the old Etobicoke? Sure, if it didn't cost us a dime. I think everybody would agree: “Let's go back.’'
posted by ricochet biscuit at 6:20 PM on November 7, 2013 [1 favorite]


@ManuvSteele is a massive Twitter troll... which I guess is consistent with script-kid style hacking.
posted by anthill at 7:22 PM on November 7, 2013 [1 favorite]


From the Toronto Sun: Man was savagely beaten in jail because he was a "bother" to Mayor Ford.

Again, can we please move on from the drugs now?!?
posted by dry white toast at 8:20 PM on November 7, 2013 [2 favorites]


How is there only one mention of the words "organized crime" in this thread?

It's getting harder and harder to avoid the conclusion that the Fords are, at the heart, an organized crime family.
posted by anthill at 8:39 PM on November 7, 2013 [1 favorite]


It seemed as if more of the callers on 1010 tonight, except for a couple of belligerent men, were down on Ford tonight. Even one of the belligerent men agreed that Ford needs to get some treatment (then come back and keep fighting the good fight, yadda).

Meanwhile, Joe Warmington's complicated relationship with the Fords takes another twist: No honour in hiding behind your mother, Rob Ford. Highlights:

"Having your mommy fighting your battles is just not manhood."

"Was Doug not available? Oh yeah, I forgot. You burned him Tuesday when he was out fighting on your behalf with the chief of police of all people and you decided to finally tell the truth."

Why didn't you talk to meeeeeeeeeee, Rob? "I told [Hotmail Lawyer] to tell Ford he still should get out and do his own bidding instead of blaming it on everyone else. ... I gave him two days to comment to me on this video and offer some sort of excuse and he has still not given it to me. I still have no idea what this video is about. And I am not going to ask his mother."
posted by maudlin at 8:52 PM on November 7, 2013 [1 favorite]


Things coming down the pipe:

Kathy Ford's ex-lover on Fifth Estate tomorrow night, talking about getting beaten the shit out of in prison because he threatened the Fords.

Star exclusive on Saturday, rumoured to be the (?under age) prostitute story.
posted by sweet mister at 9:07 PM on November 7, 2013


Anyone else think the Ford family look like a white, wealthy, evil version of the Klumps?
posted by bonobothegreat at 3:13 AM on November 8, 2013


Can we just refer to his lawyer as Lionel Hutz?
posted by dry white toast at 4:25 AM on November 8, 2013


eep.
posted by taz at 4:36 AM on November 8, 2013 [4 favorites]


Chris Selley at NatPost: "And here we see the most common fallacy in Ford-related punditry: Trying to compare his situation to that of other Canadian politicians. It’s a bit like trying to compare a tuna sandwich to Jupiter."

One causes giant gas and the other is a gas giant. Works for me.


And with the Harper/Ford comparison, one works for Big Gas and the other is a Big Gas Bag!
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 5:01 AM on November 8, 2013


Or:

...one is in the bag for Big Gas and one is a big gas bag.
posted by marsha56 at 5:47 AM on November 8, 2013 [2 favorites]


Big Gas bagman vs. big gas-bag man?
posted by one more dead town's last parade at 6:32 AM on November 8, 2013 [6 favorites]


1010 just announced that they're cutting ties with the Fords and their radio show on Sunday afternoons is done.
posted by The Card Cheat at 9:01 AM on November 8, 2013


Clarification; they're saying it was a mutual decision.
posted by The Card Cheat at 9:06 AM on November 8, 2013


Gord Perks responds to a constituent who asks what he's planning to do to move the City forward. Well thought out.
posted by dry white toast at 9:20 AM on November 8, 2013 [7 favorites]


David Hains at the Torontoist will have to find some other way to be miserable on Sundays. My recommendation.

Doug Ford shows his awesome political chops and devotion to family once again once again.
The Etobicoke North (Ward 2) councillor took a shot at Public Works chairman Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong "of trying to gain political points" by sending a motion to council next week asking council to order the mayor to take a leave, apologize for misleading Toronto residents and cooperate with Toronto Police as part of any ongoing investigation. "Denzil Minnan-Wong is playing politics here," Ford said. "Deep down he doesn't give two hoots about Rob."...

"If Rob goes away on a little vacation, a week or two weeks, go away, comes back, Rob loses 50-60 pounds, stays on the straight and narrow because he's a good, good man and he's an honest man," he said. "It would be tough to beat Rob Ford." ...

He also complained about CP24 host Stephen LeDrew interviewing his mother, Diane, and his sister, Kathy, on Thursday. "I feel he took advantage of my mother," Ford said. "It's unfortunate he went to that level. "She spoke from the heart." But he disagreed with the comments his sister Kathy made on air.
posted by maudlin at 9:23 AM on November 8, 2013 [1 favorite]




It was sister Kathy Ford's idea to do that interview with Stephen LeDrew. She contacted him. Does Doug not understand that his mom and his sister are adult women who can make up their own minds about who they chose to talk to? And Stephen LeDrew is a television interviewer. There was no way he was going to turn down this opportunity. My god Doug spends 24 hours a day re-assigning blame.
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 9:37 AM on November 8, 2013 [1 favorite]


This is of course Doug's MO for all things, but what politics is DMW playing precisely? It says a lot that conservative politicians, rather than being viewed as allies who are genuinely concerned about the Mayor (and the City, to give them credit), are being attacked for politics.

I honestly can't think of a time when anything Doug has said has helped the Mayor.
posted by dry white toast at 9:52 AM on November 8, 2013


Gord Perks responds to

in a slower, more sane news week, this would justify its own FPP. Good stuff. And it should be pointed out, written before the crack smoking admission.

It is increasingly common for people and institutions to succumb to anger, resentment, and an urge to punish government for real and perceived failings. Ironically, it was this very anger that helped elect Rob Ford Mayor. Recall the relentless attacks he made as a Councillor and mayoralty candidate on factually small but symbolically large uses of Councillor's office budgets, and his mantra about ending the so called "Gravy Train".

This style of politics draws on the slogans of people like Ronald Regan who said "Government is the problem" and Margaret Thatcher who said "There is no alternative". Nonsense! Government is the tool we build together to solve problems. Its precise function is to find alternatives that bring us to a better future. Theirs is a politics of resentment and anger. Reject it.

When we succumb to that anger, important questions about how to build the City we want are lost and forgotten.

posted by philip-random at 9:53 AM on November 8, 2013 [1 favorite]


No grounds for arrest
posted by saucysault at 9:53 AM on November 8, 2013


Ford has just arrived at City Hall: no comment to reporters.

Hotmail Lawyer: Ford considering rehab.
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford’s lawyer says the mayor is “considering” rehab, but says “it’s best we hear from his lips.”

Dennis Morris told The Associated Press on Friday that Ford is “considering his options,” including treatment.
Norm Kelly just said on CP24 (according to CBC) that Ford is really considering it this time.
posted by maudlin at 10:01 AM on November 8, 2013


Sidebar: Kids, if this episode demonstrates anything, it's that if you're dumb enough to use a hotmail account for your professional point of contact, that shit follows you around. Don't be a hotmail lawyer.
posted by dry white toast at 10:05 AM on November 8, 2013 [5 favorites]


Here's what Gord Perks sent out to all the people on his constituent mailing list on the 1st of November, after the release of the documents but before Rob Ford admitted anything:

Dear Friends,

Today the Chief of Police confirmed the existence of a video which we have been told involves the Mayor doing and saying things that no elected official should. Additionally, a series of very disturbing documents have been released. This is sad and worrying. I wanted to write to you to share a few thoughts.

First, Toronto is a wonderful City today, and it will still be a wonderful City tomorrow. Toronto, the home we share, is also a place we can make better if we work together. I have spent much of the day talking with colleagues and that idea of working together for a better City is broadly shared.

Second, I want to reassure you that the governance of the City goes on. I have tremendous confidence in our public service and know that the good work they do every day will continue. Also, we have very robust procedures and laws for continuing to govern whatever course Mayor Ford takes. The business of the City will continue.

Finally, elected office is an enormous privilege and a profound responsibility. Acting dishonestly and divisively is damaging to everyone in the City. I hope the Mayor keeps that in mind as he decides what to do next.

If you have thoughts or concerns I and my staff are, as always, available.

Sincerely

Gord Perks
City Councillor, Ward 14
Parkdale High Park


I'm pretty pleased to be living in his ward.
posted by jacquilynne at 10:06 AM on November 8, 2013 [1 favorite]


I don't pick on people for their looks or weight, but man, use the wrong mail service and I am absolutely sans ruth.
posted by maudlin at 10:06 AM on November 8, 2013 [1 favorite]


And I'm not that far away from jacquilynne in Nunziata's ward. For all that she drives me crazy at council, she is pretty responsive to constituents and sends out an email newsletter every Friday. We haven't has any special communications from her this week, but let's see what the afternoon brings.

(Plus, her son is a good guy. From last week's newsletter: "Some of you may have read the Toronto Star article from October 23 wherein they reported that on September 23, 2013, three strangers came to the aid of a wounded cyclist whose bicycle handlebars broke off and pierced his leg. It has been stated that had it not been for the efforts to stop the bleeding, the 34-year-old cyclist would have likely bled to death. Michel Mersereau, one of the strangers who came to the cyclist's aid, is my son. It is with great pride that I learned of his efforts to help a stranger at such a critical time and am blessed to have him for a son.")
posted by maudlin at 10:14 AM on November 8, 2013


I'm a lawyer in Toronto and know plenty of lawyers and firms that still use hotmail, gmail or other ISP email addresses. Mocking Dennis Morris for using hotmail seems pretty weak to me.

And before anyone asks, our firm has its own domain and email addresses that use it.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 10:21 AM on November 8, 2013 [1 favorite]


I'm a lawyer in Toronto and know plenty of lawyers and firms that still use hotmail, gmail or other ISP email addresses

Do they represent the Mayor?
posted by dry white toast at 10:24 AM on November 8, 2013


I too, am pleased to have Gord Perks representing me at City Hall.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 10:35 AM on November 8, 2013


If Rob Ford is the suburban everyman, then Doug Ford is the suburban everyman's overbearing, hypocritical asshole neighbour.

He could be right though about Rob "going away for a couple weeks". Going to rehab and coming back "reformed" is the one thing that might just save Rob's political career right now. He could conceivable attach all of his unsavoury behavour to his beaten addiction and claim that it's all behind. Enough people could buy it.

Even if he were to run again, I doubt he'd win. There is likely to be at least one other politically similar candidate that appeals to conservatives and members of Ford nation that will also have the "didn't smoke crack" appeal thing going on.

In any case, I suspect that the next revelations (maybe even charges??) will finally kill Ford's ambitions for re-election and maybe convince him that he should step down. Let's hope for his own sake that Robbie does make a sincere effort at getting healthy and for everyone else's sake he resigns as soon as possible.
posted by beau jackson at 10:46 AM on November 8, 2013


If Doug was such a political masterminding string-pulling genius, he'd have Rob "taking a leave of absence" to go to some fake cushy rehab joint for a 28-day clean out. Then he returns to the warm bosom-embrace of his family JUST IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS (oh man, the violin swelling). Returns to work fresh in the new year.

He doesn't even have to actually get clean, he just has to pretend he has and then try to stay out of trouble for a few months. He can then attribute absolutely everything to his "pre-rehab dark days" and boom, it's forgiven (in certain quarters). I just don't even see how they don't see this as the winning narrative at all?!
posted by marylynn at 11:13 AM on November 8, 2013


any portmanteau in a storm: "I'm a lawyer in Toronto and know plenty of lawyers and firms that still use hotmail, gmail or other ISP email addresses. Mocking Dennis Morris for using hotmail seems pretty weak to me.

And before anyone asks, our firm has its own domain and email addresses that use it.
"

Really? Is that common in other cities as well? I'm no kind of lawyer whatsoever, and I'd be pretty dubious about engaging with any professional using a hotmail address. What's the reason for using hotmail over lawfirm.com's email?
posted by gingerbeer at 11:36 AM on November 8, 2013 [1 favorite]


I think the "hotmail" derision comes from the fact that six months ago or whenever the Gawker weirdness started, cease and desist emails started coming out of the blue from an unknown lawyer with a hotmail account. Nobody knew who this fellow was, or if he was "for reals."

With a hotmail address, it could have been anyone from RoFo's shady underworld entourage.
posted by KokuRyu at 11:46 AM on November 8, 2013


Really? Is that common in other cities as well? I'm no kind of lawyer whatsoever, and I'd be pretty dubious about engaging with any professional using a hotmail address. What's the reason for using hotmail over lawfirm.com's email?

Of course if you belong to a firm, or work for a company or government's legal services branch, you'd have a work email that you'd use. Many lawyers though - particularly criminal defense lawyers, like Morris - are sole practitioners, and won't necessarily feel they need to set up a website and an associated email address. A lot of crim defense lawyers in Toronto, for whatever reason, don't have web presences, apart from stuff like yellow pages. I'm a lawyer; when I see correspondence from a lawyer with a gmail, hotmail, etc email address, my assumption is that they're a small-time sole practitioner, but not necessarily that there's anything amiss with their ability to practice law.
posted by iona at 11:50 AM on November 8, 2013 [3 favorites]


Also, wesue4u.com is already taken.
   Domain Name: wesue4u.com
      Created on..............: Sun, Aug 10, 2008
      Expires on..............: Sun, Aug 10, 2014
      Record last updated on..: Tue, Feb 12, 2013
   Administrative Contact:
      Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.
      Domain Name Manager
      One CNN Center 13N
      Atlanta, GA 30303
      US
posted by Artful Codger at 12:20 PM on November 8, 2013


Just received this email ad from TasteAway: Ditch the Crack and Order a Snack.
posted by Kabanos at 1:11 PM on November 8, 2013


In Ontario the governing body for all lawyers maintains a directory of everyone who is entitled to practice law in the province. If someone was claiming to be a lawyer that is where I would check because while anyone can put up a slick website only lawyers would show up in the directory.

(I'd then give the person a call using the phone number in the directory just to verify they had sent the email, because again, anyone can send an email claiming to be from person X)
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 1:40 PM on November 8, 2013


Today's Ward 11 email:
Last week, we learned an abundance of information which does not reflect well on the Mayor. This trend continued this week, with more troubling news regarding the Mayor's behaviour coming to light.

Since last week's revelations, Councillor Nunziata, on numerous occasions, has personally expressed her concerns to the Mayor along with the recommendation that he take some time away from the Office to reflect on his actions and seek the support he needs. She has also publicly stated that she believes the Mayor must take a leave of absence. Ultimately, this decision rests with the Mayor and he has indicated that he will not take a leave. Councillor Nunziata is not happy with this decision but Council does not have the authority to dictate otherwise.

Councillor Nunziata will continue asking the Mayor to take a leave but at the same time, there is important work to be done and she cannot afford to let current events distract her, and her colleagues, from running the City. Rest assured that she will continue to represent the best interests of her constituents at City Hall.
posted by maudlin at 1:49 PM on November 8, 2013


The broker of the original crack video has spoken to the CBC and City. Expect something in the 5 PM news from both.

City teaser video clip.

CBC teaser for tonight's fifth estate (detailed text, no video).
Farah is a well-known community organizer in the Dixon Road neighbourhood, which has a reputation for gun crime and violence. In an extensive interview with the fifth estate, he said the men in "fancy cars" flashing cash came around soon after the Toronto Star broke the story of the video and after the U.S. gossip website Gawker, which had also been offered the video, started raising money on Kickstarter to buy it.

Farah said that soon, he started hearing that the offers to buy the video had turned into threats.

"There were phone calls coming in from people claiming to be ex-military, claiming to be a police officer, saying, 'Look, if you guys don't pass the video or find the video, we'll arrest you guys, or we'll have you guys executed or some crazy stuff like that,'" Farah told the fifth estate.
posted by maudlin at 1:56 PM on November 8, 2013 [1 favorite]


Now I feel bad for teasing the woman I met from Toronto last week.
posted by bq at 3:01 PM on November 8, 2013


I'm a lawyer; when I see correspondence from a lawyer with a gmail, hotmail, etc email address, my assumption is that they're a small-time sole practitioner, but not necessarily that there's anything amiss with their ability to practice law.

They could use their alumni address.. Gmail will do in a pinch, but hotmail and yahoo just look disposable.
posted by Chuckles at 3:27 PM on November 8, 2013


A lot of crim defense lawyers in Toronto, for whatever reason, don't have web presences...

Sole practitioners, esp. crim and family ones, only make a living by keeping their overhead as close to nil as possible. Setting up websites and servers costs money and time, and in a lot of instances, they don't have a lot of either.

It's a hardscrabble living, no doubt about it. Why one of those guys is representing the Mayor -- who knows? But it's certainly no mark within the profession of being unable to do the job.
posted by Capt. Renault at 3:31 PM on November 8, 2013


Mohammed Farah, "The Broker", has an op-ed up on The Fifth Estate blog that is an absolute must-read.

I'm really happy that the Somali community is finally finding a voice in this whole affair:

"My intention for coming out and telling my story is to shed light on the hypocrisy of a system that punishes the vulnerable for minor misdemeanors while the rich and powerful are protected by the same laws for crimes that are much more egregious. Has the time not come for our elected officials to take action that would lift my community out of a state of distress and give our youth a chance to prosper?"
posted by dry white toast at 7:08 PM on November 8, 2013 [11 favorites]


If you needed more convincing that it will take criminal conviction, death, or the Province stepping in for Ford to leave office, I hope that interview did the trick.

Although at this point Ford is an embarrassment to the office, I am deeply leery of amending the law to let one level of government remove someone elected at another level. It is a poor precedent. Let us imagine that the pendulum swings back -- as it always eventually does -- at both the municipal and provincial level in the next few years. The notion that three years hence Mayor Chow could be dropped down the trapdoor by Premier Hudak is not comforting.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 5:52 AM on November 9, 2013 [2 favorites]


What we need is for the Ontario Government to pass some Recall Legislation similar to B.C.'s Recall and Initiative Act (1995). Let the people decide.
posted by Fuzzy Monster at 6:09 AM on November 9, 2013


Dave Bidini has a good piece in the Post this morning about the differences between how someone like Ford and ordinary (especially poor and/or brown) people are treated in situations like this.

As much as I would love to turf Ford out, I'm also not sure recall legislation is the way to go. As ricochet biscuit points out, that sort of thing can turn into a partisan weapon, and it would also feed into the whole "Ford is a victim of a left-wing plot" narrative.
posted by The Card Cheat at 6:26 AM on November 9, 2013 [1 favorite]


To clarify, I don't want the Ontario Government to legislate Ford's removal. I agree, that would be politically disastrous and set a bad precedent. I want the Ontario Government to enact legislation that would empower the people.

In B.C., the referendum question was "Should the voters be given the right, by legislation, to vote between elections for the removal of their member of the Legislative Assembly?" The answer was overwhelmingly yes, which led to the passage of the Recall and Initiative Act. That's the kind of legislation we need here.
posted by Fuzzy Monster at 7:59 AM on November 9, 2013 [1 favorite]


The BC recall legislation is not effective. It takes a considerable amount of time to set up a recall referendum, and even then there is no guarantee the actual result will recall the errant pol. Recall referendums also provide underperforming political representatives with more stature and recognition and credibility, and most of all contribute to a toxic political culture.

I think Ford is an edge case anyway. How many other politicians would be so totally and absolutely shameless, and would not have resigned long before now?

Montreal is a good comparison.
posted by KokuRyu at 8:09 AM on November 9, 2013


> I am deeply leery of amending the law to let one level of government remove someone elected at another level.

I think I am too.

But I will point out that a conservative provincial government unilaterally ordered the amalgamation of Etobicoke (home of the Fords) and 3 other cities with Toronto, and simultaneously downloaded a heavy burden of new responsibilities and costs onto the new "megacity".
posted by Artful Codger at 8:44 AM on November 9, 2013


This billboard distills the calibre of a hardcore Ford supporter/apologist into a handy little visual aid.
Unauthorized use of the City of Toronto logo, mispelling of the word "responsibility" and a fucking Bible quote.
God bless the Ford Nation, indeed.
posted by chococat at 12:09 PM on November 9, 2013 [8 favorites]


Not to mention the fact that Ford has always revelled in throwing the first stone.
posted by The Card Cheat at 12:51 PM on November 9, 2013 [3 favorites]


Well that was fast! It's already been changed to a cheese ad.
posted by chococat at 1:06 PM on November 9, 2013


The billboard is so dumb I wonder if it's someone trying to make "Ford Nation" look bad.
posted by beau jackson at 2:54 PM on November 9, 2013


The BC recall legislation is not effective. It takes a considerable amount of time to set up a recall referendum, and even then there is no guarantee the actual result will recall the errant pol.

Well, yes. I don't think democracy is ineffective because the candidate I vote for doesn't always win.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 3:13 PM on November 9, 2013 [3 favorites]


If Toronto had a referendum on Ford, he'd be out of office. For that matter he'd have been ousted if it was held the day after his election, because he got more votes than any of the other candidates rather than a majority of the votes and his approval ratings have never been over 47% at their very best.
posted by orange swan at 7:19 AM on November 10, 2013


I think that is the reason why, as KokoRyu observes, recall referendums take some time and effort to implement. In a multi-party system (as with all the provincial and federal legislatures) or a non-party system (municipal politics), any given politician is probably disliked by at least half the electorate at any given time. In the Toronto megacity era, the biggest plurality in a mayoral election* was Mel Lastman's second term, with very slightly shy of 80% of the vote. He was not universally beloved even then, and a referendum a month or three along could conceivably have removed him.

Having weekly term-ending referenda would lead to chaos.

*Bearing in mind of course that Rob "47%" Ford "was elected with the largest majority in Canadian history," as Doug Ford has confidently told reporters.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 8:17 AM on November 10, 2013


Ford = Fiscal Responsiblity"

Nevermind how much City time and resources have been spent on all this, both civilian and police, and the dollar value associated with all that -- I wonder how it would be received were it to turn out that he used office staffers to track down the video.

Or maybe it makes no difference at all, just as it didn't for when he had them out doing stuff for his high school football team.
posted by Capt. Renault at 12:17 PM on November 10, 2013


>The BC recall legislation is not effective. It takes a considerable amount of time to set up a recall referendum, and even then there is no guarantee the actual result will recall the errant pol.

Well, yes. I don't think democracy is ineffective because the candidate I vote for doesn't always win.


Why don't you stick to the argument at hand instead of trying to win cheap points?

In this case, someone mentioned that recall legislation would help get Ford out of office. I think the consensus is that Ford needs to and has to go, but there is no mechanism to do so.

Hence recall legislation.

My point (and I do understand how democracy works, so spare me the lectures) was that recall is extremely tough to pull off, even when the object of the recall is someone like Rob Ford.

On top of that, recall gives underperforming elected officials an opportunity to enhance their image.

Based on my experience in BC (what is your experience?) recall is not the answer.
posted by KokuRyu at 1:23 PM on November 10, 2013 [2 favorites]


fyi rob ford is still mayor
posted by (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates at 6:56 AM on November 11, 2013


Looks like he's taking his mom's advice.
posted by saturday_morning at 7:10 AM on November 11, 2013


"Everyone's favourite mayor"? Head. Desk.
posted by jokeefe at 7:14 AM on November 11, 2013


Looks like he spilled a little vodka on his shirt in that pic.
posted by rocket88 at 8:38 AM on November 11, 2013




Woah there, slow down there with all yr fancy words. We don't care about you liberal types and all of your words.
Rob Ford is a good man who saved this city a billion dollars, he told me so himself, so what if he smoked some crack? goddamn mean pinkos that just want to tax and spend!
/GTA
posted by Theta States at 5:59 AM on November 12, 2013


Canada's perennially-insightful Don Cherry, at Ford's inauguration in 2010
“Rob’s honest, he’s truthful…I say he’s going to be the greatest mayor this city has ever seen as far as I’m concerned. And put that in your pipe you left-wing kooks.”
posted by Artful Codger at 7:57 AM on November 12, 2013 [3 favorites]


Doug and me this morning - best buds!
posted by gman at 8:55 AM on November 12, 2013 [11 favorites]


Looks like he spilled a little vodka on his shirt in that pic.

Love the for-profit journalists jumping to get permission to use the photo. I hope the poster gets lots of money for letting them use it.
posted by mediareport at 8:58 AM on November 12, 2013


Doug and me this morning - best buds!

Were you at city hall getting one of the Rob Ford bobble-head dolls?
Looks like they couldn't even number them correctly.
posted by Kabanos at 9:35 AM on November 12, 2013


Uh-oh. Someone spilled some vodka water on the signing table.
posted by Kabanos at 9:36 AM on November 12, 2013


Sold out Bobble-head doll now selling for $500 on kijiji
posted by Kabanos at 9:38 AM on November 12, 2013


Looks like they couldn't even number them correctly.

Rob Ford signs his name in all-caps printed letters? I guess that really shouldn't surprise me.
posted by rocket88 at 11:43 AM on November 12, 2013


And someone pointed out on Torontoist that the eBay photo for the bobblehead doll listing was apparently photographed on the marble floor of City Hall, probably seconds after buying it new. Talk about your motivated seller.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 11:46 AM on November 12, 2013


You know, I spent ten minutes scouring the internet for a picture that showed the distinctive flooring on City Hall clearly and realized just now that it is more clearly visible in gman's photo above than in anything my cursory googling turned up.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 11:51 AM on November 12, 2013


So the organized-crime figurehead crack-smoking blackout-drunk guy is still mayor, unrepentant, still wearing his chain of office, and even selling bobbleheads out of the office door? I'm speechless.

I seriously believe he could shoot and kill a reporter right there in the lobby on live TV and nothing would happen to him.
posted by Fnarf at 12:07 PM on November 12, 2013 [3 favorites]


Today, in the I-now-find-myself-in-agreement-with-Denzil Minnan-Wong-on-a-daily-basis department:

You mean the crack smoking, lying king who hangs with the gun smuggling Dixon City Blood?

There's nothing more bitter than a lover betrayed.
posted by bonehead at 12:31 PM on November 12, 2013 [1 favorite]


After everything that has been revealed, every newspaper editorial, every please for health and sanity, their response is....

BOBBLEHEAD DOLLS????

When their response to the police chief was "no maybe YOU should resign", I thought it couldn't get more surreal.
When the Iron Sheik showed up I thought surely this is the bottom.
And now that the bobbleheads are unleashed as a sign of his steadfast political support, I give it a non-zero chance that Rob Ford will have to slowly morph in to a Cloverfield monster and tear apart Etobicoke before anything bad happens.

All that to say: Everyone PLEASE live blog tomorrow's council meeting. Holy shit.
posted by Theta States at 1:06 PM on November 12, 2013 [3 favorites]


Rob Ford bobbleheads on Kijiji... $500, $700, $500, $500, $2500, $500, $1999.99, $25000...
posted by Theta States at 1:08 PM on November 12, 2013


Bobble-heading: When it's painfully and objectively clear even to even your closest allies that your case is hopeless and that quitting is the only option, but you stay put and take every blow like a champ.
posted by beau jackson at 1:39 PM on November 12, 2013


The t-shirts they were handing out today had an unauthorized usage of the Ford logo. These guys can't do anything right.
posted by The Card Cheat at 2:05 PM on November 12, 2013


These guys can't do anything wrong, I think you mean.
posted by Fnarf at 2:21 PM on November 12, 2013


Slogan for the times: Have you driven a Ford out of office lately?
posted by Artful Codger at 3:14 PM on November 12, 2013 [9 favorites]


Mark Towhey has written an interesting breakdown of Minnan-Wong's council motion (via).
posted by Flashman at 5:14 AM on November 13, 2013 [1 favorite]


For those who wanted a council liveblog: Torontoist, Star.
posted by frimble at 8:06 AM on November 13, 2013


It has begun.

Follow council discussion of Denzil Minnan-Wong's motions through your choice of poison:

CP24 live stream
Twitter: Daniel Dale, Robyn Doolittle, Matt Elliott, Jonathan Goldsbie, Don Peat

Star (Dale and Doolittle tweets, plus video and other sources)
Globe & Mail
Post
Sun (includes Don Peat tweets)

Bonus: Matt Elliott will be doing an AMA at Reddit at 1 PM.

DM-W states that Rob behaved in an intimidating way about his motion and asks him to apologize. Doug yells back "You're too much, buddy!", calling him the biggest opportunist. Nunziata is telling Councillor Ford that he doesn't have the floor. Repeatedly. Doug yells again that he can't wait for the election, brother.

5 minute recess.

Latest poll: 76% want Ford to resign or take a break.
posted by maudlin at 8:06 AM on November 13, 2013 [2 favorites]


Recess on account of shoving match? What are we, 5?
posted by [expletive deleted] at 8:08 AM on November 13, 2013


It gets better: Mammolitti seems to think that Rob will be punished for making the subway trains run on time: "Some of these councillors - if they were allowed to - they would hang him in the square".

They're back and Nunziata is being the patient, put-upon mom. Play nice, kids!

Nunziata says she didn't hear the comment, but she accepts that it happened and asks him to apologize. Ford says he won't apologize, that he was telling D M-W to get in his chair. He was out of his chair! That's against the rules!

D-MW says that Ford was threatening with body language and telling him to sit down.

And someone (in that gallery?) does yell something about kindergarten.

Nap time better come early today.
posted by maudlin at 8:15 AM on November 13, 2013


"There is nothing to apologize for when I'm following the rules and HE.IS.NOT!"

Nunziata sighs. D-MW asks for a verbal warning, as stated in The Rules. Nunziata asks for the apology again. Ford refuses again.

I think I'm switching to tweets. My speakers and ears can't take Rob's squeaks of fury.
posted by maudlin at 8:18 AM on November 13, 2013


Now everyone gets a hug!
posted by [expletive deleted] at 8:19 AM on November 13, 2013


They have progressed from kindergarten to grade 4: "Mayor Ford accidentally apologizes while declaring he won't apologize. "Madame speaker, I'm sorry but-" everyone applauds and the issue ends".
posted by maudlin at 8:20 AM on November 13, 2013


Ford just said he was sorry BY ACCIDENT.

My heart is bursting with either deep frustration or Canadian pride.
posted by saturday_morning at 8:21 AM on November 13, 2013 [8 favorites]


Beats saying that he was sorry while in a drunken stupor.
posted by maudlin at 8:23 AM on November 13, 2013 [1 favorite]


Robin Doolittle is tweeting her iPad doodles. Just when you thought she couldn't get any cooler.
posted by beau jackson at 8:24 AM on November 13, 2013


Real news: "The media has won a decision to have more censored information on a police ITO involving police investigation into Ford released."
posted by maudlin at 8:26 AM on November 13, 2013


"...and it has never happened again, at the Air Canada Centre."

Unmitigated gall.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 8:29 AM on November 13, 2013


Pagliaro again: "We may see the censored police information involving Project Brazen 2 and Mayor Rob Ford as early as this afternoon."
posted by maudlin at 8:29 AM on November 13, 2013


Councillor Del Grande is pressing Ford on his alcohol-fueled misbehaviour at the ACC in 2006.

Ford: "Councillor, I've admitted to my mistakes, and I said it wouldn't happen again, and it didn't happen again at the Air Canada Centre."

You honestly cannot make this sort of thing up.
posted by saturday_morning at 8:29 AM on November 13, 2013


WOW. "Minnan-Wong asks if Ford has purchased illegal drugs in the last two years. Long pause. "Yes, I have," says Ford. Minnan-Wong sits down."
posted by maudlin at 8:32 AM on November 13, 2013 [1 favorite]


And that was right after he was asked "Do you still have zero tolerance for drugs, guns and gangs?" He replied, "Absolutely."
posted by saturday_morning at 8:34 AM on November 13, 2013


"That is NOT a crack house. Have you been to that house? You're listening to what the media says?"

This is amazing.
posted by Elementary Penguin at 8:37 AM on November 13, 2013


Ford: "That is NOT a crack house. Have you been to that house? You're listening to what the media says?"

Thompson: I have no interest in being in that house - "I am not a crack user." Ooooohs from the crowd


Doolittle links to http://t.co/CdYnCkiqbx
posted by Theta States at 8:40 AM on November 13, 2013 [1 favorite]


"That is NOT a crack house

It's a Crack Home!
posted by The Whelk at 8:43 AM on November 13, 2013 [24 favorites]


"Ford says he understands how taxpayers may think his actions are those of an addict, but he isn't one."

Awww man, why didn't I think that line during my last intervention???
posted by Theta States at 8:46 AM on November 13, 2013


rob ford, who is not an alcoholic, and who made an mistake one time, and who does not talk to the police, is still currently the mayor of toronto
posted by (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates at 8:49 AM on November 13, 2013 [1 favorite]


This feels so uncomfortably like some guy trying to explain to his girlfriend why she can't break up with him. I keep expecting Rob to just stop in mid-sentence and be like "god damn it, Marie, I apologized, let's just go to dinner already."
posted by cortex at 8:50 AM on November 13, 2013 [2 favorites]


Apparently CNN is broadcasting this, I assume because they have a hunch he's going to throw a punch or something like that.
posted by Theta States at 8:50 AM on November 13, 2013


Compare and contrast:
"Actions speak louder than words. Ive asked for forgiveness, Ive apologized and I do want to move on" Mayor Rob Ford #TOpoli— Don Peat (@reporterdonpeat) November 13, 2013
"I cannot talk to the police" Mayor Rob Ford on what his lawyer advised him #TOpoli— Don Peat (@reporterdonpeat) November 13, 2013
posted by Elementary Penguin at 8:52 AM on November 13, 2013 [1 favorite]


I can't apologize for anything else because I don't know what else people might have videotaped.
posted by cortex at 8:53 AM on November 13, 2013 [3 favorites]


Cortex, I refer you to the Whelk's comment regarding one of his ridiculous press conferences:

God he spoke like he was the city's abusive spouse.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 8:54 AM on November 13, 2013


This meeting needs a remix.
posted by maudlin at 8:55 AM on November 13, 2013


At the very least, I hope they can spin this in to getting him to agree to funding harm reduction programs...
posted by Theta States at 8:57 AM on November 13, 2013 [2 favorites]


Daniel Dale ‏@ddale8 4m

Ford on whether there's more coming: "There might be a coat hanger left in my closet - I don't know what's left."

Remember, everybody...
posted by saturday_morning at 8:58 AM on November 13, 2013 [2 favorites]


He looks pretty stressed. Boy, he's gonna need to smoke alotta crack to take that edge off.
posted by (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates at 8:58 AM on November 13, 2013 [2 favorites]


If I am the mayor of the largest city of a country, I would expect to be able to quickly reply to a question of if I have ever assaulted any staff members.
posted by Theta States at 9:01 AM on November 13, 2013 [5 favorites]


Just pretend I copy-pasted everything from @robyndoolittle and @reporterdonpeat and got myself banned, because I'm sad I have class in 20 minutes and have to stop reading for a while.

In related news, is there a text-to-speech service that will automatically download and read tweets to me for my drive home?
posted by Elementary Penguin at 9:02 AM on November 13, 2013


@robyndoolittle
Councillor DeB asks Ford if he's ever "assaulted" any members of his staff. Ford pauses for a while. Eventually says he doesn't think so.


Um...what? I would like some certainty there...
posted by nubs at 9:02 AM on November 13, 2013


How can Ford be expected to know what he's done in all his drunken stupors?
posted by orange swan at 9:04 AM on November 13, 2013 [2 favorites]


Yes, he apparently also doesn't know what else he's done that people out there might have videotaped.
posted by nubs at 9:05 AM on November 13, 2013


How can he be expected to remember during the periods when he can't form new memories due to overwhelming substance abuse! C'mon now this is just unfair.
posted by The Whelk at 9:06 AM on November 13, 2013


The Whelk. there could have been some state-dependent learning going on. If Ford just promises us, the taxpayers of Toronto, to stay in a very, very, very inebriated state every day, he'll remember everything that happens from now on and all will be well.
posted by maudlin at 9:09 AM on November 13, 2013 [1 favorite]


Well, there goes my work day.
posted by maudlin (1275 comments total) (back on Halloween)
posted by Elementary Penguin at 9:09 AM on November 13, 2013 [2 favorites]


Amy Singer is instagramming signs from the protest at Nathan Phillips Square.
posted by sparklemotion at 9:09 AM on November 13, 2013


D M-W just paired an "uh-GEHN and uh-GEHN" against an "uh-GAIN and uh-GAIN", and I cannot tell whether that was some sort of clever linguistic jibe or just him doing a tiny bit of haphazard code switching between halves of a parallelism.

Also Doug Ford kept interrupting with "...and I'm running for Mayor." while he was speaking, which was sort of hilariously dickish.
posted by cortex at 9:09 AM on November 13, 2013


HAVE YOU EVER SMOKED MARIJUANA
posted by (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates at 9:11 AM on November 13, 2013


I don't live in Toronto, but I'm embarrassed for them for the utter dickishness that is on display right now.
posted by nubs at 9:11 AM on November 13, 2013 [1 favorite]


"Turn off his mic."

"It is off." Doug's just sufficiently loud.
posted by cortex at 9:11 AM on November 13, 2013 [1 favorite]


OMG I can't wait for the video highlight reel.
posted by Theta States at 9:12 AM on November 13, 2013


Whup, Councillor Mom has declared a time out again
posted by saturday_morning at 9:12 AM on November 13, 2013


Now would be a great time for The Iron Sheik to come back to city hall!
posted by Theta States at 9:13 AM on November 13, 2013 [1 favorite]


BenSpurr @BenSpurr
The mayor just walked aggressively towards Minnan-Wong, his brother pulled him away.


C'mon, let them go at it - then we can stop debating the role of fighting in hockey and get on with debating its role at Toronto City Council.
posted by nubs at 9:14 AM on November 13, 2013


If Ford just promises us, the taxpayers of Toronto, to stay in a very, very, very inebriated state every day, he'll remember everything that happens from now on and all will be well.

Ford is ON IT.
posted by The Whelk at 9:15 AM on November 13, 2013


I don't live in Toronto, but I'm embarrassed for them for the utter dickishness that is on display right now.

This is what happens when the amalgamated suburbs vote out of spite and resentment, you get a council full of spiteful dickbags.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 9:15 AM on November 13, 2013 [2 favorites]


Well, there goes my work day.
posted by maudlin (1275 comments total) (back on Halloween)
posted by Elementary Penguin at 12:09 PM on November 13


Sure, I've spent more time than is healthy for my mind, soul or ass propped in front of this computer over the past two weeks, but that's my personal life, brother. Work is still being done, invoices are being sent out, and maudlin Inc. will continue fighting hard for maudlin. I may pop out to the AGO for a few hours some time before the end of the month, but you can expect to see me here, with the best attendance record in the thread, for a long time to come.
posted by maudlin at 9:15 AM on November 13, 2013 [8 favorites]


Whoah, this is a fucking disaster. Ford seemed to be threatening DMW; chamber errupts in shouts of "bully!"
I kind of wish Ford had hit him.
posted by chococat at 9:15 AM on November 13, 2013


Honestly, if someone gets punched while I'm lecturing and I miss it I will be so mad.
posted by Elementary Penguin at 9:16 AM on November 13, 2013 [1 favorite]


"Come at me, bro!"
posted by Theta States at 9:17 AM on November 13, 2013


I mean, more seriously, this is totally embarrassing, and I feel terrible for all the good people of Toronto, which is a wonderful city I hope to visit again one day soon. But this has degenerated into a total farce.
posted by Elementary Penguin at 9:18 AM on November 13, 2013


There's a reason you can't cross the divide in the House of Commons during debate.
It's a good job Toronto doesn't have a ceremonial mace.
posted by fullerine at 9:20 AM on November 13, 2013


Toronto Police now in chamber.
posted by chococat at 9:23 AM on November 13, 2013


oh please take him out in cuffs...
posted by Theta States at 9:25 AM on November 13, 2013 [2 favorites]


Mammoliti was just shut down by Speaker Laverne Defazio.
posted by chococat at 9:25 AM on November 13, 2013 [1 favorite]


When you've lost Mammoliti: "I don't believe him when he says he is not addicted."

Oh, scratch that: "Mammoliti says he doesn't like how this matter is being dealt with - wasting taxpayer money; should send "sympathetic message" to mayor."
posted by maudlin at 9:26 AM on November 13, 2013


Mammoliti has been really, really trying to stage an intervention here. At face value, it's a weird mix of both laudable and badly misguided.
posted by cortex at 9:27 AM on November 13, 2013


Gord Perks is speaking and nailing it.
posted by orange swan at 9:28 AM on November 13, 2013


Mammoliti has been really, really trying to stage an intervention here. At face value, it's a weird mix of both laudable and weirdly misguided

He also thinks that Toronto Island should be a prostitute island and believes that people are following him and listening to his phonecalls.
posted by chococat at 9:29 AM on November 13, 2013


Robyn Doolittle for Twitter addicts: ".@ddale8 has tweeted too much. He's been kicked off for the day. I'm still here and we'll get Daniel back up and running soon."
posted by maudlin at 9:29 AM on November 13, 2013


I may be embarrassed to have Rob Ford as Mayor, but I'm glad to have Gord Perks as Councillor.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 9:30 AM on November 13, 2013 [2 favorites]


Lunch recess until 2:00.
posted by orange swan at 9:30 AM on November 13, 2013


1000 words. (I think that's Minnan-Wong with his back to the camera.)
posted by saturday_morning at 9:33 AM on November 13, 2013 [2 favorites]


Toronto Police now in chamber.

Would that this were an episode of Law and Order: Toronto. Then it would be the "dramatic bust" moment in the formula.
posted by frimble at 9:34 AM on November 13, 2013




Huge protest at City Hall.
posted by chococat at 9:39 AM on November 13, 2013


> C'mon, let them go at it - then we can stop debating the role of fighting in hockey and get on with debating its role at Toronto City Council.

You all are gonna have a way to go to catch up with the action in the South Korean Parliament. Just sayin'.
posted by ardgedee at 9:45 AM on November 13, 2013


For those going through withdrawal, there's a live chat with Robyn Doolittle starting now.
posted by maudlin at 9:47 AM on November 13, 2013


... and Matt Elliott's AMA has also started a little early.
posted by maudlin at 9:48 AM on November 13, 2013


In the movie, Denzil Minnan-Wong should be played by Denzel Washington. Because.
posted by Kabanos at 9:50 AM on November 13, 2013


... and the Santa Claus Parade organizers have asked Rob not to participate, but to please feel free to bring his kids and watch on the sidelines like everyone else. Start here and read up.
posted by maudlin at 9:52 AM on November 13, 2013


I was looking forward to seeing parents throw the candy back at Ford; "DON'T TOUCH IT, CHILDREN!"
posted by The Card Cheat at 9:57 AM on November 13, 2013 [4 favorites]


MERRY CRACKMUS TO ONE AND ALL
posted by The Whelk at 9:58 AM on November 13, 2013 [2 favorites]


I don't understand how Perks is nailing it. He wants to wait six months until one appointed person can require Ford to make an apology rather than having 43 elected people demand that he resign right now. If anyone nailed it, it was the defected Rob Ford supporters on the right (Thompson, Del Grande, Minnan-Wong). Although at election time, I hope they'll still be held responsible for initially buttressing this sorry thoughtless belligerent bombastic childish fool.
posted by TimTypeZed at 10:00 AM on November 13, 2013


I'm sure he'll still turn up at the Lakeshore Santa Claus Parade in Etobicoke.
posted by Kabanos at 10:02 AM on November 13, 2013


What to expect from the redacted course documents that will probably be released this afternoon:
... Superior Court Justice Ian Nordheimer said multiple sections of the report, which detailed late night meetings between Mr. Ford and Mr. Lisi at gas stations and school parking lots, should be made public. ...

He did lay out three exceptions — that people’s personal identities remain blacked out, that details pertaining to Mayor Ford’s wife Renata also be concealed, and that specific parts identified by Mr. Lisi’s defence lawyer that may risk his client’s right to a fair trial be kept from public view.

Justice Nordheimer’s decision also reveals that Mr. Lisi sought to make some of the information originally released in the document private, but failed. The judge also did not notify people mentioned in the ITO ahead of time as it would “open up a Pandora’s box” of issues that would unnecessarily draw out the legal process.
The full decision.
posted by maudlin at 10:03 AM on November 13, 2013


I don't understand how Perks is nailing it. He wants to wait six months until one appointed person can require Ford to make an apology rather than having 43 elected people demand that he resign right now

I'm pretty sure most of them ARE demanding he resign right now. But he won't. So they can't do anything. What Perks objects to is concocting some plan where they can remove him from office, which would set a very dangerous precedent.
posted by chococat at 10:06 AM on November 13, 2013 [1 favorite]


Tammie Sutherland ‏@citytammie

Crowd singing a #MayorFord remix of Amy Winehouse song "rehab". #TOpoli pic.twitter.com/2TtvAHIRJ3
posted by jokeefe at 10:26 AM on November 13, 2013


I really liked what Perks had to say about being under serious constraints in our attempts to solve a very immediate and serious problem. We need Ford out of office, but there are only so many ways we can remove an elected official from his position without creating a dangerous precedent.
posted by orange swan at 10:37 AM on November 13, 2013


HAVE YOU EVER SMOKED MARIJUANA

I think the correct response at this point for a council member would be "No, but the level of dickery on display here is making me wish I had some right now."
posted by nubs at 10:44 AM on November 13, 2013 [1 favorite]


Back from lunch at 2pm EST! I had green curry tofu. NOMS.
posted by Theta States at 10:48 AM on November 13, 2013 [1 favorite]


From Robyn Doolittle's chat:
When the Star began reporting on the mayor's substance issues we asked ourselves: what is the public interest.

Through our investigation, we revealed that the mayor's work load had dramatically dropped off, he wasn't meeting with city managers or his own team on council, he was frequently not showing up to events and meeting with dignitaries. His staff felt his issues were impacting his job and that's why they wanted him to get help.

When crack cocaine entered the picture the public interest became even more clear: Rob Ford has a hand in the police budget. He's not just using illegal drugs, he's spending time with alleged members of the Dixon City Bloods - a group that Toronto police allege to be one of the leading gun smuggling rings in the city. He opens himself up to blackmail. He loses his credibility on issues of guns, gangs and violence.

It's hard to imagine how Mayor Rob Ford's crack use DOESN'T impact almost every aspect of city government.
posted by maudlin at 10:59 AM on November 13, 2013 [3 favorites]


Every time they mention Councillor Fillion I get so excited because oh my god what if this is all an ARG setting up the announcement of a new season of Firefly.
posted by cortex at 11:16 AM on November 13, 2013 [2 favorites]


Ah, but if he doesn't remember smoking crack with the Bloods, thanks to his raging crack-bender, how can he possibly be predisposed to helping them evade arrest? Checkmate.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 11:16 AM on November 13, 2013 [1 favorite]


"How can I testify whether I was high if I was too high at the time to remember?"
posted by ardgedee at 11:22 AM on November 13, 2013


And here come the hookers and blow.
posted by jokeefe at 11:25 AM on November 13, 2013


Jesus, chuck some dudes out of the chamber already.
posted by cortex at 11:27 AM on November 13, 2013


@robyndoolittle
I wonder if anyone on the floor of council is reading the information out of the latest document release - an alleged hooker in the office...

.. claims that he promised young women jobs after smoking joints with them.


Is there a bottom to this?
posted by nubs at 11:29 AM on November 13, 2013


And here come the hookers and blow.

Surely THIS...
oh wait.
posted by Theta States at 11:29 AM on November 13, 2013


"Ford’s staff told police that some women came to the mayor’s office saying Ford had told them they could have a job after they smoked joints with him outside of bars, MacKinnon says."

LOLOlololol
posted by (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates at 11:35 AM on November 13, 2013


On the front page of The Toronto Sun the only non-Ford story is about a crocodile biting a Canadian in Mexico.
And I'm not yet convinced there isn't a Ford connection there somehow.
posted by Theta States at 11:35 AM on November 13, 2013


I would like to sincerely, sincerely, sincerely apologize to the phrase "Surely THIS". It has suffered enough. Let it out of harness and turn it loose in a green field so it can graze and frolic for the rest of its days.
posted by maudlin at 11:36 AM on November 13, 2013 [7 favorites]


He said Ford had drank half of a 40 oz bottle of vodka

40s of vodka?
posted by Ad hominem at 11:37 AM on November 13, 2013




He said Ford had drank half of a 40 oz bottle of vodka
40s of vodka?


Yup. And if you can drink 20 oz of hard liquor and still be roaring to get your night STARTED, then holy crap, you might have an issue.
I always thought a bender was a mickey of booze. The only time I hear about someone consuming 20+ oz in an evenings is in stories (mostly posted on mefi) from alcoholics who talk about where they were at their lowest.
posted by Theta States at 11:41 AM on November 13, 2013


At this point it's gonna be a let down unless he slowly begins to unstick himself and is revealed to be a pile of tiny screaming bugs wearing a human suit ala The Oogie Boogie Man.
posted by The Whelk at 11:42 AM on November 13, 2013 [3 favorites]


I love that Mammoliti is on Ford's side arguing for random drug testing of council members. That is like the very definition of "you're ... not helping".

I think in my hardest-partying undergrad days I drank about 20-25 oz of booze and was sick at the end of the night. 20 as a start is pretty intense - although admittedly Ford is a big guy, which does affect alcohol tolerance.
posted by Lemurrhea at 11:44 AM on November 13, 2013


And here come the hookers and blow.

When reading that, did anyone think of Ford in this context? Because I sure did.
posted by Kitteh at 11:46 AM on November 13, 2013


Mammoliti says that all those lashing Ford for drug use should get blood tests, too.

He's alleging that Perks was under some kind of influence when he attacked M (today? some other time?).
posted by maudlin at 11:48 AM on November 13, 2013


Now I'm wondering how much vodka I can drink. I know if I had 20 shots of any other kind of liquor I would be reeling. Thats a recipe for a blackout for me. I might end up smoking surprise crack.
posted by Ad hominem at 11:48 AM on November 13, 2013


Denzil Minnan-Wong asking the premier to remove Mayor Ford from office if Ford refuses to take a leave seems like a trap for Wynne and the Liberal government.
posted by KokuRyu at 11:50 AM on November 13, 2013


I'm worried that all the bullshit equivocation of occasional marijuana use with persistent drunken loutishness is going to be a setback to some of the dialogue in drug decriminalization.

Most of the people asking about marihuana use are the opponents of decrim / harm reduction / etc, right? Like Mammoliti's been one of the ones asking, and although I don't know his record on that stuff, I'm willing to guess that I'm right on it. Feel free to set me straight on that.

If I'm right, then I don't think it'll cause much harm. The (marihuana) smokers are admitting it without much concern, which sounds about right for decrim.
posted by Lemurrhea at 11:54 AM on November 13, 2013




I'm worried that all the bullshit equivocation of occasional marijuana use with persistent drunken loutishness is going to be a setback to some of the dialogue in drug decriminalization.

I think what this has clearly shown is that there is literally no limit to what someone can do and still be supported by the suburbs if they are perceived to be sticking it to faggots on bicycles.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 12:02 PM on November 13, 2013 [7 favorites]


Sorry, I should expand on that. It's not equivocation, because a good solid conservative can smoke crack and drive around blind drunk all the time and it's a personal tragedy and how dare you exploit it, but someone who admits to on occasion smoking pot and is a liberal politician or a unionized public sector employee or an artist, or a student, then that pot smoking just proves they are a lazy parasite who should be drowned in the lake.

It's not what you do, it's what tribe you belong to.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 12:08 PM on November 13, 2013 [3 favorites]


Well, you know you've fucked up when not even Santa Claus wants to be seen with you.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 12:11 PM on November 13, 2013 [3 favorites]


Mammoliti should go and have the rest of that tumor removed.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 12:12 PM on November 13, 2013


John Lorinc ‏@JohnLorinc 24s

#topoli Vote on @gordperks motion to refer matter to integrity commish doesn't carry: 19-25.



Looks like we'll be getting a real vote today after all, one way or the other.
posted by saturday_morning at 12:12 PM on November 13, 2013


He's alleging that Perks was under some kind of influence when he attacked M (today? some other time?)

Probably this. Which Ivor Tossell thinks is the day Mammoliti told Perks he would "kick him in the nuts and in the face."
posted by chococat at 12:14 PM on November 13, 2013


Mammoliti is a very confusing figure. I suspect his sole motivation in politics is to destroy the labor left in Canada because when he was in Bob Rae's government the NDP turned its back on stupid bigots like him.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 12:15 PM on November 13, 2013


Mammoliti looks a little like Mr. Bean in that photo. Complete with brown suit jacket.
posted by ardgedee at 12:16 PM on November 13, 2013


MFO Ivor Tossell has released the Ford Explorer, an interactive map of the people involved in this whole mess. (May not work in IE9.) The legend at the bottom says it all: " Injured | Arrested | Deceased | Holds Elected Office".
posted by maudlin at 12:18 PM on November 13, 2013 [5 favorites]


Mammoliti looks a little like Mr. Bean in that photo
Seen this one?
posted by chococat at 12:20 PM on November 13, 2013


I don't want to move this motion for mandatory drug testing for everybody pronto, but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
posted by cortex at 12:26 PM on November 13, 2013


Daniel Dale
@ddale8
To repeat: Mayor Rob Ford, embroiled in a crack scandal, has proposed mandatory drug testing for the rest of city council.

posted by Theta States at 12:26 PM on November 13, 2013


From various tweets:

Ford speaking: "I'm not a rat. ... I don't want to move this motion, but I have to move this motion."

Oh my: His motion: to introduce drug and alcoholic testing by December 1, 2013. He says he'll pay for the testing costs.

Nunziata has ruled the motion out of order. Mom says to bring it to the next council meeting.

No, they're gonna vote on it. STILL NOT ENOUGH BEER OR CRACK IN MY HOUSE.
posted by maudlin at 12:27 PM on November 13, 2013


Oh, they're voting on upholding the chair's ruling, not the motion. Whew.
posted by maudlin at 12:28 PM on November 13, 2013


What a complete and total fucking mess.
Also, hair testing...hm, interesting Mr. fresh haircut after the crack video allegations last May...
posted by chococat at 12:28 PM on November 13, 2013


FORD FOR MAYOR 2014: "I know you are, but what am I?"
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 12:29 PM on November 13, 2013 [3 favorites]


He honestly acts like he's 13. Amazing.
posted by (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates at 12:30 PM on November 13, 2013


Mayor Ford keeps saying he's "not a rat". He's basically one step away from saying "snitches get stitches". How much more obvious can he get?
posted by [expletive deleted] at 12:30 PM on November 13, 2013 [2 favorites]


Demanding everyone on council get drug testing when they confront you on your drug admissions is up there with demanding Chief Blair resign after he confirmed his officers recovered a video of you smoking crack.


FORD 2014: BALLS, PEOPLE. BALLS.
posted by Theta States at 12:31 PM on November 13, 2013 [1 favorite]


Chair is upheld 38 to 5. The 5 would be Ford^2, Mammoliti, who else?

Ford says that there isn't much to add. Can only apologize so many times. There's nothing else to say guys. I really effed up. That's it. The only thing that can prove, it cleared me, ... [what it?]. I know I've done a great job of running this city, saving taxpayer's money, putting us on the right path. I will never miss a meeting, have NEVER missed a meeting [campaign boilerplate]. Will keep doing what he's done for 13 years. I'm moving on.
posted by maudlin at 12:31 PM on November 13, 2013


Motion to ask Rob Ford to apologize for "misleading the city" about The Video passes 36-6. Rob and Doug against.
Motion to urge Toronto Mayor Rob Ford to meet with police and "cooperate fully" passes 34-5.
Motion to ask Mayor Rob Ford to apologize for writing character reference on city letterhead for accused drug dealer passes 36-6.
Motion to ask Mayor Rob Ford to answer to council on these issues passes 33-9. He may have already done so today.
Toronto city council votes 37-5 to ask Mayor Rob Ford to take a leave of absence to "address his personal issues."

posted by Theta States at 12:37 PM on November 13, 2013 [1 favorite]


Ford says that there isn't much to add. Can only apologize so many times. There's nothing else to say guys. I really effed up. That's it. The only thing that can prove, it cleared me, ... [what it?]. I know I've done a great job of running this city, saving taxpayer's money, putting us on the right path. I will never miss a meeting, have NEVER missed a meeting [campaign boilerplate]. Will keep doing what he's done for 13 years. I'm moving on.

Not exactly "I have a dream", is it?
posted by Crane Shot at 12:40 PM on November 13, 2013 [1 favorite]




...should Ford be voting on motions about himself? I know that's what led to the court case that almost removed him from office. The difference being those were about whether he has to repay money, which might make it ok (and these are non-binding).

Anyone know the conflicts of interests law well?
posted by Lemurrhea at 12:43 PM on November 13, 2013


the provision of the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act Ford was alleged to have breached is only concerned with people voting on matters they have a pecuniary interest in. A quick scan of the rest of that Act makes me think it's really only concerned with financial conflicts of interest - nothing about voting on motions to boot you out of office/go to rehab/apologize etc
posted by iona at 12:54 PM on November 13, 2013 [1 favorite]


I am teaching a GIS workshop next week that, among other things, shows people how to geocode a table of addresses. I was putting together some dummy data, pulling some of my former addresses out of my ass, then ran out of ones I remembered full address info for...hmm, what else can I use? Oh, how about 15 Windsor Road? City Hall? Yeah! Now my participants can make their own maps of places Ford was surveilled in the ITO!
posted by avocet at 1:00 PM on November 13, 2013


Goodbye, rest of the day! Here's the less-redacted ITO PDF...aw, load faster, work computer!
posted by avocet at 1:15 PM on November 13, 2013


Wait, maybe that is the old version. I don't know, if only it would load faster! In any event, it is imminent...
posted by avocet at 1:18 PM on November 13, 2013


I couldn't find Towhey in there more than a couple of times. Sorry, seems to be the old version.
posted by maudlin at 1:21 PM on November 13, 2013


robyndoolittle ‏@robyndoolittle 43s
The recently released docs make the link between Rob Ford & Anthony Smith, an alleged Dixon City Bloods member who was fatally shot in March

...
posted by saturday_morning at 1:23 PM on November 13, 2013


Well, there's a lot of Towhey in here. (Part 1 is below part 2 for some reason.)
posted by avocet at 1:24 PM on November 13, 2013


Thanks, avocet!

John Lancaster's summary (image).

Stephanie Smyth's recent tweets (image).
posted by maudlin at 1:28 PM on November 13, 2013


page 77: "BEYERS is a sweet guy. He was hired the same time that TOWHEY was hired by the Mayor. He is a hard guy to employ because he does not really have any real skills."
posted by avocet at 1:30 PM on November 13, 2013 [1 favorite]


Part 2 of the ITO at scribd.com.

George Christopoulos interview starts at page 46. On page 47, there's this pure Ford.
Marh Towhey was fired because he had written 3 statements for the mayor that Friday. [Draft re leave of absence / draft of short statement to resign]. And the last was going to state that "I do not do this, I do not do this, I do not do this." The Mayor decided to say something completely off the mark. He said "I do not do crack cocaine, I do not do this, and the Star sucks."
Towhey interview starts on page 69.
posted by maudlin at 1:38 PM on November 13, 2013 [1 favorite]


(Whoops, sorry: my link was to part 1 of the ITO. This is the link to part 2 at scribd.com.)
posted by maudlin at 1:51 PM on November 13, 2013




"...Ford had drank half of a 40 oz bottle of vodka and was talking about getting hammered and getting laid that night."

If he could actually, physically get laid after drinking 20 oz of vodka, I would have nothing but tremendous respect for Rob Ford.

Hell, after snorting oxy and drinking more than a pint of vodka, I have to hand it to him for not being in a coma.
posted by Capt. Renault at 2:33 PM on November 13, 2013


Also on scribd.com: A 13-year-old girl's letter to Rob Ford.

Final paragraph even begins with "In conclusion …."
posted by Kabanos at 2:36 PM on November 13, 2013 [1 favorite]


I can't for the life of me understand why with all the surveillance the police haven't at least busted him for a DUI. Even if we are stuck with him as Mayor, these documents show in very stark terms that this man should not be behind the wheel of a car, perhaps ever again.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 2:39 PM on November 13, 2013 [1 favorite]


hey... perhaps he could start BIKING to work.

heh
posted by edgeways at 2:45 PM on November 13, 2013


So, staff bought booze for Ford because they were afraid if he bought it himself, it would show up on Twitter.

Oh also, from the ITO "Mayor FORD became inappropriate with GONDEK [Ford female staffer] that night. He claimed to have slept with her. Mayor FORD said, "I'm going to eat you out" and "I banged your pussy" to GONDEK."

So we can add sexual harassment to the laundry list.
posted by dry white toast at 2:50 PM on November 13, 2013


ew
posted by chococat at 2:51 PM on November 13, 2013 [1 favorite]


The collection of color pictures that maudlin links to above out of context feels like clues from the worst ARG ever.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 3:15 PM on November 13, 2013 [3 favorites]


Remaining censored in the newly released documents is a section titled, “Project Traveller and the Rob Ford connection.”

Project Traveller was a year-long guns and drugs investigation that culminated with dozens of arrests in mid-June. Two men arrested in the police operation tried to sell the Ford video to several media organizations.


Hmmm. Would love to see this section.
posted by nubs at 3:48 PM on November 13, 2013


And HULKMAYOR is resigning.

The statement is really worth a read, I think.
posted by jokeefe at 3:57 PM on November 13, 2013 [1 favorite]


And now Doug is promising that the Fords will sue any media outlet that reports about the contents of the ITO. Rob Ford came out of his office to say "Be very careful on what you write" to the media there. Rob reported it several times.

They're down to threats, now.
posted by mightygodking at 4:11 PM on November 13, 2013


Lorrie Goldstein at the Sun:
Ford doesn’t need a few days of vacation, or a few sessions with a counsellor or nutritionist, or a physical trainer, or a few weeks or months of temporary leave. He needs a major intervention in his life and years of therapy and counselling, along with his family, many of whom, while well-intentioned, sound like classic enablers of addiction.

The bottom line is that for all the international notoriety and hysteria of the past few weeks, Toronto is going to survive Rob Ford. At the end of the day, he is only one vote on the 45-member city council and city services will continue to be delivered no matter how defiant or erratic Ford becomes.

But for his own good, Ford needs serious help. Or he may not survive being mayor.
posted by maudlin at 4:36 PM on November 13, 2013


One right wing blowhard refuses to speak to another right wing blowhard: Soundcloud autoplay.

Daniel Dale's summary of Carroll: "I already know what the answer's going to be, and I no longer care. I DON'T CARE. ... I don't want to speak to Doug Ford, I don't want to speak to Rob Ford. There is no point! It's like a freaking stuck record now."
posted by maudlin at 4:42 PM on November 13, 2013


Lookit all the free advertising Iceberg Vodka is getting out of this.
posted by Fnarf at 4:50 PM on November 13, 2013


And HULKMAYOR is resigning.
I thought HULKMAYOR was brilliant but there's no way he or she gets to take the high road in this shitshow.
posted by chococat at 4:59 PM on November 13, 2013


I think HULKMAYOR is letting the Mayor off a little easy in that resignation letter. He showed today that he's still a loathsome bully, even if he looks meek next to Doug.

HULKMAYOR does have something of a point though about Rob's mom and siblings. They are unbelievably vile, and seemingly all willing to push Rob into an early grave in service of Doug's political aspirations. If that was my family, I'd probably be a shambling wreck of an addict as well. I just hope I wouldn't be such a mendacious dick about it, also not put others' lives in danger by driving around intoxicated all the damn time when a free driver has been made available to me.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 5:09 PM on November 13, 2013


Lookit all the free advertising Iceberg Vodka is getting out of this.


Polar Ice: "What are we, chopped liver?"
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 5:20 PM on November 13, 2013




My sister emailed me yesterday to ask me for my Christmas list. When I responded today, I put "a new mayor" on the list.
posted by orange swan at 6:31 PM on November 13, 2013


He showed today that he's still a loathsome bully, even if he looks meek next to Doug.

It's worth noting that in the transcripts of the police interview of Mark Towhey, he said that Doug and Rob are extremely competitive, and that rather than being cowed by Doug, both Doug and Rob think they are entirely responsible for the success of the other.

Fuck, I know way too much about this goddamn family.

And honestly, good for Carroll for refusing to be a venue for Doug to spout his bullshit about how they're being victimized.
posted by dry white toast at 6:31 PM on November 13, 2013


I lived in Toronto for about six months some years ago and I have never seen people drink more liquor (and brag about it as well) than there. Europe drinks, sure, but usually more beer and wine. Only in T-O did I see many prevalently hard liquor drinkers. It took me a couple years to ease back to US levels of drinking after that little jag.
posted by telstar at 3:00 AM on November 14, 2013




So far this morning Rob Ford has

- said he is going to sue his former staffers for making false statements to the police
- said the word "pussy" on national television
- confessed to driving drunk in the past

There simply is no hitting bottom with him.
posted by mightygodking at 6:46 AM on November 14, 2013


CANT STOP WONT STOP:

"Oh and the last thing was Olivia Gondek, it says it says that I wanted to eat her pussy. Olivia Gondek. I've never said that in my life to her. I would never do that. I'm happily married. I've got more than enough to eat at home. Thank you very much."
posted by (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates at 6:48 AM on November 14, 2013 [1 favorite]


Ack. There are not enough mental Silkwood showers to erase reading that.
posted by Kitteh at 6:57 AM on November 14, 2013


Jamie Strashin of CBC: What is clear right now is Mayor Ford is completely freelancing. Nobody--especially his staff--know what he will do or say next.

I can't believe how low this man can sink. I'm just slack jawed at this point.

Saw a great suggestion on Twitter: amongst the flurry of motions Council is considering to reduce his powers, they should also vote to seize his parking space.
posted by dry white toast at 7:03 AM on November 14, 2013 [4 favorites]


Also, Robyn Doolittle just tweeted a picture of Council turning their backs on Ford whenever he speaks.
posted by dry white toast at 7:04 AM on November 14, 2013


confessed to driving drunk in the past

Well, he was certainly arrested for it: Embattled Toronto mayor had previous Miami DUI arrest
posted by one more dead town's last parade at 7:08 AM on November 14, 2013


Have you ever had that moment when you are with a group of people and somebody's friend is really drunk/awful and the friend apologizes to you, and even though their friend is being drunk/awful, you feel the need to apologize to that person just for being there to view the scene because the shame they must be feeling is worse than the discomfort you are experiencing?

We've reached that point.


No, I'm sorry, Toronto.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 7:17 AM on November 14, 2013 [10 favorites]


The more I learn about Mammoliti, the more the phrase "crummy little toady" comes to mind.
posted by Dodecadermaldenticles at 7:22 AM on November 14, 2013




Apparently he's gonna sue his former staff members for what they said to the police. That won't go well.
posted by Lemurrhea at 7:29 AM on November 14, 2013


This has to be performance art, right?

Right?
posted by one more dead town's last parade at 7:36 AM on November 14, 2013


For newcomers, Rob Ford making threats of legal action has not historically led to Rob Ford pursuing that legal action.
posted by cardboard at 7:39 AM on November 14, 2013 [2 favorites]


I had a hunch he was just going to show up for council this morning in a team jersey, wearing a large foam finger, totally drunk...
posted by Theta States at 7:41 AM on November 14, 2013 [1 favorite]


We're now into completely implausible, fifth-season-of-The-Wire territory.
posted by dry white toast at 7:47 AM on November 14, 2013 [2 favorites]


This is the wild and crazy sixth season that was proposed but everybody thought it was too outlandish.
posted by nubs at 7:48 AM on November 14, 2013 [2 favorites]


And some new polling numbers.
posted by nubs at 7:51 AM on November 14, 2013


The more I learn about Mammoliti, the more the phrase "crummy little toady" comes to mind.

Calling Mammo a rat fleeing a sinking ship is an insult to rats.
posted by mightygodking at 7:59 AM on November 14, 2013 [2 favorites]


Well, plus he seems to have lost his fleeing instincts.
posted by dry white toast at 8:02 AM on November 14, 2013


Oh hey, what better time to underscore your personal vendetta against "leftists"?
posted by Theta States at 8:02 AM on November 14, 2013


I had a hunch he was just going to show up for council this morning in a team jersey, wearing a large foam finger, totally drunk..

.... and then moon everyone....
posted by orange swan at 8:04 AM on November 14, 2013


So a TSN reporter talked to someone in the Argos front office, and when they asked if Ford will be at the Argos game this weekend, the team rep said "I think the he has to be at the Santa Claus parade....That could be our saving grace"
posted by dry white toast at 8:06 AM on November 14, 2013 [2 favorites]




So tomorrow they are having the vote to strip Ford of some powers? Helloooooo shitshow!
posted by Theta States at 8:20 AM on November 14, 2013


Because this episode of the Sopranos is now stuck in my head:

Tony Soprano: Uncle Jun, how was Boca?

Corrado 'Junior' Soprano: Wonderful. I don't go down enough.

Carmela Soprano: That's not what I heard.

posted by nubs at 8:20 AM on November 14, 2013 [3 favorites]


i
can't
believe
he
said
that

ESPECIALLY given the domestic violence call to Ford's house noted in the ITO

FUCK
posted by avocet at 8:22 AM on November 14, 2013 [1 favorite]


Kabanos I sort of hate you for making me see that.
posted by chococat at 8:24 AM on November 14, 2013




Corrado 'Junior' Soprano: Wonderful. I don't go down enough.

Carmela Soprano: That's not what I heard.


"Uncle Junior" is actually a pretty apt nickname for Rob Ford.
posted by KokuRyu at 8:28 AM on November 14, 2013


God, the Argos jersey he's wearing just makes the thing Fellini-esque.
posted by dry white toast at 8:30 AM on November 14, 2013 [1 favorite]




And now the Argos have put out a statement saying they wish he wouldn't say shit like that while wearing their jersey, especially "given our efforts in the community to help youth deal with issues of bullying prevention."

Rob Ford, radioactive.
posted by dry white toast at 8:37 AM on November 14, 2013 [6 favorites]


The Fords are getting a show on Sun TV.

Of course they are.
posted by dry white toast at 8:42 AM on November 14, 2013


WHAT.
posted by Theta States at 8:46 AM on November 14, 2013


hmmm, the Criminal Code prohibits employers from taking retaliatory action against their employees for cooperating with law-enforcement, but I think all the people Ford is threatening with legal action have now quit, is that right?
posted by iona at 8:48 AM on November 14, 2013


The Fords are getting a show on Sun TV.

source?
posted by Theta States at 8:50 AM on November 14, 2013




From this Star story (WARNING: video autoplays) on Rob's announcement on his dietary preferences, it looks as if the lawsuits, if actually advanced, may be doomed:
If Ford follows through on his plans to file a lawsuit, he will face an uphill battle, according to media lawyer Iain MacKinnon.

“Anything is possible when it comes to Ford, but any lawsuit on that basis would be doomed to fail,” MacKinnon said.

“The staffers would have an excellent defence of qualified privilege. I can’t see how a lawsuit like that would get very far.”
Canadian MeFi lawyers, does that seem about right to you?

Re the Sun show: no announcement from them yet, but media people are talking about it.
posted by maudlin at 8:53 AM on November 14, 2013


To repeat, Ford has a long history of threatening legal action and not actually doing anything. Nevertheless, the countdown is assuredly on until we hear from Hotmail Lawyer again.
posted by dry white toast at 8:55 AM on November 14, 2013


Ford's diet is already becoming quite the joke - I just got off the phone with a colleague and every reference we made to grabbing lunch or getting something to eat together was immediately followed by laughter.
posted by nubs at 8:55 AM on November 14, 2013


A qualified privilege was discussed by Professor Raymond E. Brown in his treatise “The Law of Defamation in Canada”:

There are certain occasions on which a person is entitled to publish untrue statements about another, where he or she will not be liable even though the publication is defamatory. One such occasion is called a conditional or qualified privilege. No action can be maintained against a defendant unless it is shown that he or she published the statement with actual or express malice. An occasion is privileged if a statement is fairly made by a person in the discharge of such public or private duty, or for the purpose of pursuing or protecting some private interest, provided it is made to a person who has some corresponding interest in receiving it. The duty may be either legal, social or moral. The test is whether persons of ordinary intelligence and moral principle, or the great majority of right-minded persons, would have considered it a duty to communicate the information to those to whom it was published.
From here, emphasis mine. IANAL but it would seem to me that making statements to the police during an ongoing investigation would fit right under this concept.
posted by nubs at 9:01 AM on November 14, 2013 [2 favorites]


Robyn Doolittle's sketch of Ford on the floor of council in his Argos shirt and cowboy boots. (And pants! He's wearing pants! Don't panic!)
posted by maudlin at 9:02 AM on November 14, 2013


Statement coming from his office shortly. I wonder if he'll just use his time to promote his new show?
posted by Theta States at 9:02 AM on November 14, 2013


It's the Rule of Ford: Whenever something stunning happens early in the day, you can count on something just as, if not more, bewildering happening before the day is out.
posted by dry white toast at 9:04 AM on November 14, 2013 [3 favorites]


iona, they have indeed all quit, and I don't think a defamation suit would count as retaliatory action anyways? Unsure.

I, as a lawyer who does nothing in the area and so am speaking out of my ass, would be really surprised if this even got brought, and shocked if it made it past a motion to dismiss (aka thrown out immediately without a full hearing). Among other reasons, we've got qualified immunity for statements made in the course of an investigation (or something similar), so you'd have to prove actual malice and intent to injure and knowing their statements were false; we have the question of whether they even published it in the defamation sense, given that the court was the actor who allowed it to be publicly-viewable; and we've got the basic default of responsible journalism-type stuff, where if they think it's legit, they're in the clear.
posted by Lemurrhea at 9:04 AM on November 14, 2013 [1 favorite]


The Fords are getting a show on Sun TV.

DO NOT WANT.
posted by chococat at 9:05 AM on November 14, 2013


Oh, he's about to make a statement. Get your Ford statement Bingo cards out.
posted by dry white toast at 9:06 AM on November 14, 2013


Parental discretion advised.
posted by dry white toast at 9:08 AM on November 14, 2013


Any predictions for the press conference?

Ford apologizes for not using the fancy, liberal word "cunnilingus"?

Ford strips off his sweaty Argos shirt and tosses it to Katie Simpson from CP24?

Or another abashed apology and no sign of goddamn learning from the experience?
posted by maudlin at 9:08 AM on November 14, 2013 [3 favorites]


I seriously suspect now that at his office announcement he will:
- make a bumbling apology about earlier language
- reinforce that he will be filing lawsuits
- vaguely threaten the media
- promote his AWESOME NEW TV SHOW
- punch someone, most likely a woman, in the mouth
posted by Theta States at 9:08 AM on November 14, 2013


Oh, he's about to make a statement.
Not falling for it again.
posted by chococat at 9:09 AM on November 14, 2013 [2 favorites]


Some early predictions on the statement:

-I've said I was sorry
-I want to move on
-Legal threats
-Who here hasn't done X and then Y?
-A question about what he's eating for lunch asked for the lulz
posted by nubs at 9:10 AM on November 14, 2013


Does he think that ..wearing a shirt that says MAYOR on it will allow him to keep being mayor? Becuase of the shirt?
posted by The Whelk at 9:10 AM on November 14, 2013 [5 favorites]


Well, chococat, he is wearing a football jersey. And he was so sincere on Halloween.
posted by maudlin at 9:11 AM on November 14, 2013


Sorry, proper link to the Bingo Card.
posted by dry white toast at 9:11 AM on November 14, 2013


$5 on him resigning today to persue a television career.
posted by Theta States at 9:12 AM on November 14, 2013


OK, listening to 1010 now is delicious and they will play the conference, but the CP24 feed holds promise of another gobsmacked Katie Simpson moment. Or I could go back to work -- HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
posted by maudlin at 9:13 AM on November 14, 2013


Oh, God, the CBC is saying there are rumours a family member will be with Ford at the conference. Pleasepleaseplease don't let it be his poor wife.
posted by maudlin at 9:15 AM on November 14, 2013


Oh man, are we about to get the "I'm sorry I cheated on my wife" moment with wife in attendance?
posted by dry white toast at 9:18 AM on November 14, 2013


iona, they have indeed all quit, and I don't think a defamation suit would count as retaliatory action anyways? Unsure

yeah, you're right, I'm just gunning for criminal charges. Qualified immunity seems legit here, and the former staffers probably weren't expecting their statements to the police to be published in the national media when they gave them. Not to mention the 'truth' defense if Ford runs with a defamation suit.
posted by iona at 9:19 AM on November 14, 2013


No. He would not admit this so quickly, although I have to say that the gap between offense and permutations of the words "sorry", "apologize", "move on", "can't change the past" and "taxpayers" has been getting shortter and shorter recently. Who knew that Ford had a setting for Apology Saving Time?
posted by maudlin at 9:21 AM on November 14, 2013


"I am excited to announce our new show, The Big Time with Rob & Doug Ford. Screw you all."
*puts on sun glasses* *chugs beer*
posted by Theta States at 9:21 AM on November 14, 2013


Well there is always drug charges, considering he's admitted buying drugs...but let's be honest, rich white guys (let alone mayors) don't get hit by the CDSA.

Also, Metafilter: Not to mention the 'truth'
posted by Lemurrhea at 9:21 AM on November 14, 2013


At this point, he could actually drop a mic and I would be unsurprised.

But please folks, banish all thoughts of him quitting from your mind. Don't do that to yourself.
posted by dry white toast at 9:22 AM on November 14, 2013


Official Sun News show announcement, written by Joe Warmington, who has the warmest nose in town.
posted by maudlin at 9:23 AM on November 14, 2013


When they make the movie about this whole ordeal, they should call it "You Can't Do That On Television."
posted by (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates at 9:23 AM on November 14, 2013 [6 favorites]


Apologizing for "graphic remarks".
Under tons of stress, of his own making.
Moving forward, which isn't going so well.
Allegations 100% lies.
Don't attack his integrity (as a father/husband)

BINGO!
posted by Lemurrhea at 9:24 AM on November 14, 2013


http://www.nationalpost.com/m/wp/blog.html?b=news.nationalpost.com/2013/11/14/rob-ford-faces-unlikely-road-to-re-election-as-mayoral-rivals-stintz-chow-and-tory-all-best-him-in-new-poll
> More than six out of 10 (62 per cent) of the 665 Torontonians surveyed between November 8 and 12 said they would not vote for Ford “under any circumstance.”

That leaves 38% of Toronto to wonder about.
posted by ardgedee at 9:26 AM on November 14, 2013 [1 favorite]


"From day one the mayor's enemies, the left and red Tories, were going after his conservatism," said Menzies. "That didn't work so now they are going after this private life.

"There is such a double standard. How come he is the only one with issues being hounded? The one thing one Ford Nation supporters say to me is ... 'Rob has personal demons that are difficult to defend' but unlike some of the gangsters at Queens Park, he doesn't have his hands in our wallet," added Menzies.

The show is going to be fun because Doug - himself offering up his own share of great quotes - is right when he says you never do know what is going to come out of the embattled mayor's mouth.

Rob Ford has admitted he has smoked crack cocaine, purchased illegal drugs and has driven after drinking. But, as an elected mayor, he can't be taken out of the job unless he decides to do so himself.

He has insisted he is not leaving and will be running in next year's election.

In recent weeks, Rob Ford has become an international media phenomenon and a staple of late night comedy shows.

Council has set on a path to try to remove some of his powers as mayor while they bang drums insisting he just go away.

They will all be watching Ford Nation on Sun News Network.
I can't believe what I am reading.
Surely THIS...
posted by Theta States at 9:26 AM on November 14, 2013


When they make the movie about this whole ordeal, they should call it "You Can't Do That On Television."

They make their own slime.
posted by one more dead town's last parade at 9:27 AM on November 14, 2013 [1 favorite]


I would just like to thank the city of Toronto for taking the "Most Embarrassing Mayor in North America 2013" title away from my hometown of San Diego. I really didn't think it would happen but you guys have done some good work up there.
posted by Aizkolari at 9:27 AM on November 14, 2013 [3 favorites]


Here we go: apologizes for his graphic remarks.

Yesterday was the second worst day of my life except for death of father. for the past 6 months have been under stress, much of it to my fault. Cocaine talk yesterday pushed me over the edge.

[Shift from grudging shame to anger]

Revelations of cocaine yesterday 100% lies. I am getting help from a team of experts. No longer use substances. Don't want to comment on the particulars of this report. I am accepting responsibility for the challenges I face. Please respect my family's privacy.

Walks away, takes no questions.

Shit, he's BACK? Oh God, Renata is there. But they're just walking through the room.

Katie Simpson, exasperated: "Mayor Ford WHAT is going on?" She points out that there is another exit they could have used.

He was parading his wife around for effect. Fucker. Even the 1010 host uses the word "parade".
posted by maudlin at 9:28 AM on November 14, 2013


He asked that people respect his family's privacy. AFTER TELLING EVERYONE HE EATS OUT HIS WIFE!!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!!
posted by dry white toast at 9:28 AM on November 14, 2013 [10 favorites]


Stinz in full campaign mode right now.
posted by Kabanos at 9:31 AM on November 14, 2013


Guys I finally got it.

Rob Ford is a deep cover Andy Kaufman persona.
posted by The Whelk at 9:31 AM on November 14, 2013


Surely THIS...

Is just another strange chapter in this bizarre story?
posted by nubs at 9:31 AM on November 14, 2013


Surely this is the most Surely THIS thread ever.
posted by Kabanos at 9:32 AM on November 14, 2013 [10 favorites]


I'm pretty sure this is the longest Canadian-themed thread in Metafilter's history. That makes me kinda sad.
posted by Lemurrhea at 9:33 AM on November 14, 2013 [8 favorites]


Rob Ford is a deep cover Andy Kaufman persona.

Funny you should mention that, The Whelk.
posted by dry white toast at 9:33 AM on November 14, 2013 [1 favorite]


An associate of Clayton Ruby is offering to represent -- pro bono -- all those targeted by Ford's lawsuit. Start here and read up.
posted by maudlin at 9:33 AM on November 14, 2013


They will all be watching Ford Nation on Sun News Network.

I can't believe my tax dollars are going to pay for this shit (Canadians pay to prop up unpopular networks like Sun).
posted by KokuRyu at 9:34 AM on November 14, 2013


http://www.torontosun.com/ headlines:
Ford denies escort allegations
Toronto Mayor Ford admits to buying illegal drugs
Former Ford insiders discuss latest revelations
Embattled Ford needs help, not public flogging
Ex-staffer denies having sex with Ford
Doug Ford says daughters have been threatened
Ford's skeletons keep falling out
Booze, drugs, suspected escorts in new docs
Council to debate Ford powers

http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/ headlines:
Top Story Ford brothers to host show on Sun News Network
Ford denies oral sex allegations, admits drinking and driving
Liberal leniancy lunacy
Liberals are soft on crime
UN laughs in the face of human rights
posted by Theta States at 9:34 AM on November 14, 2013


Don't kid yourself, this statement was a product of exactly two things:

1) His wife being pissed off about what he said this morning.

2) The Argos statement that they weren't happy with him.
posted by dry white toast at 9:36 AM on November 14, 2013


It's all a bit like peering into an alternate reality where Rush Limbaugh holds public office.
posted by jason_steakums at 9:40 AM on November 14, 2013 [12 favorites]


Mammoliti to CP24, just now: "Please, City of Toronto, do not panic."

Did someone slip hallucinogens into the city's water supply overnight?
posted by dry white toast at 9:41 AM on November 14, 2013 [1 favorite]


The one terrible, canonical question a lot of people in the media are probably thinking. They won't dare ask him to his face because he would not be the one hurt by it:
Rob Ford un-redacted: Part II ...

Domestic assault call

In the early evening of August 27, 2013, police responded to a domestic incident at the mayor's house. "The call was categorized as a domestic assault."

As with most of the material involving the mayor's wife, the rest of the information about this police visit (about two pages' worth) remains redacted.
posted by maudlin at 9:42 AM on November 14, 2013


20% of Toronto does not give a fuck. Look at it this way; 20% for an incumbent mayor is horrifically bad.
posted by The Card Cheat at 9:45 AM on November 14, 2013


On CBC One right now, caller Pauline says she supports the mayor, is complaining about the media circus and asking why she knows so much about his private life. Perhaps because His Worship talked in a press scrum about oral sex with his spouse today?
posted by ricochet biscuit at 9:52 AM on November 14, 2013


Also: I think one of the people most hurt by all this is the woman who Ransom suggested was an escort. I don't think it's impossible that Ford uses escorts, but I don't like the way that the media used the figleaf of "alleged" before saying that this specific woman (named in the ITO -- fair enough -- and in some media reports -- not necessary) was a sex worker.
posted by maudlin at 9:52 AM on November 14, 2013 [2 favorites]


That leaves 38% of Toronto to wonder about. [38% who did not say they would refuse to vote for Ford under any circumstances]

Keep in mind that includes people who think like me: "Well I guess if right before the election it came out that all the other candidates were human-eating lizard people and it's too late to add anyone to the ballot. And it's gonna be a close election."

Also: I think one of the people most hurt by all this is the woman who Ransom suggested was an escort. I don't think it's impossible that Ford uses escorts, but I don't like the way that the media used the figleaf of "alleged" before saying that this specific woman (named in the ITO -- fair enough -- and in some media reports -- not necessary) was a sex worker.

So much this. Especially worth keeping in mind is that Canada might just decriminalize prostitution* in the next year or so. Even if she is a sex worker, there is no shame in that. Shame is on the cheating, lying, extortioning, violence, etc side only.

*pedantically, it is decriminalized already, but in practical effect it is not.
posted by Lemurrhea at 9:55 AM on November 14, 2013


maudlin, I am SO ANGRY that her full name, DOB, address and photo are in that document, not redacted. SO ANGRY. And no one on twitter was really listening last night :(
posted by avocet at 9:59 AM on November 14, 2013


Someone pointed out that Sun TV can only run his show until starts running for re-election, which will happen in January.
posted by dry white toast at 10:01 AM on November 14, 2013


Wait her DOB/address were unredacted? That shouldn't have happened, the judge made it quite clear that those identifying marks were to stay redacted.
posted by Lemurrhea at 10:01 AM on November 14, 2013


Yeah, I just got to that part of the ITO coverage and I'm shocked her information was released unredacted.
posted by muddgirl at 10:01 AM on November 14, 2013


avocet, you're right: her identifying info should have been redacted in this week's release. I think it had to be in the original documents, obviously, but her section and any statements from other people that gave clues about her identity should have been redacted.
posted by maudlin at 10:03 AM on November 14, 2013


Not having heard what hizzoner said this morning, Mother Renault wanted me to tell her.

Umm, no. There are some things I cannot say to my mother, not without my father coming back from the dead to smack me around.

"No, really, it's OK -- you're quoting somebody else." Yeah, still no. No no no no no.
posted by Capt. Renault at 10:06 AM on November 14, 2013 [6 favorites]


Your mother is obviously not named Pauline (that CBC caller, who justified Ford's language in the first conference of the day because other people said it first.)
posted by maudlin at 10:07 AM on November 14, 2013


> I'm pretty sure this is the longest Canadian-themed thread in Metafilter's history. That makes me kinda sad.

Just imagine how long it's going to be by next election day. *weeps*
posted by The Card Cheat at 10:09 AM on November 14, 2013


Don't worry. MeFi threads get closed after a month. Some poor sod will just have to start another.
posted by maudlin at 10:11 AM on November 14, 2013


Yes, the Rob Ford Show could just keep going and going like this, somehow getting worse and worse even when we feel it can't possibly, until the end of his term.

My only hope is that by that time all the people who voted for Ford, or who didn't vote at all, will have gotten it through their heads just how much harm they did Toronto, and vote more intelligently in future.
posted by orange swan at 10:13 AM on November 14, 2013


I wasn't watching CP24, but it looks as if Renata was standing at the podium with her husband during his whole statement. This is a sad photo.
posted by maudlin at 10:19 AM on November 14, 2013 [1 favorite]


That will never happen, orange swan. Even if (god forbid) he were to run over a kid while driving drunk tomorrow, a certain segment of the population would blame the media or downtown elites or whoever.
posted by The Card Cheat at 10:22 AM on November 14, 2013


How can anyone, even someone as obviously out of touch with reality as Rob Ford appears to be, think that he can just put something like this behind him and not have to deal with the ramifications of his actions? He's hurting the people of Toronto and himself and he honestly needs to step down. Surely, even he can see that this is his only course of action.
posted by BrianJ at 10:23 AM on November 14, 2013


Because using denial, bluster and a victim complex has always worked for him before. He still has a voting bloc. Still.
posted by maudlin at 10:24 AM on November 14, 2013


Card Cheat. Don't forget blaming the actual kid.

orange swan, always reserve some disgust for the idiots that ran George Smitherman's campaign. If you got paid to run a campaign against this bumblefuck and lost, you should never work in politics again.
posted by dry white toast at 10:24 AM on November 14, 2013


We had a recent Vice President shoot another guy in the chest and make him publicly apologize for it. The VP served the remainder of his term without so much as a hearing about it.

So you all have a ways to go yet on the whole vileness-in-office thing. I mean, Rob Ford's doing his damnedest, but I don't think he has to push the envelope on this one. It's okay if he doesn't.
posted by ardgedee at 10:25 AM on November 14, 2013


I'm not too worried about the election. John Tory alone should take away enough "conservative" votes to make sure that Ford isn't elected.

I'm looking forward to a Tory/Chow showdown. We could be in for a constructive debate between two relatively reasonable and respectable people. How sad that this seems like an impossible luxury right now.
posted by beau jackson at 10:27 AM on November 14, 2013 [1 favorite]


Yeah, I really do not see how Ford grows his current support (and he'd have to) enough to win the next election, especially with DMW, Stintz, Tory, etc. chipping into his right-wing support. He's going to lose and then probably get a permanent Sun News gig as the Canadian Rush Limbaugh.
posted by The Card Cheat at 10:32 AM on November 14, 2013


Related to the victim complex, Hamutal Dotan at Torontoist analyzes how Ford stages conferences:
When Rob Ford holds press conferences he generally does so in his protocol office—a sort of exterior lounge just outside that private office. It is small and cramped, and his appearances there as opposed to the many larger spaces available in City Hall is almost certainly designed to make reporters look like an angry hoard. (Previously press conferences were most often held in the members’ lounge in the council chamber, a wide space with rows of chairs, and often mic stands where reporters could line up to ask questions.) The space is small enough that cameras and people are crammed more tightly than commuters on a rush hour subway, and the impression this creates is that the mayor is being held hostage by the press gallery.

It is also a safety hazard.
Look at the Vine at the top of that story. Some cameraman got a serious clocking from Ford's security guy when Ford and his wife went through the over-crowded room even though another easy exit was available. (Ford, easy exit? What was I thinking?)

So if Ford ever does run down a cyclist or a kid, it will, of course, be their own fault. Never Ford's.
posted by maudlin at 10:35 AM on November 14, 2013 [1 favorite]


Remember, you don't need 50% support to win a mayoral election, depending on how the vote splits.

But I agree that, while the concern has always been too many candidates on the left splitting the vote, it's a bigger issue for the right, especially if Chow is the only credible progressive candidate.
posted by dry white toast at 10:37 AM on November 14, 2013


Being passed around on twitter: Next rally for Ford's resignation is Saturday the 16th at 11 am. Spread the word: http://on.fb.me/1br1vKi
posted by The Card Cheat at 10:38 AM on November 14, 2013


I'm looking forward to a Tory/Chow showdown. We could be in for a constructive debate between two relatively reasonable and respectable people.

Agreed, agreed, agreed. The thought of this kind of campaign is what will keep me going through the winter.
posted by saturday_morning at 10:38 AM on November 14, 2013


When you've lost Mayor "Brittannia": "BobBratina just told #hamont city council there will be no bet with @TOMayorFord over the #cfl eastern final this sunday."
posted by maudlin at 10:40 AM on November 14, 2013 [1 favorite]


Firstly, Tory has never said he's going to run. Never ever. It's a huge assumption that everyone seems to be making.

Secondly, John Tory is singularly gifted at losing elections. The man can snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory like nobody's business. So even if he does run, I really don't see why he gets handed the conservative standard-bearer mantle.
posted by dry white toast at 10:42 AM on November 14, 2013


My only hope is that by that time all the people who voted for Ford, or who didn't vote at all, will have gotten it through their heads just how much harm they did Toronto, and vote more intelligently in future.

Do you talk to these people? People motivated by hatred WANT to cause harm.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 10:42 AM on November 14, 2013 [2 favorites]


"BobBratina just told #hamont city council there will be no bet with @TOMayorFord over the #cfl eastern final this sunday."

Shit just got real.
posted by mazola at 10:43 AM on November 14, 2013


Firstly, Tory has never said he's going to run. Never ever. It's a huge assumption that everyone seems to be making.

I think it's a pretty safe assumption- he and his people are said to be working on it actively. And if he loses it will more likely be to Chow than Ford.

In any case, you're right, we can't take it for granted until he declares his candidacy. And this is mostly just wishful thinking at this point. But I'm wishing super hard.
posted by beau jackson at 10:50 AM on November 14, 2013


Interesting take from the headline writer at Metro: "Mayor Rob Ford uses lewd remark to deflect allegations of improper behaviour".
posted by maudlin at 10:54 AM on November 14, 2013


There is no basis for saying it is a safe assumption. The biggest support for the idea that Tory's running is everyone saying he's running. Consider:

-He is well respected
-He has a strong media profile
-He does good work by supporting philanthropic and non-profit initiatives like Civic Action.

Every indication to me is that Tory likes his station as a civic leader but not an elected official. Running again, never mind losing, would jeopardize all of that.
posted by dry white toast at 10:55 AM on November 14, 2013


I'm pretty sure this is the longest Canadian-themed thread in Metafilter's history.

It's like The Beachcombers with more crack and cursing.
posted by octobersurprise at 10:58 AM on November 14, 2013 [1 favorite]


I'm pretty sure this is the longest Canadian-themed thread in Metafilter's history.

Not even close. The next largest Canadian-themed thread is the *other* Rob Ford post which is also head and shoulders longer than the next grouping. From a quick search, it's something to crack 100 comments. 200 is a rarity. 'Popular' topics include proroguing Parliament and legalization of Sex Clubs. Oh Canada!
posted by mazola at 11:12 AM on November 14, 2013 [2 favorites]


It's like Trailer Park Boys with less self-control.
posted by The Card Cheat at 11:12 AM on November 14, 2013 [1 favorite]


It's Fraggle Rock from the Gorg point of view.

It's the Danger Bay of assholes.

It's Littlest Hobo, and we're all the German shepherd.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 11:17 AM on November 14, 2013 [3 favorites]


Degrassi City Hall?
posted by nubs at 11:19 AM on November 14, 2013 [1 favorite]


> It's Littlest Hobo, and we're all the German shepherd.

Yeah, except that those of us who live in Toronto can't just leave for the next town at the end of the episode.
posted by The Card Cheat at 11:19 AM on November 14, 2013 [2 favorites]


It's The Trouble with Tracy, but with a larger budget and less retro cuteness.
posted by maudlin at 11:20 AM on November 14, 2013


Come on people, it's Royal Canadian Air Farce, but as reality show not satire.
posted by dry white toast at 11:24 AM on November 14, 2013 [2 favorites]


I'm pretty sure this is the longest Canadian-themed thread in Metafilter's history.

Yay! It's even longer than the Ballon Boy thread!
posted by bonobothegreat at 11:26 AM on November 14, 2013


So that was Ford's new driver who was apparently shoving that cameraman in that Torontoist story linked above. The cameraman is from Global and says that he was punched in the gut. Video showing the crowded conditions, what looks like the driver delivering a punch, Ford saying that "Nobody hit him", plaintive media, and Renata saying that they'll get their pictures.
posted by maudlin at 11:29 AM on November 14, 2013


The Premier is about to speak.

If she's smart, she'll announce that SHE is taking a leave of absence to get away from this insanity.
posted by dry white toast at 11:29 AM on November 14, 2013 [1 favorite]


Brendan Kennedy‏@BKennedyStar34m
Argos CEO Chris Rudge says Ford was not invited to Sunday's game, but he can choose to buy a ticket like any other citizen.


That's cold. Ice cold.
posted by The Card Cheat at 11:31 AM on November 14, 2013 [2 favorites]


Argos CEO Chris Rudge says Ford was not invited to Sunday's game, but he can choose to buy a ticket like any other citizen.

This may be the third worst day in Rob Ford's life.
posted by maudlin at 11:32 AM on November 14, 2013


Oh man, the sex club thread! That had perhaps the most epic trolling this site has ever seen:

I have already said I several times on this site that I am a libertarian authoritarian. That is, I don't care where democratic majorities set the line, but wherever it is, you better damn well follow it. For all I care, a democratic majority could authorize public pedophilia sex while smoking crack in public squares as long as one doesn't wear a purple shirt (and if one does, its a life sentence). And I wouldn't have a problem with the person smoking crack and nailing a 5 year old in public, but if that fucker wears that purple shirt, his ass needs to go to the clink for life.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 11:32 AM on November 14, 2013 [5 favorites]


Wynne is saying the province would be willing to step in if directly asked by TO council.

Holy shit.
posted by saturday_morning at 11:35 AM on November 14, 2013


Kathleen Wynne is saying that if council said that they seriously couldn't function, then she would consider doing something legislatively? Oh, man, BAD move. Stupid stupid stupid.
posted by maudlin at 11:35 AM on November 14, 2013 [1 favorite]


But city council can work around him. I seriously doubt she's going to intervene, or be asked to.
posted by The Card Cheat at 11:37 AM on November 14, 2013


If I were Wynne I would do nothing without full unanimous consent and buy-in from the other two party leaders.
posted by rocket88 at 11:38 AM on November 14, 2013 [2 favorites]


Great, give Ford a chance to play the underdog again. No upside here.

But really, it's hard to argue that we're close to that point. Ford's refusal to be accountable for any of this is truly beyond the pale.
posted by dry white toast at 11:39 AM on November 14, 2013


Wynne said she would seek unanimous support from the other party leaders if she were to act. So she's basically putting Hudak in the position of defending Ford if it comes to that.
posted by dry white toast at 11:40 AM on November 14, 2013 [1 favorite]


CBC is replaying her statement: she would consult first with the other party leaders and ask for UNANIMOUS consent from the provincial legislature, which ain't gonna happen. So even if council goes full tilt stupid -- good for Ford, bad for us -- nothing would actually happen.

But what kind of answer would she expect from that consultation? They would balk, and she would look weak for even asking.

The Card Cheat and rocket88, I think she looks weak even suggesting this. Does the woman have no political instincts at all?

Council has ways to work around this. Pass the motion tomorrow, stop this stupid "I can't see you" bullshit with the chairs in chamber, and keep things going until the election.
posted by maudlin at 11:41 AM on November 14, 2013 [1 favorite]


I think it was smart of Wynne and the Liberals to come out with this. They can't just say/do nothing while the economic engine of the province is in turmoil.

I'm pretty sure that they will not do anything without virtual unanimous support at all levels.
posted by davey_darling at 11:42 AM on November 14, 2013 [1 favorite]


Hudak may have enough of a modicum of a political instinct to frame his opposition as a principled defence of municipalities, not Ford. He might even take the chance to throw Doug under the bus good and proper.
posted by maudlin at 11:43 AM on November 14, 2013


I don't know why Wynne would make that statement today, before T.O. Council even formally asks for provincial intervention.
posted by rocket88 at 11:44 AM on November 14, 2013


Because she's giving Council parameters for what to ask for, should it want to.
posted by dry white toast at 11:45 AM on November 14, 2013


I'm not buying that this is a bad move for Wynne. She had to do something, and this puts the ball in Hudak's court. Also, I haven't gotten to listen to a replay yet but didn't she say would need unanimous consent from the *parties*, not from the entire legislature?

rocket88, I don't think there currently is a motion before council to ask for provincial intervention -- wasn't that part of DMW's plan that ended up getting dropped yesterday?
posted by saturday_morning at 11:46 AM on November 14, 2013


I think Wynne making this statement now, and on her own, makes it look like she's too eager to get rid of him. "I'll do it, guys...all ya gotta do is ask and I'll do it".
She should have consulted with Hudak and Horwath first, and issued a joint statement from all of them. It would remove the partisan political angle which will no doubt be exploited by the usual suspects.
posted by rocket88 at 11:51 AM on November 14, 2013 [1 favorite]


Yes, rocket88! If there's any chance of buy-in from the other parties, get that set, even if it's a limited statement like the one she made today.

But if she says that she's willing if council asks, then she goes to ask the provincial opposition, the only possible reasonably good outcome is if they say yes. If they refuse, she looks weak. Ontario is very much Guess culture, not Ask culture.
posted by maudlin at 11:56 AM on November 14, 2013


If they refuse, she looks weak.

Au contraire. She knows Andrea Horwath and the NDP aren't going to refuse to turf Rob Ford, whom they hate like poison. She knows now that she's let council know that they can ask her to turf Ford that they most likely will.

Which means the only barrier to removing Rob Ford is Tim Hudak. There's a reason Tim Hudak has said absolutely nothing about the Ford mess so far: if he says anything critical Ford Nation turns on him, and if he doesn't say anything critical the rest of Ontario thinks he's even less capable of governing than they did previously.

Hudak has been avoiding this whole mess because it's a political live wire for him. Horwath is making him grab it and make a decision. Probably Hudak goes anti-Ford because Dougie is going to make a play for the party leadership at some point in the near future (assuming he doesn't go to jail), but he didn't want to have to do it publicly.

It's really a political masterstroke by Wynne.
posted by mightygodking at 12:01 PM on November 14, 2013 [8 favorites]


I'm not buying that this is a bad move for Wynne. She had to do something, and this puts the ball in Hudak's court.

It is 'how many angels can dance on the head of a pin' territory. If she says nothing at all, she looks weak. Meanwhile, putting the ball in the opposition's court would normally be a marginally bad move unless you are 2 steps ahead of them. This is Hudak's court though, and it is hard to imagine anybody who isn't 2 steps ahead of that joker. Except maybe his friend and ally Rob Ford.

The whole city/province division of power we live with is completely absurd really. I was just talking mill rates with my Mom, for example.. My understanding is that the province, through MPAC (or whatever predecessor), defines municipal tax increases backwards. If you don't roll back the mill rate to stay revenue neutral as property values rise, you are raising taxes!
If appreciate links that discuss this in depth, I really don't know much about it, but you can see it in the yearly mill rates if you look--disgusting!
posted by Chuckles at 12:02 PM on November 14, 2013


Hudak needs inroads into Toronto to win his next election. If he publicly drags his heels on allowing Wynne to grant council's requests, they get to associate him with Ford for the whole campaign and I don't think he'd like that.

On preview, mgk says it way better.
posted by saturday_morning at 12:02 PM on November 14, 2013


I am completely prepared to be proven wrong again with my political predictions. I'll stock up on crow-flavoured popcorn for any statement from Hudak.
posted by maudlin at 12:05 PM on November 14, 2013


> Probably Hudak goes anti-Ford because Dougie is going to make a play for the party leadership at some point in the near future...

People keep saying this, and I keep scratching my head. I mean, sure, that's probably what Dougie wants, but...do you think the PCs still want anything to do with him and his brothers' mess? Can he just throw his hat in the ring as a leadership candidate without being an MPP?
posted by The Card Cheat at 12:08 PM on November 14, 2013


Can he just throw his hat in the ring as a leadership candidate without being an MPP?

In most political parties, the answer is yes. There may be something in the Ontario PC charter/constitution/bylaws that says no, but I would expect that he could.

I definitely remember recent times where the leader of the federal Liberals didn't have a seat, for example.
posted by Lemurrhea at 12:11 PM on November 14, 2013


I think it would actually have more to do with the provincial Tories' by-laws.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 12:13 PM on November 14, 2013


Of course. John Tory was party leader for six months before he sat as an MPP.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 12:13 PM on November 14, 2013


John Tory was the Ontario PC leader for a while without a seat.
posted by transient at 12:14 PM on November 14, 2013


Thanks. How does it work, though...surely you have to be cleared/approved in some manner to officially declare your candidacy?
posted by The Card Cheat at 12:15 PM on November 14, 2013


But there has to be an active campaign for the party leadership for that to be an issue.
posted by dry white toast at 12:16 PM on November 14, 2013


People keep saying this, and I keep scratching my head. I mean, sure, that's probably what Dougie wants, but...do you think the PCs still want anything to do with him and his brothers' mess? Can he just throw his hat in the ring as a leadership candidate without being an MPP?

They said the same thing about Christy Clark. Remember she was reduced to talk radio goon when she won the leadership. Fuck, she couldn't even keep Gordo's old seat in the election, but still won.

I'm calling it now. Doug is going to be our next Premier.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 12:18 PM on November 14, 2013


You have to be a member of the PC party, and be nominated and seconded in writing by a minimum of 100 members of the party, not more than ten of whom may reside in the same Electoral District as you do.
posted by iona at 12:19 PM on November 14, 2013


Mothers Against Drunk Driving issues statement about Ford's admission of drunk driving.

Ugh, that's the most offensive part of everything and it has been totally ignored today.

I mean, it's almost like Ford wanted to distract people from it by talking about his sex life.
posted by dry white toast at 12:19 PM on November 14, 2013 [1 favorite]


In other news, Ford is in Council as we speak "holding" items (i.e. keeping them from moving forward) like formally recognizing citizens who worked in a feral cat shelter and promoting diversity in the fire department. Just to be a dick.
posted by The Card Cheat at 12:22 PM on November 14, 2013


Rob Ford claims he has 'more than enough to eat at home'
Ford then said he never said "I want to eat your pussy" to a former female staffer, an allegation contained in the court document.

"I'm happily married, I have more than enough to eat at home," he said, drawing gasps from the reporters gathered around his office.
lol
posted by yeoz at 12:22 PM on November 14, 2013


Geez, yeoz, that is SO 9:30 this morning.
posted by dry white toast at 12:23 PM on November 14, 2013 [10 favorites]


The constitution. Leadership stuff is Art. 25, 25.9 details how to get nominated.

Also just try to read Arts. 22 onwards without thinking of The Simpsons episode. It can't be done.
posted by Lemurrhea at 12:24 PM on November 14, 2013


> I'm calling it now. Doug is going to be our next Premier.

I...uh....well........*sigh*

*walks over to window, silently looks at the leaves falling from the trees*
posted by The Card Cheat at 12:26 PM on November 14, 2013 [1 favorite]


A lima bean that looks just like Tim Hudak! I'll put it with the others.
posted by saturday_morning at 12:26 PM on November 14, 2013 [2 favorites]


Also just try to read Arts. 22 onwards without thinking of The Simpsons episode. It can't be done

Does the PC charter also make it illegal to put squirrels down your pants for the purposes of gambling?
posted by dry white toast at 12:27 PM on November 14, 2013 [3 favorites]




Ivor Tossell, Jonathan Goldsbie, and John Michael McGrath are on CTV News Channel right now talking about whether or system of government and politics is built to handle a politician like Ford.

It's a legit question in light of the Premier's statement.
posted by dry white toast at 12:41 PM on November 14, 2013


For yeoz.
posted by maudlin at 12:41 PM on November 14, 2013




Why don't we have more Joe Quimby/Rob Ford mashups?
posted by The Whelk at 12:52 PM on November 14, 2013




Bill Blair: Hey, I've got pictures of you.
Rob Ford: You don't scare me, that could be anyone's ass!
posted by saturday_morning at 12:56 PM on November 14, 2013


When it comes to the Simpsons and Toronto, it's all about the episode where Homer becomes garbage commissioner. It's more or less exactly what's happened here, except that Miller was too classy to say "You're screwed, thank you, bye."
posted by The Card Cheat at 12:56 PM on November 14, 2013 [3 favorites]


Oops -- most of those are Peter Griffin. Only one glancing Quimby reference.
posted by maudlin at 12:57 PM on November 14, 2013


Rob Ford: Hey! I am no longer illiterate.
posted by The Whelk at 12:59 PM on November 14, 2013


Oh man, the parallel between what Council is doing and the Klingon Discommendation Ceremony by DeVilla was an angle I was really missing.
posted by dry white toast at 1:04 PM on November 14, 2013


If they could just jump straight to the Wreck of the Hesperus, I'd appreciate it.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 1:06 PM on November 14, 2013


Hudak has been avoiding this whole mess because it's a political live wire for him. Horwath is making him grab it and make a decision. Probably Hudak goes anti-Ford because Dougie is going to make a play for the party leadership at some point in the near future (assuming he doesn't go to jail), but he didn't want to have to do it publicly.

I dunno if Tim Hudak plays chess, but right now he is learning what a zugzwang is.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 1:08 PM on November 14, 2013 [2 favorites]


Mammoliti is claiming Ford is drunk and/or high in council right now.
posted by The Card Cheat at 1:10 PM on November 14, 2013


Mayor Ford’s press conference to apologize for his previous press conference ends in press shoving match
posted by KokuRyu at 1:11 PM on November 14, 2013


Has anyone asked Mammoliti the same question about himself?
posted by dry white toast at 1:16 PM on November 14, 2013


Hahahahaha a buddy is on Spirit Airlines mailing list and just received this.
posted by gman at 1:53 PM on November 14, 2013 [5 favorites]


Ford then said he never said "I want to eat your pussy" to a former female staffer, an allegation contained in the court document.

"I'm happily married, I have more than enough to eat at home," he said, drawing gasps from the reporters gathered around his office.
Sadly, these were the talking points.
posted by mazola at 2:09 PM on November 14, 2013


dry white toast: "Ivor Tossell, Jonathan Goldsbie, and John Michael McGrath are on CTV News Channel right now talking about whether our system of government and politics is built to handle a politician like Ford."

Well no, it isn't. Canadian politics (including Ontario) have inherited the tradition of Uncodified Constitutions from Britain, and that resonates all the way through the system. We go by tradition and precedent as much as law, which is why politicians almost always resign when they get caught doing bad things. Nobody wants to be remembered as the worst ever crook, or the one guy who brought shame to the system.

Rob Ford is completely tone deaf to all of this. Either he doesn't care, or he's so insulated from consequences that he thinks he can turn it all around.
posted by Kevin Street at 2:21 PM on November 14, 2013 [4 favorites]


"Ivor Tossell, Jonathan Goldsbie, and John Michael McGrath are on CTV News Channel right now talking about whether our system of government and politics is built to handle a politician like Ford."

Not to be overdramatic, but this seems in a way to be how dictatorships are launched.
posted by KokuRyu at 2:24 PM on November 14, 2013


Goldsbie: Karen Stintz says the city has suspended all school trips to city hall indefinitely because staff deemed it unsafe.
posted by saturday_morning at 2:28 PM on November 14, 2013


"Student trips to city hall have been suspended indefinitely because staff believe it is "unsafe" for kids to visit, says Cllr Stintz"

Ya think? Jesus.

School trips to City Hall postponed b/c of 2 incidents:child hit with camera, students toured around Mayor's office on Take Kids to Work Day
posted by chococat at 2:29 PM on November 14, 2013


Karen Stintz says the city has suspended all school trips to city hall indefinitely because staff deemed it unsafe.

Good. Some story today about the "pussy" comments ran with a photo of Ford blowing a kiss to the camera with some of the young ladies and lads from "Take Your Kids to Work Day" standing around him - I guess it was during his "tour" - and it was a really uncomfortable juxtaposition.
posted by nubs at 2:43 PM on November 14, 2013


Mothers Against Drunk Driving issues statement about Ford's admission of drunk driving.

I was waiting for MADD to step in, actually. Their statement is much more restrained than I thought it would be, given that he's already has a DUI conviction from Florida.

Also noteworthy is that the story is that he drank a mickey of vodka with a Gatorade chaser while driving around a school. Not that ordinary drunk driving isn't bad enough, but around schoolkids?

But hey -- cutting the gravy, so who cares?
posted by Capt. Renault at 3:00 PM on November 14, 2013


dry white toast- You have helped me see that I was assuming too much about Tory's intention to run.

I had heard about his backers and funders really gearing things up but upon reading this I see that he might not even be involved.
posted by beau jackson at 3:04 PM on November 14, 2013


I'm just glad none of these personal issues affected his work in any way.
posted by mazola at 3:06 PM on November 14, 2013 [1 favorite]


I was in a diner this morning with a TV running CP24. When they interviewed some guy who said he didn't care about the crack, drinking, etc. because it had "nothing to do" with his job performance, most of the people within earshot cracked up started laughing.
posted by The Card Cheat at 4:02 PM on November 14, 2013 [1 favorite]


So there's the big day at council tomorrow where council will debate and vote on removing a lot of mayoral powers, right? Now there's a petition for a special meeting on Monday that will super-duper strip him of powers to infinity, making him mayor in name only.

That is: the deputy mayor gets all duties not mandated to stay with the mayor by statute, the mayor's office budget is reduced to that of a mere councillor, and the mayor's excess (overpaid) staff get the chance for jobs somewhere else in City Hall, etc. (God, I can't wait to see where they place David Price.)

PDF. Scroll through the whole thing, including the signatures of the 28 petitioning councillors at the end.
posted by maudlin at 5:02 PM on November 14, 2013 [1 favorite]




From the Torontoist - what else the Toronto City Council did today:
Since it was a normal day, council did a lot of other business while the mayor was doing his thing.

...

Council approved 71 affordable rental units for the waterfront, which the mayor vociferously opposed. He argued that current community housing tenants should have their units repaired first, that prime real estate like the waterfront is unsuitable for this housing, and no one does more on community housing issues than him. Councillors pointed out that this wasn’t a TCHC project, that 20 per cent of waterfront housing is mandated to be affordable, and that he really knew nothing about the issue...

Council also unanimously adopted the integrity commissioner report, finding that the mayor again violated council’s code of conduct. The report outlined how how the mayor used City property (official letterhead) to solicit private donations. This may sound familiar, from the other time he did exactly the same thing and, through a series of events, almost wound up losing his job. Well this incident happened after all of that, which is normal in its own way too.
posted by nubs at 6:09 PM on November 14, 2013 [5 favorites]


From nubs' polling link above:
Replace Tory with Chow — seemingly the left’s only heavyweight hope in Toronto — and the NDP MP and former city councillor walks over Ford with 44% support in the poll to the current mayor’s 28 per cent. Stintz falls back to 22 per cent and Soknacki lands at 7 per cent.
(emphasis mine)
I thought that 28% looked familiar...
John: Hey, Bush is now at 37% approval. I feel much less like Kevin McCarthy screaming in traffic. But I wonder what his base is --

Tyrone: 27%.

John: ... you said that immmediately, and with some authority.

Tyrone: Obama vs. Alan Keyes. Keyes was from out of state, so you can eliminate any established political base; both candidates were black, so you can factor out racism; and Keyes was plainly, obviously, completely crazy. Batshit crazy. Head-trauma crazy. But 27% of the population of Illinois voted for him. They put party identification, personal prejudice, whatever ahead of rational judgement. Hell, even like 5% of Democrats voted for him. That's crazy behaviour. I think you have to assume a 27% Crazification Factor in any population.


from Kung Fu Monkey, on the Crazification factor, October 2005
posted by Homeboy Trouble at 6:26 PM on November 14, 2013 [7 favorites]


I have been locked up in a conference room without wifi all day. (A conference for social media and online community managers without wifi, you can only imagine how terrible the jonesing and DTs got around 11am.) We only got like, 2 Rob Ford jokes, none of which had anything to do with oral sex.

So you can imagine my surprise when I got home and clicked over to MetaFilter.

Or maybe surprise is the wrong word. Is there a word that means 'well, if I had to specifically predict something, it probably wouldn't have been oral sex jokes, but it's not like I'm actually surprised, just sort of vaguely unpleasantly resigned'?
posted by jacquilynne at 6:32 PM on November 14, 2013 [1 favorite]


I'm starting to wonder if radical substance abuse, poor impulse control, shouting, rabid verbal and physical attacks on people, sudden outbursts of wildly inappropriate obscenities, and so on through the catalog of Rob Fordisms is all pointing to CHRONIC TRAUMATIC ENCEPHALOPATHY, the progressive degenerative brain disease that is known to eat away the brains of, in particular, former football players. Symptoms include anger, irritability, aggression.

And if the football alone isn't enough to kill his brain, surely the smoking and sniffing of hard drugs, and the frequent guzzling of entire bottles of liquor at a time are. He looks like a guy who's approaching "wet brain alcoholic" status -- a different kind of encephalopathy. Symptoms include "changes in mental state" and "unsteady stance and gait".

It's clear that this guy's problem goes way beyond mere "asshole" into something seriously pathological, right? Man needs a doctor ASAP.
posted by Fnarf at 6:36 PM on November 14, 2013 [1 favorite]


OK, as someone who was born and raised in Toronto, before the place where the mayor comes from even was part of Toronto, this has been hilarious, but it also makes me incredibly sad. We've become a city run by an asshole, with a significant amount of support from other assholes.

On the other hand, this is basically the whole next season of Parks and Rec, and it is going to be awesome.



Leslie and Ben were The Princess Bride for Halloween! The Princess Bride! Yes I'm drunk- what about it?
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 6:40 PM on November 14, 2013 [2 favorites]


she would consult first with the other party leaders and ask for UNANIMOUS consent from the provincial legislature, which ain't gonna happen

Just to note that while I know next to nothing about the Ontario legislature, unanimous consent is not, in general, some weird thing that's impossible to achieve; it's a normal, boring, part of the workday in legislatures around the world. All it means is nobody stands up and says "I object."
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 7:05 PM on November 14, 2013


This is mostly a placeholder comment for Recent Activity but general thanks to everyone in this thread. Ford is mentally exhausting, but I have a slightly better grasp of the city's and the province's politics.
posted by zix at 7:14 PM on November 14, 2013


If there's any good thing to be pulled from this, it's how incredibly restrained the response to RoFo has been from all sides of the spectrum. He'll probably be politically neutered in the next four or five days and consigned to the dustbin marked WTF of history.
posted by sweet mister at 7:27 PM on November 14, 2013


Just watched The Daily Show. I think this morning's oral sex quote finally broke Jon Stewart.
posted by dry white toast at 8:13 PM on November 14, 2013 [2 favorites]


Yes, his head pretty much exploded. I think it probably was 'the closer' though.
posted by sweet mister at 8:21 PM on November 14, 2013


Also, on background: had dinner tonight with a good friend who grew up in Etobicoke and whose older brothers went to high school with the mayor. She described an incident wherein Rob Ford grabbed her brother by the throat (such that his feet left the ground) and pinning him against a wall while his buddies looked on and laughed.

So while the armchair diagnoses of psychological or degenerative brain disorders are kinda fun, the simple truth is that Rob Ford is and always has been a total fucking bully.
posted by dry white toast at 8:21 PM on November 14, 2013 [4 favorites]


Yes I'm drunk- what about it?

It's ok, TheWhiteSkull - this is a safe place. We'll keep you away from any surprise crack.
posted by nubs at 8:30 PM on November 14, 2013 [4 favorites]


*pouts, puts away all the surprise crack banners and balloons*
posted by The Whelk at 8:31 PM on November 14, 2013 [9 favorites]


The Daily Show.

"If you have children...you should call them down so they can see this."
posted by Lemurrhea at 5:47 AM on November 15, 2013 [1 favorite]


Remember those days when we all agreed that Ford's unwillingness to talk to reporters was really hurting him?
posted by dry white toast at 6:11 AM on November 15, 2013 [1 favorite]


the simple truth is that Rob Ford is and always has been a total fucking bully.

I've long pictured the Fords as supporting players in an 80's era high school movie. There's always a rich kid with good hair and teeth who is the oppressor of the more awkward kids in school, especially the movie's hero. That rich kid drives a brand new expensive convertible, often red, all seats occupied by his band of flunkies, whose role is to laugh at the victims of rich kid's assaults. Among those flunkies, always in the back seat, is one physically large but mentally slow dude wearing one of those football jackets with the leather sleeves. We'll call him Moose. In this picture Doug drives the car and Rob is in the back, being Moose.
posted by TimTypeZed at 6:13 AM on November 15, 2013 [2 favorites]


> Since it was a normal day, council did a lot of other business while the mayor was doing his thing.

It felt good to get back to hating Rob Ford for his shitty policies instead of...all the other stuff.
posted by The Card Cheat at 6:17 AM on November 15, 2013


> I've long pictured the Fords as supporting players in an 80's era high school movie.

I've always thought that Rob and Dougie thought running city council was going to work the same way as running the family business as the boss's sons went; they were going to tell people what to do, and they would do it, or else. The only flaw with that line of reasoning is that Rob had been a city councilor for 10 years and *should* have known that Toronto's weak mayor system didn't operate that way.
posted by The Card Cheat at 6:23 AM on November 15, 2013


Among those flunkies, always in the back seat, is one physically large but mentally slow dude wearing one of those football jackets with the leather sleeves. We'll call him Moose.

Crabbe and Goyle Rob and Doug
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 6:28 AM on November 15, 2013


Let the shit show begin.
posted by gman at 6:31 AM on November 15, 2013


Doug Ford has a bottle of Grey Goose stashed under his desk while he's being interviewed on CNN.
posted by Flashman at 6:43 AM on November 15, 2013 [3 favorites]


Let the shit show begin.

Oh Canada! Let's play some hockey! Here it goes...
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 6:45 AM on November 15, 2013 [1 favorite]


Sound, Star, sound!
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 6:48 AM on November 15, 2013




Dougie's going for the old "how much is this going to cost the city" argument. In other words, "it's the council costing the city money" not his moronic brother and Team Ford's legal challenge.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 7:21 AM on November 15, 2013 [1 favorite]


Man, Rob is such a witless entitled prick that during a council meeting he asks the city solicitor to provide him with personal legal advice.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 7:28 AM on November 15, 2013 [1 favorite]


Man, Rob is such a witless entitled prick that during a council meeting he asks the city solicitor to provide him with personal legal advice.

What's worse is his own paid lawyer asked him to ask!

Geez his speech is just moronic. "I didn't fire the people I disagreed with." Did they make a complete embarrasment of themselves in the process, Rob?
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 7:34 AM on November 15, 2013


Ford: "This will hurt the taxpayers at the end of the day," cost thousands of dollars, and take months to deal with in court.

THE GALL.
posted by Theta States at 7:34 AM on November 15, 2013 [1 favorite]


Voting!
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 7:35 AM on November 15, 2013


I dunno, guys, I just, I feel like it would be cheaper to just forget about all the shit I've done and move on to my reelection campaign.
posted by cortex at 7:35 AM on November 15, 2013 [1 favorite]


39 to 3 - It's done.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 7:36 AM on November 15, 2013


Sorry, prelim motions passed. Now on to the voting...
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 7:37 AM on November 15, 2013


The headlines should read: Rob Ford promises to cost the city a tonne of money in legal costs.
posted by Theta States at 7:37 AM on November 15, 2013 [1 favorite]


40-2 - It's now done.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 7:37 AM on November 15, 2013


"I don't want to say coup d'etat..."
posted by cortex at 8:04 AM on November 15, 2013 [1 favorite]


How about "fishpaste" instead?
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 8:05 AM on November 15, 2013


("... but I will.")
posted by ricochet biscuit at 8:05 AM on November 15, 2013


I just want to remind everyone that schadenfreude is the Nutella of emotions - so sweet, so delicious, but you do not want anyone to catch you eating it straight from the jar, with a serving spoon.
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 8:07 AM on November 15, 2013 [11 favorites]


Not to be left out, the Calgary Herald's resident concern troll weighs in on the bullying of Rob Ford.
posted by nubs at 8:07 AM on November 15, 2013


Doug Ford: "You don't have that authority. I know you think you do, and maybe you do."

The light is red. I know you think it is green, and maybe it is green, but it is red.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 8:10 AM on November 15, 2013 [1 favorite]


Anyone that's playing the drinking game at home is as wasted as Robbie after the number of "taxpayer's money" comments they've had to chug for at this point!
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 8:11 AM on November 15, 2013


I've always thought that Rob and Dougie thought running city council was going to work the same way as running the family business as the boss's sons went; they were going to tell people what to do, and they would do it, or else. The only flaw with that line of reasoning is that Rob had been a city councilor for 10 years and *should* have known that Toronto's weak mayor system didn't operate that way.


Yeah, not sure what basis there is for thinking Ford was that attentive.
posted by dry white toast at 8:12 AM on November 15, 2013


Evan Mitsui: Mayor Ford was stoned faced as motion passes.
posted by octobersurprise at 8:12 AM on November 15, 2013


The Ford brothers may be relatively subdued this morning, but their arguments basically amount to "Stop hitting yourself! Stop hitting yourself! Stop hitting yourself!"
posted by maudlin at 8:13 AM on November 15, 2013


... and emergency powers go to Norm Kelly, 41-2.
posted by maudlin at 8:14 AM on November 15, 2013


41-2 again for the Emergency Powers by-laws the two each time, shockingly Ford, R and Ford, D.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 8:14 AM on November 15, 2013


How come there are sometimes 43 votes, but sometimes 42?
posted by Chuckles at 8:17 AM on November 15, 2013


And wiki says there are 45 seats. Who are these absentee councillors? And on this of all days?! Maybe we do need across the board drug testing..
posted by Chuckles at 8:19 AM on November 15, 2013


Ford says "if I'd had a mayor acting they way I'd acted, I'd probably doing the same thing" Council is doing.

This tells you a lot. He knows what's happening, but resigning is not even an option he can cogitate. Moreover, he doesn't blame them, but he has to sue them in response.

This man's life is all about The Code. The world to him is a street fight where if you back down you're a pussy, no matter the circumstance.
posted by dry white toast at 8:19 AM on November 15, 2013 [8 favorites]


So has Ford lost what minor support he had in the council? - the votes a few days ago were usually 5 against for steps that were certainly less serious.
posted by muddgirl at 8:20 AM on November 15, 2013


Mammo is absent today (divided loyalties) and Lindsay Luby - an Etobicoke councillor who is also facing divided loyalties and perhaps a conflict in what her residents want her to vote versus her personal choice. Luby was absent yesterday too.
posted by saucysault at 8:21 AM on November 15, 2013


Gloria Lindsay Luby and Mammoliti have been away for all the votes. There was a third person who missed some of the earlier votes, but I don't remember anymore who it was.
posted by jacquilynne at 8:21 AM on November 15, 2013


Who are these absentee councillors?

Giorgio Mammoliti, famous mayoral toady, and Gloria Lindsay-Luby, who isn't really. GLL is probably sick. Mammo is probably hiding somewhere.
posted by mightygodking at 8:22 AM on November 15, 2013


I think Thursday cost Ford a LOT of support.

This is Robyn's Doolittle's sketch
of one of the votes: peach absent (Mammo, Luby and Crawford), pink against. The two-part vote totals we're reporting here don't always include the abstentions and/or people may be drifting in and out of council on certain votes.
posted by maudlin at 8:23 AM on November 15, 2013


Toronto city council votes 37-5 to ask Mayor Rob Ford to take a leave of absence to "address his personal issues."

40-2 - It's now done.


Wait a minute. Three councillors voted against Rob Ford getting help for his addictions and taking a temporary leave of absence with the little dignity he had left and instead voted to humiliate him by taking away his mayoral powers.

Damn.

Also, haha.
posted by Bokmakierie at 8:23 AM on November 15, 2013


Daniel Dale: "Karen Stintz was asked repeatedly if Ford is a "lame duck." More like duck confit if Monday's proposals pass."
posted by maudlin at 8:26 AM on November 15, 2013


Bokmakierie, those motions were largely symbolic, since they couldn't actually make him take a leave. So you can see some councillors saying 'why bother?' But these motions have real impact on Ford's powers.
posted by dry white toast at 8:26 AM on November 15, 2013


This was a bit of an unexpected comment, but pretty good:

Councillor John Filion: 'Asked how he thought Ford would react to the motions, he said he expected a "pumped up" mayor would likely "start doing body slams."'
posted by Bokmakierie at 8:29 AM on November 15, 2013


But once all of the Mayor's responsibilities and powers are gone won't that just leave him more time to sit in his office and get hammered?

("Look. Here's some money. Go get yourself a couple of pints and a two four and get out of our hair.")
posted by octobersurprise at 8:35 AM on November 15, 2013


Dougie's just gonna vote no on everything out of spite now, eh?
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 8:36 AM on November 15, 2013


"This is going to be precedent setting, and if we move ahead with this, then obviously if someone else steps out of line like I have, this is going to affect councillors and the mayor for years to come."

Buh...wuh? So council developing the ability and establishing the precedent to deal with someone acting like this is not an appropriate, responsible thing to do?

The cognitive dissonance, it burns...the googles, they do nothing...
posted by nubs at 8:37 AM on November 15, 2013 [1 favorite]


You can now take the Rob Ford quote quiz!
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 8:41 AM on November 15, 2013 [3 favorites]


You're absolutely right, dry white toast. But it just seems that if a councillor felt strongly enough about the situation to take away the mayor's powers, it would not be inconsistent to lend support to a motion that first asks him to step down for his own good. Just my perspective. I'm sure your assessment is the correct one.

The beautiful irony here is that if people go into politics for power and the chance to build a legacy, the Fords not only have lost power, but have forever associated the Ford name with crack smoking drunken stupors.
posted by Bokmakierie at 8:49 AM on November 15, 2013


You can now take the Rob Ford quote quiz!

Even if you do not recall the instances of some of these deathless utterances, many of them are not hard to guess. For example:
“If we’re looking for the source of our troubles, we shouldn’t test people for drugs, we should test them for stupidity, ignorance, greed and love of power.”
Your choices here are Rob Ford or P.J. O'Rourke, who has been a professional writer for decades. Back in the inaugural Rob Ford thread, I quoted Ford's then-chief of staff when he stated bluntly that unfortunately Ford had difficulty with big words. His Worship is likelier to win a decathlon than to produce a sentence that pithy.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 9:01 AM on November 15, 2013


The transgender one got me because it sounds exactly like something Prince Philip would say.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 9:03 AM on November 15, 2013


He wouldn't say "guys." I imagine he'd say "chaps," or "fellows" or something. Otherwise, thiiiiiiiis close to being electable as mayor of Toronto!
posted by taz at 9:08 AM on November 15, 2013


Mayor Prince Philip would be kind of cool. I'd vote for him over Ford any day.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 9:17 AM on November 15, 2013


Looks like the Star just pulled a Rosie DiManno column. Google cache.
posted by The Card Cheat at 9:24 AM on November 15, 2013


Philip seems like he's well qualified given precident.
posted by bonehead at 9:27 AM on November 15, 2013


Saw it earlier, read it, didn't post it. I think DiManno seriously overstepped there. Too bad it was posted and yanked instead of just never being posted.
posted by maudlin at 9:28 AM on November 15, 2013


I can see why it was yanked. That being said this line gave me pause:

But there is a strong argument to be made that those kids are at risk.

In Alberta, where DV is occurring in a house where children are, there is an automatic report that needs to be made to child welfare. Don't know if that's the case in Ontario.
posted by nubs at 9:32 AM on November 15, 2013


Yes, it is true as well in Ontario, but CAS is very political here and from numerous people that have experience with CAS, or SHOULD have had experience with CAS but CAS refused to investigate, the various agencies of CAS in Ontario shy away from families that are wealthy.
posted by saucysault at 9:37 AM on November 15, 2013


The thing that still burns me about all this is how his staff and the police knew he was driving drunk all the time and just continued to let him do it.

Rob Ford is our mayor because he is the angry defender of the suburban privilege that demands everyone but them should pay for their automobile dependence.

Looks like the Star just pulled a Rosie DiManno column. Google cache.

I first read that as the Star yanking her column for good. One can dream.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 9:41 AM on November 15, 2013 [3 favorites]


Hey, 14 out of 16! Not bad for a non-Canadian, eh?
posted by Curious Artificer at 9:46 AM on November 15, 2013


There's a new DiManno column up.

Robyn Doolittle live chat is starting.
posted by maudlin at 9:47 AM on November 15, 2013


16 out of 16...

...I should get back to work now.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 9:49 AM on November 15, 2013


But once all of the Mayor's responsibilities and powers are gone won't that just leave him more time to sit in his office and get hammered?

("Look. Here's some money. Go get yourself a couple of pints and a two four and get out of our hair.")


Just build him a miniature Toronto to stomp around in in a warehouse with a fridge full of booze and endless football on the TV and lock him in, he'll be fine.
posted by jason_steakums at 9:50 AM on November 15, 2013 [3 favorites]


So what you're saying is, if he wants to be a big politician in a small town, he should fuck off up the model village?
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 9:51 AM on November 15, 2013 [7 favorites]


Yarp.
posted by jason_steakums at 9:52 AM on November 15, 2013 [5 favorites]


> The thing that still burns me about all this is how his staff and the police knew he was driving drunk all the time and just continued to let him do it.

With hindsight... maybe laying that charge would have been the better course. It would have been a wake-up call, and if prosecuted, would be the token conviction that would allow the city council to toss him out.

But we all know that there are different rules for the rulers... and the police would have been open to charges of being part of a "conspiracy" to get RF. And, there was a broader investigation, that we do not yet know the full scope of. What if they'd charged him with DUI before the investigation led to finding that video?

Even as late as Oct 30, the announcement by Chief Blair of the existence of the crack video (the thing that started this thread) was, I believe, done in a way that still would have permitted RF to cop to behaviour problems and resign to get help. But Rob couldn't even take that hint, so we're doing it the hard way.
posted by Artful Codger at 9:53 AM on November 15, 2013 [1 favorite]


...a miniature Toronto to stomp around in in a warehouse...

...waving his little tyrannosaur armies.
posted by bonehead at 9:59 AM on November 15, 2013


To be fair, white russians are really tasty.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 10:09 AM on November 15, 2013


The logical supposition as to why the police didn't nab Ford all those times was that they're building a case for something bigger against him, and to arrest and charge him would mean giving up their surveillance. I mean, Lisi could have been the target, but it's debatable if an extortion and pot charge on an admittedly well-connected cronie is worth all that logistical effort.

I will say though, the fact that Blair admitted to having the tape but saying it will only be presented in court has struck me as strange since the moment the story broke. I mean, he had every reason to say he couldn't discuss evidence until discovery in court. It would be a pretty defensible position. Why did he go public when he did?
posted by dry white toast at 10:20 AM on November 15, 2013


The logical supposition as to why the police didn't nab Ford all those times was that they're building a case for something bigger against him, and to arrest and charge him would mean giving up their surveillance.

I really hope this is what's happening, because the alternative is just another depressing case of the rich and powerful being above the law.

Why did he go public when he did?

My understanding is that the existence and contents of the tape and Lisi's alleged extortion to obtain it would have been made public later that day as a result of a court ordered partial unsealing of the ITO that the Star had sought.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 10:31 AM on November 15, 2013


Respect to the Toronto City Council for doing what they could to manage an impossible situation by voting to strip Rob Ford of much of his mayoral power, and then getting back to work.

Now, Toronto Police and Children's Aid Society, you'd better be doing your jobs properly.
posted by orange swan at 10:35 AM on November 15, 2013


Except that the police said they had only recovered the digital file two days prior. The ITO had been unsealed before the announcement, and it didn't indicate the police were in possession of the tape.
posted by dry white toast at 10:35 AM on November 15, 2013


Why did [Blair] go public [with the confirmed existence of the video] when he did?

As I said - I'm certain this was offering Ford a semi-dignified (...compared to what has actually transpired) escape hatch, which he didn't take.
posted by Artful Codger at 10:39 AM on November 15, 2013 [1 favorite]




I mean, Lisi could have been the target, but it's debatable if an extortion and pot charge on an admittedly well-connected cronie is worth all that logistical effort.

Could be, or could be they just never got enough to charge him with more or charge Ford. The level of resources applied to the case was certainly justified in the fact that the allegations against the mayor have been quite serious. On accusations this serious; murder, "hard" drug dealing, extortion, and government corruption an investigation that results in no findings or charges is still justified. The job of law enforcement is to enforce the law and investigate alleged crime.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 10:40 AM on November 15, 2013 [1 favorite]


I think Artful Codger's explanation makes sense then. Give Ford a way to avoid being hauled from office in cuffs.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 10:43 AM on November 15, 2013


As I said - I'm certain this was offering Ford a semi-dignified escape hatch, which he didn't take.

No doubt you are correct. Which makes it exactly "just another depressing case of the rich and powerful being above the law." Not exactly above, of course, but definitely playing by different rules. You almost have to thank Ford for drawing it into such stark relief.
posted by Chuckles at 10:45 AM on November 15, 2013 [1 favorite]


I do appreciate that the NP headline is "Rob Ford promises costly court challenge after losing key powers in unprecedented council vote"
posted by Theta States at 10:47 AM on November 15, 2013


I'm beginning to wonder whether Doug is the fish the police are angling for, not Rob. They could nip Rob at any time, but doing so would disrupt the progress they're making towards Doug.
posted by ardgedee at 10:50 AM on November 15, 2013 [6 favorites]


With this being the same Toronto police and police chief from the G20 summit, and that had this callous response recently to cyclists getting doored, I'm not sure it's a safe assumption that they're working in the best way to serve the public interest.
posted by parudox at 10:58 AM on November 15, 2013 [1 favorite]


I think Rob isn't being advised (or permitted) by family to resign precisely because the one with the political future is Doug. Rob's taking the heat that might be refocused on Doug, if Rob resigned. Though (hopefully) by now, Doug won't politically survive this mess either.
posted by Artful Codger at 10:58 AM on November 15, 2013


The one good thing about Rob Ford refusing to resign and the whole ensuing fiasco is that the Ford brothers are finished politically. If Ford had admitted his substance abuse issues and taken a leave of absence last spring to go to rehab, he could have had an excellent shot at coming back to the job and even of winning the next Toronto mayoral election, and who knows what elections down the road. Doug had hopes of being premier of Ontario some day. Now? Rob and Doug won't have a prayer of being elected dog catchers in Stouffville, Ontario. Mind you they might try to run in some election or other, but it'll just be a sideshow to the real election race.
posted by orange swan at 11:11 AM on November 15, 2013 [1 favorite]


I'm not sure it's a safe assumption that they're working in the best way to serve the public interest.

That's more a matter of point of view. In his pov the cyclist issue is a non-issue, but even a callus old crank would be pretty hard pressed not to find executive corruption and crack, if not murder and extortion, to be pretty serious.

I'm beginning to wonder whether Doug is the fish the police are angling for, not Rob.

I think they're angling for whomever is the biggest fish in the lake. If that's Doug then sobeit. I also don't think this is done. They don't show their cards like this unless it serves a purpose. I'd bet they are watching where the roaches scatter to when the lights are flicked on and seeing where Team Ford hides the bodies (evidence). Everything the Fords say, everywhere they go, everything in their trash is being looked at now I'd bet.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 11:11 AM on November 15, 2013 [1 favorite]


The one good thing about Rob Ford refusing to resign and the whole ensuing fiasco is that the Ford brothers are finished politically.

You heard they were getting a weekly political TV show, right? I have a feeling they are wagering their political futures on ploughing forward with their fever-dream political narrative.
posted by Theta States at 11:16 AM on November 15, 2013


I have a feeling they are wagering their political futures on ploughing forward with their fever-dream political narrative.

I wonder if anyone has tried that before?
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 11:17 AM on November 15, 2013


Like I said, anything they do will just be some unintentionally hilarious sideshow, like Sarah Palin. They are finished politically.

Edit: Heh, someone beat me to the Sarah Palin reference! I swear I didn't see it before I hit post!
posted by orange swan at 11:18 AM on November 15, 2013


But the show can't keep them on after January, when campaigning officially (ha!) starts. So this is a quick, somewhat risky move by Sun tv that will give them a quick surge of viewers -- not just Ford Nation -- and then it will be over.
posted by maudlin at 11:18 AM on November 15, 2013


The decision to give them a show has far more to do with Sun hoping / begging / pleading for people to figure out where they are on their TV than it is about giving 2 shits about The Fords.
I am sure Ezra Levant is not a happy puppy, having to share further in the manufactured outrage spotlight.

Announcing a new show with someone at the height (??) of their addiction revelations is an incredibly cynical move for eyeballs.
This is trot-your-wife-through-a-press-scrum levels of desperation on their part.
posted by Theta States at 11:24 AM on November 15, 2013 [2 favorites]


Announcing a new show with someone at the height (??) of their addiction revelations is an incredibly cynical move for eyeballs.

I wonder if anyone has tried that before?
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 11:28 AM on November 15, 2013


They don't show their cards like this unless it serves a purpose.

The ONLY purpose for saying "I've seen the video and I'm disappointed" is to give Ford a hint--"Now it is really time to go Mr. Ford, no hard feelings about the murder."
posted by Chuckles at 12:34 PM on November 15, 2013


I'm beginning to wonder whether Doug is the fish the police are angling for, not Rob. They could nip Rob at any time, but doing so would disrupt the progress they're making towards Doug.

An interesting though. I wonder- what do you think they're going after Doug for? He isn't mentioned in the IPO at all, is he? Is there any indication that he's involved in anything illegal?
posted by beau jackson at 12:40 PM on November 15, 2013


Calgary Opera is having a little too much fun with this.
posted by chapps at 12:41 PM on November 15, 2013 [5 favorites]


The ONLY purpose

Why is that the only possibility? Cops do stuff like this all the time to see how an organization moves. It also distrupts the organization when they keep its "bag man" out of action. They drop that they've got the video, the Fords go on damage control and start trying to hide things, and their go-to sleeze-bag, Lisi, is in custody. The Fords are bound to be screwing up all over the place in trying to cover their tracks right now.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 12:45 PM on November 15, 2013 [1 favorite]


> The ONLY purpose for saying "I've seen the video and I'm disappointed"

That was actually a small (yet honest and forgivable) slip on Chief Blair's part, after the press scrum repeatedly pressured him to characterize or express judgement on the video contents. Recall how much fuss Dougie made after that ("Chief Blair should resign")
posted by Artful Codger at 1:16 PM on November 15, 2013


Robyn Doolittle now has her own Anger Translator: "If I Was Robyn Doolittle". Weak on the proper use of the subjunctive, moderately strong on snark, but it did get her to accidentally re-tweet the link.
posted by maudlin at 1:32 PM on November 15, 2013


You know you're a fuck up when Charlie Sheen shows his support.
posted by gman at 2:18 PM on November 15, 2013 [3 favorites]


a miniature Toronto to stomp around in

He wouldn't have to go far to find that: the lobby of City Hall would suffice.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 3:02 PM on November 15, 2013 [3 favorites]


In fairness, Canada's more socialist welfare policies try to ensure that everyone has enough to eat.
posted by transient at 3:13 PM on November 15, 2013 [4 favorites]


This trainwreck just won't end...
posted by ocherdraco at 4:14 PM on November 15, 2013


It won't. I have a feeling there's much more to come, and that it'll keep on getting worse even when we think it can't.
posted by orange swan at 4:16 PM on November 15, 2013


The DiManno story about Renata is back up. MetroMan at Urban Toronto said that this story is the Star's big focus for the weekend. I don't like this.
posted by maudlin at 4:24 PM on November 15, 2013


There's a new Heather Mallick column too. The DiManno column has several new paragraphs added to the end. Neither one reads like a valentine.
posted by maudlin at 4:36 PM on November 15, 2013


In fairness, Canada's more socialist welfare policies try to ensure that everyone has enough to eat.

All right, the Republican's couldn't chase me out of here, but that may just be the thing that convinces me to emigrate!
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 5:58 PM on November 15, 2013


There's enough hand-wringing here to last for years.
posted by telstar at 6:15 PM on November 15, 2013


That Mallick column has the best description of Sun News: "a handy little corral for the slower among us [...] a bouncy hate castle for grown-ups."
posted by [expletive deleted] at 6:28 PM on November 15, 2013 [10 favorites]


And the best thing about those sobriquets is that they apply equally well to the "I Hate the War on Rob Ford" Facebook page.
posted by orange swan at 6:38 PM on November 15, 2013


From the National Post: "Rob Ford vows not to go down without a fight after vote strips him of key powers."

I see what they did thar. I think the entire journalistic establishment in Toronto is pretty much losing its mind right now.
posted by jokeefe at 7:01 PM on November 15, 2013 [4 favorites]


Miley Cyrus getting in on the destruction.
posted by gman at 5:24 AM on November 16, 2013 [2 favorites]


I see what they did thar.

You were not the only one. When I looked at the Post later, the headline was Rob Ford vows not to go without a fight after vote strips him of key powers.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 6:31 AM on November 16, 2013


This trainwreck just won't end...

The Gravy Train Wreck!
posted by mazola at 6:32 AM on November 16, 2013 [1 favorite]


I'm usually pretty good with innuendo, both giving and receiving, but despite considerable effort I wasn't able to see what they did thar until I saw the correction above - thanks.
posted by Flashman at 6:58 AM on November 16, 2013 [1 favorite]


Life imitates art.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 7:41 AM on November 16, 2013 [6 favorites]


Art imitates life. [refer]
posted by ardgedee at 5:38 PM on November 16, 2013 [2 favorites]


Hey Rob, life ain't so bad.
posted by gman at 6:06 AM on November 17, 2013 [1 favorite]


Can I take a moment here to talk about how frustrating it is to work with Ford supporters in Toronto? Most of my co-workers agree that Rob Ford has to step down at this point, but they still think he's being persecuted by the media and is essentially being hounded out of office by the left wing. Some of them also say he's "fun" to watch, and they agree with his policies. They also repeat the usual talking points verbatim: that he saved the city a billion dollars, that he's bringing subways to Toronto, and that he's cutting government waste. I have tried countering these points either with my own opinions, or even asking where they get this information they're quoting, but it just makes them angry. I have been in two shouting matches in two weeks, and I have had to stop talking politics altogether for fear of becoming the office pariah.

Part of the frustration is that I really hate that Rob Ford is mayor. This never should have happened -- he has a long history of lying, of reductive politics, of being combative with other city councilors and simply exhibiting sheer ignorance of the rules and simple political decorum. But I also understand why and how he got elected. His main competitor, George Smitherman, had a lot of political baggage with scandals in the provincial liberal government, and put on a terrible campaign that failed to articulate even one clear platform idea. Also, Ford was able to gather a lot of outer Toronto support both through his anti-government rhetoric (Tea Party North, anyone?) and with his own close work with his own constituents -- the one point I will grant Ford is that he treated the councilor's job very seriously, at least in terms of making sure people in his ward saw results on their turf. Still, Ford was woefully unqualified for a higher position that required nuance, that required working with others in government, and listening to outside ideas. I knew it was going to be a shitshow from the moment he got elected, but who could ever have predicted it would go so badly?

Which brings me back to my co-workers. I am a fan of former mayor David Miller, and I made the mistake of telling co-workers that I would happily vote for him again. My co-workers hate Miller as much as I hate Ford, and unfortunately I was not prepared for this. When I talked in private with one co-worker about it, he said that his family "knew" Miller personally, and according to him, Miller would grant all sorts of favours to his associates and ignore everyone else. More specifically, he wasted money on various public works projects, including what he termed a monument to "Canada's first pedophile," Alexander Wood. He was shaking with rage by the time he finished talking about Miller, much like I get very angry talking about Ford. It was confusing to me, however, because I had no idea what he was going on about.

So after work I did a little online investigation about Alexander Wood, and it turns out he was a merchant in York (Toronto) in the late 1700s who earned the title of magistrate. As magistrate, he became embroiled in a scandal where he was accused of making up a story about a woman who was sexually assaulted as an excuse to examine men naked (the woman didn't know her attacker, but she claimed to have scratched his genitals with her nails, and the scar could potentially have identified the attacker). There is no evidence of Wood being a pedophile, or even that he was gay. However, there is a statue in Toronto's Gay Village as a monument to Wood as an early victim of homophobia, and I could see Miller being present at this statue's unveiling in 2005 when he was mayor. The only info I found online about Wood being a pedophile was a single posting on a right-wing message board which accused Wood of being a pervert, and how dare they put up a monument to this awful et-cetera-and-so-forth.

My co-worker is very smart, but he's also deeply religious. If I bring up what I found online I would have to ask him if there was any other links he could provide to prove his point, because I don't see his evidence. I would also have to broach the question of whether he equated pedophilia with homosexuality, which is a question I don't think I want to hear answered. At the very least, this exercise has given me some insight into the sudden claims I hear lately that many people didn't vote for Smitherman because he was gay -- I honestly didn't think anyone cared about such things, but I am learning quickly how naive I still am about what happened back in 2010 when Ford won the election.

So on Monday I'll go to work, and I'm going to be very careful about talking politics. I won't say how I went to the anti-Ford protest on Saturday, and I won't elaborate on where I believe city council should go from here in terms of curbing Ford's power. He is a lame duck at this point, but it amazes me that he is so deep in denial about his position that he won't step down, even when my co-workers would agree that he is doing more harm than good in his current position. This is about as much agreement I can muster with them, but it is still bizarre to me that it's taken this long for them to decide that Ford is a bad mayor.

One more thing: If I ever said something snide to any Americans on this message board about George W. Bush, and how you could have elected such an imbecile -- TWICE -- to the presidency, I would like to apologise. I now know your madness, and I also now know your sadness. And it goddamn stinks.
posted by spoobnooble II: electric bugaboo at 8:51 AM on November 17, 2013 [20 favorites]


CP24 is reporting that with the Monday vote looming to drastically cut his office budget and reassign his staff elsewhere, RoFo gave all of his staffers a $5000 raise on Friday. Respect for the taxpayer!
posted by ricochet biscuit at 9:09 AM on November 17, 2013 [1 favorite]


SNL Cold Open: Rob Ford
posted by homunculus at 10:32 AM on November 17, 2013


Here is the SNL skit for non-Americans. I didn't think it was that great though.
posted by gman at 10:36 AM on November 17, 2013 [1 favorite]


It was pretty lame until the twist at the end, which cracked me up.
posted by homunculus at 10:42 AM on November 17, 2013


Further updates:

Torontoist presents a primer on who Americans should talk to about Rob Ford.


John Michael McGrath on the crisis of legitimacy. (tl;dr- you don't burn down the village just because the Idiot wants to).


Full disclosure- John Michael McGrath is my cousin.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 10:45 AM on November 17, 2013 [3 favorites]


Yeah the SNL skit isn't great. Just about tired Canadian stereotypes and the cartoon funny-ness of crack. But I recognize it's probably funnier for people who are farther away from really knowing the context.

I liked the Jimmy Kimmel monologue from Thursday. He didn't have to write any jokes, he just showed clips from the council meeting. The jokes wrote themselves. It displayed the absurdity Rob Ford logic and of the whole situation- "I promised it wouldn't happen again and it didn't happen again...at the Air Canada Centre".
posted by beau jackson at 10:47 AM on November 17, 2013 [2 favorites]


From TheWhiteSkull's link to Torontoist just above, there was a reference in the comments to Ed Keenan and a link to an article he did for eye in 2006, which discusses Rob Ford before he was in any mayoral race. It's a good read. Keenan has Rob's number; but the article also speaks very honestly to why Ford was regarded in his area as a good councillor, it even shows a glimpse of his idealism about public service. Keenan describes a guy who might have been a great ombudsman.

Just not mayor.
posted by Artful Codger at 11:24 AM on November 17, 2013 [1 favorite]


Rob Ford gave an interview to Fox news. It's pretty interesting that he and Doug prefer to deal with foreign media.
posted by beau jackson at 12:59 PM on November 17, 2013


Based on that interview, what he means by getting professional help is that there is a trainer at his gym.
posted by Killick at 1:19 PM on November 17, 2013


> It's pretty interesting that he and Doug prefer to deal with foreign media.

Well, right-wing media. I can't picture an interview like that playing out on NPR, or even the Times.
posted by ardgedee at 1:35 PM on November 17, 2013


Yeah, Killick: "Ford maintained that he’s not getting substance abuse treatment because isn’t addicted to drugs or alcohol."

(And Fox had J.D. Roberts interview Ford? Oy. This needs to be used in a remix.)
posted by maudlin at 2:50 PM on November 17, 2013 [1 favorite]


That's awesome maudlin.
I used to think J.D. Roberts was kind of cool, back in the New Music days.
Can't blame a guy for career aspirations, but he seemed to get kinda douchey when he left for CBS and CNN and now (gross) Fox, becoming JOHN and distancing himself from his Toronto days.
posted by chococat at 3:35 PM on November 17, 2013




“People said it couldn’t be built. Well, we built the subway. When was the last time in Toronto a subway was built?” Ford said.

He knows we're actually building a subway extension to the Downsview line right at this very moment, right?

And that the Sheppard line was completed only 11 years ago?
posted by jacquilynne at 7:05 PM on November 17, 2013 [2 favorites]


“People said it couldn’t be built."

[citation needed]
posted by ricochet biscuit at 8:52 PM on November 17, 2013


Byline? Joe Warmington. That man must have the warmest nose in Toronto.

Warmington is the brownest noser.
posted by New Frontier at 9:17 PM on November 17, 2013


“People said it couldn’t be built."


People said it couldn't be paid for.
posted by bonobothegreat at 9:51 PM on November 17, 2013 [2 favorites]


His Worship is having trouble finding Canadian media sufficiently focused on the real story of his saving the taxpayers money, so he went on a media blitz of the US news networks this weekend. He spoke with erstwhile MuchMusic VJ John Roberts on Fox News yesterday and also recorded an interview with Bill Weir for Anderson Cooper's CNN show, which will be aired his evening. In the latter interview, he stressed his generosity and charity toward all: "I don't walk away from anyone, Bill, in life. All these rich elitist people, I'm sick of them! I'm sick of them! They're the biggest crooks around!" declared the multimillionaire mayor of Canada's largest city.

In conclusion, Rob Ford is a land of contrasts.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 5:59 AM on November 18, 2013 [2 favorites]


Another gem from CNN:

"Everyone keeps saying Rob's a conservative," Doug explains. "He's a huge, massive social liberal. He loves Obama. The headlines of the papers when he won? 'The White Obama.' "
posted by saturday_morning at 6:13 AM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]


When does this shitshow get underway today?
posted by avocet at 6:47 AM on November 18, 2013


Okay, 12:30 is when the special Ford items start. Fuck, I have tons of work to do today :/
posted by avocet at 6:53 AM on November 18, 2013


"Everyone keeps saying Rob's a conservative," Doug explains. "He's a huge, massive social liberal. He loves Obama.

Given the space American national politics occupies on the spectrum, I see no contradiction here.
posted by Rykey at 7:04 AM on November 18, 2013


The headlines of the papers when he won? 'The White Obama.'

Fact check! Need a fact check in the Ford office!
posted by nubs at 7:16 AM on November 18, 2013


Oddly enough, all relevant references that I can find to '"white obama" ford' are from today. But then, Doug Ford's mouth was moving, so I guess he was lying.
posted by frimble at 7:21 AM on November 18, 2013


Rob Ford tells Fox [News] he wants to be prime minister

*cue St. Elmo's Fire theme song*
posted by KokuRyu at 7:24 AM on November 18, 2013 [3 favorites]


The cognitive dissonance of Rob Ford: Justin Trudeau doesn't deserve to be prime minister, because Justin smoked pot, and all illegal drugs are bad/the same. But Rob Ford wants to run for prime minister despite being Canada's most famous crack user. Maybe in a future where crack has been legalized?
posted by Gortuk at 7:34 AM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]




In contrast to a lowbrow star becoming prominent in government (the Gubernator, Jesse Ventura), maybe the Fords are in the process of doing the reverse. Rob's alleged to be hitting the gym.... a bit of toning, some colourful spandex, and the Fords could take their act to pro wrestling.
posted by Artful Codger at 8:11 AM on November 18, 2013 [2 favorites]


I had this epiphany on Friday, watching Ford do his "I don't blame you for censuring me like this. Now I'm going to sue your asses" shtick at Council.

Rob Ford's sees life like he's in a street gang. If you watch him, everything he does is about a Code.

There's your crew and you stick with your crew. You never back down from a fight. Even if you're wrong, backing down makes you a pussy (no pun intended). Everything is us vs. them. So when someone challenges you in a key subway vote, you take the fight to them by robo-calling his constituents. When someone steps to you by reducing your powers, you threaten to sue them. "You can't buy loyalty", etc.

Now I see everything he does through this lense and he makes much more sense to me.
posted by dry white toast at 8:18 AM on November 18, 2013 [2 favorites]


Which isn't to say that he isn't a dangerous lying sociopath who needs to be arrested rather than be running the city, but at least my brain isn't struggling under the weight of quite so much cognitive dissonance.
posted by dry white toast at 8:26 AM on November 18, 2013 [3 favorites]


The silence of the political lambs
posted by nubs at 8:52 AM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]


The headlines of the papers when he won? 'The White Obama.'

Fact check! Need a fact check in the Ford office!


Hey, if Fox isn't going to bother to stop propagating lies that everybody knows are lies on domestic issues that we're all familiar with in the US, lies about local politics in Canada don't even register on their radar. He might as well have said "The headlines in the Shire when he won? 'The Young Gandalf.'", it would have been given just as much scrutiny (zero) to give it implicit credence.
posted by jason_steakums at 9:01 AM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]


This Globe and Mail article explains the "White Obama" headline.

"That comment appears to be a reference to a 2010 column in the National Post, in which Mayor Ford is described as “the Barack Obama of Toronto” – not because of his social policies, but because both were elected on the basis of personality, and after years of voter anger."
posted by beau jackson at 9:05 AM on November 18, 2013


Hey, if Fox isn't going to bother to stop propagating lies...

Just want to note that this was CNN. The rest of the comment stands, though.
posted by frimble at 9:19 AM on November 18, 2013


Oops, yeah, mixed up the two interviews. Still, what Fox does out of malice, CNN does out of incompetence.
posted by jason_steakums at 9:38 AM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]


That CNN interview with Rob was -- words fail me, m'lord. From the National Post:
Ford repeated his extraordinary insistence that he came clean about smoking crack cocaine on his own accord, and wasn’t lying for months about it after the initial reports about the crack video.

“Why did you decide to admit you finally smoked crack?” Weir asked. Ford responded; “I’m not going to run around and be phoney, you know, lie, I’m not going to have someone try to blackmail me and say they have videos of this…” “But you did deny it for months,” Weir interjects.

Ford begins to seem agitated.

“Yeah, because they don’t trust what the Toronto Star says,” Ford said. “”I just had enough. I was sick and tired of all these allegations and all this bulls–t — excuse my word — and that’s all that is. Sorry kids, I shouldn’t have sworn in front of the kids.”

The “allegations and all this bulls–t” are virtually all incidents that Ford has later admitted to be true (the video, being drunk on the Danforth, the Garrison Ball, etc).

“You know what, I made mistakes, I drank too much, I smoked some crack some time,” Ford said, waving his arms. “What can I say, I made a mistake, I’m human.”

Weir asked: “Can’t you see why some would question your judgment?” The mayor responded: “So lie about it? “No, that you’d do it in the first place,” Weir said.

“I didn’t say that,” Ford said. “You are absolutely wrong what they said. They said ‘Do you smoke crack and are you a crack addict?’ No, I don’t smoke crack and I’m not a crack addict. Have I? Yes, I have. So…I didn’t lie. I don’t smoke crack…I haven’t smoked in over a year…but did I? Come on?”

In fact, Ford was directly asked about his crack cocaine use numerous times.
posted by maudlin at 9:45 AM on November 18, 2013 [3 favorites]


So if I follow his logic*, whether or not he did it, the fact of it being reported in The Toronto Star automatically makes it a lie.

*Guys, we need a different word for how Ford thinks about things. Calling it logic tortures the word far too much.
posted by dry white toast at 9:49 AM on November 18, 2013 [2 favorites]


Process.
posted by mazola at 9:55 AM on November 18, 2013


In fact, Ford was directly asked about his crack cocaine use numerous times.

And on none of those occasions, did someone say, "Simon says, tell us whether you have smoked crack, please, your Worship," thus invoking all required magic words.

Also not tried: getting him to say Drofbor, in order to bind him to Council's will or banish him to Ekocibote.
posted by frimble at 9:55 AM on November 18, 2013 [5 favorites]


Hey! Not all of Etobicoke is Ford wasteland.

nubs > The silence of the political lambs

That op-ed is bang-on. Ford's election as mayor wasn't just some statistical fluke; the national conservative establishment went all-in on his campaign- providing talent, guidance, and support. Electability is their main criterium; character and policy are optional.

I wish the conservative establishment would have to permanently wear this. Unfortunately, the electorate has mercurial affections and a short memory.
posted by Artful Codger at 10:07 AM on November 18, 2013


Process

Pathology.
(ftfy)
posted by Artful Codger at 10:10 AM on November 18, 2013


There is definitely a line to be toed by the Harper Conservatives in all this, and it seems to be:

"Rob Ford's situation is a personal tragedy, that's all I can say. Now I will ignore your question about apparent gang ties, and how the Lisi extortion charge fits into it all by saying that Justin Trudeau admits to smoking pot, and he even accurately represents the Liberal Party's position on marijuana legalization when asked a direct question about it. THE GALL OF THAT TERRIBLE MAN!"
posted by [expletive deleted] at 10:14 AM on November 18, 2013



@MarcoOved Doug Ford points to Ainslie and says "you've got your own issues"#TOpoli


@MarcoOved Mayor Ford spins on his chair and imitates drunk driving in Ainslie's direction. #TOpoli
God, these two.
posted by nubs at 10:19 AM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]


Council is discussing how the budget of the mayor's office would be reduced by 40%, still about $700k per year. Given that office budgets were the thin edge of the wedge for Ford's Gravy Train, that is some serious irony right there.
posted by dry white toast at 10:26 AM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]


From the Nat Po's Full Pundit

That’s Ford’s genius: The rules that are written down weren’t designed to deal with anyone who would be so disdainful of them; and he simply refuses to acknowledge the rules that aren’t written down — for example, that if you smoke crack and lie about it for five months, you have to resign.
posted by nubs at 10:31 AM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]


@MarcoOved Mayor Ford spins on his chair and imitates drunk driving in Ainslie's direction. #TOpoli

I bet it was a good imitation.
posted by indubitable at 10:33 AM on November 18, 2013


I bet it was a good imitation.

Here's a gif.
posted by avocet at 10:36 AM on November 18, 2013 [14 favorites]


Not a surprise: Application to Access the Rob Ford ‘Crack Video’ Dismissed. As mentioned previously (I think), the judge confirmed that he saw Rob Ford in both versions of the video (the full 90 seconds version and the clip).
posted by maudlin at 10:39 AM on November 18, 2013


Huh. So Bill Blair really did out the mayor all by himself then.
posted by dry white toast at 10:41 AM on November 18, 2013


Hoo-boy, looks like I was wrongitty-wrong-wrong again: Ontario Tories willing to back Liberals and intervene in Ford situation.
The Ontario government should step in to deal with the scandal engulfing Toronto Mayor Rob Ford if city council asks, Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak said.

“We need to get this behind us,” Mr. Hudak said at Queen’s Park Monday. “If the City of Toronto says it cannot function, the province has an obligation to respond with the tools at its disposal.”
But ...
The Tory Leader, however, said that council appeared to be handling the situation on its own. Council voted Friday to take away Mr. Ford’s powers to appoint and dismiss heads of committees and was scheduled to vote on more power-limiting measures Monday.

One of Mr. Hudak’s most prominent MPPs, however, accused city councillors of “being vindictive” for stripping away Mr. Ford’s powers. PC MPP Doug Holyday, who previously served as Mr. Ford’s deputy mayor, criticized councillors for their treatment of Mr. Ford. “They are slapping him around for the sake of slapping him around,” he said.
It will be interesting to see Hudak's reaction at the end of today. Someone should keep asking him that question.
posted by maudlin at 10:48 AM on November 18, 2013


Wow. Even the Ontario PCs. Seems there are standards, after all. Or their image consultants have done the math and advised this course.

Holyday should be urging his friend to resign, not bloviating to the press about city council.
posted by Artful Codger at 10:56 AM on November 18, 2013


Key phrase from Hudak's statement: "We need to get this behind us." I have no problem believing that Hudak wants Rob Ford to disappear as quickly as possible.
posted by dry white toast at 10:58 AM on November 18, 2013 [4 favorites]


nubs, if there's one thing that's been made clear over and over during this whole affair it's that on an unspoken, fundamental level, conservatives do not believe in the rule of law. Rules are things the Important Men impose on the powerless. There are mandatory minimums and zero tolerance for poor black kids in Rexdale, but Rob Ford is an Important Man and his personal life is a Private Tragedy.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 10:58 AM on November 18, 2013 [17 favorites]


I agree [expletive deleted] - I was just fascinated to see our right wing national paper be so bald faced with it.
posted by nubs at 11:02 AM on November 18, 2013


And just to expand on this disdain for the rule of law in Tory land - not just this saga, but the robocall investigation and the ongoing Senate mess just continue to reinforce it. Somebody needs to bring all those points together and start hammering them over the head with it.
posted by nubs at 11:17 AM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]


I think it's time to release the Rob Ford sex tape. Then we would truly have reached peak Ford. Well, he'd be peaking anyway.

Try not to imagine it.


I'm sorry.
posted by jason_steakums at 11:24 AM on November 18, 2013 [6 favorites]


I'm sorry.

Nooooo

whyyyyy
posted by showbiz_liz at 11:45 AM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]


It's better than what I was picturing.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 11:51 AM on November 18, 2013


And now Rob and Doug are picking fights with people in the gallery, yelling "WHAT UNION ARE YOU FROM???" And Rob just bowled over Councillor Pam McConnell (who barely stands five feet tall).

No bottom. None at all.
posted by dry white toast at 11:54 AM on November 18, 2013


How does this end? Every day seems more surreal than the last...how does it end? Does it ever end?
posted by nubs at 11:56 AM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]


Is that true? Yikes!
posted by mazola at 11:56 AM on November 18, 2013


I'm at work and can't watch the live feed, AND SHOULD PROBABLY BE WORKING FOR REAL ANYWAYS, but ugh ugh ugh ugh
posted by avocet at 11:58 AM on November 18, 2013


At work and only able to follow twitter/liveblogging, but apparently RoFo just chanted "NDP! NDP!" and said "socialism is great"?

This is really going to make the "who said it" games a lot harder.
Also, wtf?
posted by Lemurrhea at 12:04 PM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]


Several people in the press gallery feel Rob and Doug did it for effect. They tried to stir up the crowd and his driver was recording it, to make it look like the crowd came after him. No shame at all.
posted by dry white toast at 12:09 PM on November 18, 2013


Here's the video of the bump/knock over - WTF was Rob doing running over there?
posted by nubs at 12:14 PM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]


What open contempt the Brothers Ford have for this city and the people who live here. It's disgusting.

Also, having Rob chair this meeting while Nunziata asks questions is a farce. Why isn't the deputy speaker chairing?
posted by [expletive deleted] at 12:15 PM on November 18, 2013


Of course they did it for effect. Their whole schtick is of being persecuted by the parasitical socialist hordes / elites.

So they hold press conferences in tiny rooms, then barge out through the packed crowd of reporters to create the impression that the media is assaulting them.

They need to caricature the (almost universal) criticism they face as being from people Other from their voting base.
posted by anthill at 12:16 PM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]


according to the torontostar twitter feed, I think it is Councillor Pam McConnell who was pushed over.
posted by chapps at 12:17 PM on November 18, 2013


I'm loving the little asides we're hearing because people don't realize their undertoned comments are going into live mikes.

Doug Ford is calling for a snap election.
posted by orange swan at 12:27 PM on November 18, 2013


@MarcoOved
This council is trampelling over every single person's democratic right in this city, says Doug Ford.


As opposed to Rob Ford, who apparently just likes to trample council members.
posted by nubs at 12:34 PM on November 18, 2013


That's assault. In front of tons of witnesses. Finally something you can actually arrest him for. One of the reasons he seems to get away with everything is no one ever steps up and calls him on his bullshit, it seems to me.
posted by Fnarf at 12:35 PM on November 18, 2013


Did I hear that right - the stream is choppy - Rob Ford says that he knocked over a councilperson because he was rushing over to "defend his brother in an altercation?" Quite a nice example in support of dry white toast's earlier comment.
posted by muddgirl at 12:37 PM on November 18, 2013


Today in Ford apologies: He sincerely apologized to Cllr. McConnell for knocking her over. Start the egg timer until Doug blames the media for it.
posted by dry white toast at 12:38 PM on November 18, 2013


Do we have the over/under line for number of apologies that will be issued today?
posted by nubs at 12:39 PM on November 18, 2013


"sincerely"
posted by avocet at 12:40 PM on November 18, 2013


“I apologize to anyone I accidentally hit when my brother was in an altercation over there,” said Mayor Ford.

Yes, it's perfectly in keeping with every other Ford apology.
posted by nubs at 12:43 PM on November 18, 2013 [4 favorites]


And now Acting Speaker Ford is allowing debate on a clearly out of order and out of the blue motion by Councillor Ford to have a snap election. Why are the speaker and deputy speaker allowing this farce to continue? Surely one of them is available to preside over this mess. Have they just given up?
posted by [expletive deleted] at 12:44 PM on November 18, 2013


Hmmmm....

However, the province poured cold water on that idea as Municipal Affairs Minister Linda Jeffrey said the government is not considering changes to allow for a snap election.
posted by nubs at 12:45 PM on November 18, 2013


Councillor Raymond Chao: "There are two trains of thought here, and one train is a crazy train."
posted by orange swan at 12:46 PM on November 18, 2013 [2 favorites]


The speaker initially stepped off because she wanted to ask questions about the motion. The Deputy Speaker is in a TTC meeting and has tweeted that he can't leave.

Don't know why the speaker hasn't taken the podium again.
posted by dry white toast at 12:50 PM on November 18, 2013


I think the speaker is back at the podium and she's getting pretty freaking exasperated.
posted by muddgirl at 12:52 PM on November 18, 2013


Yes, it looks like she just told Doug Ford to be quiet. I guess Doug made a threatening comment to another councillor?
posted by nubs at 12:53 PM on November 18, 2013


Marcus Gee: The Ford brothers on their feet, strutting around, in full schoolyard mode.

This is what the world is to them.
posted by dry white toast at 12:56 PM on November 18, 2013 [2 favorites]


Such bullies. Ugh.
posted by ocherdraco at 12:59 PM on November 18, 2013


Thank god, Councillor Wong-Tam is finally drawing attention to the double standard that sees nothing the mayor does subject to criminal charges.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 1:01 PM on November 18, 2013


I had the biggest crush on KWT when I was, like, a 20-year-old queerdo working in a Yonge St. coffee shop and I wanted to be just like her when I grew up. She got to be so, so much more amazing in the intervening decade.
posted by avocet at 1:02 PM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]


I went to a symposium she hosted on Saturday about open streets. She's terrific. I would bet money she will be mayor one day.
posted by dry white toast at 1:08 PM on November 18, 2013


I've never paid much attention to municipal politics, but I think I will from now on, and for starters I am really learning a lot about the Toronto city councillors. Huge Kristyn Wong-Tam admirer now. That was a hell of a speech.
posted by orange swan at 1:17 PM on November 18, 2013


I just turned on the CP24 live feed, apparently because I'm a masochist. They've got the Council feed next to a non-stop shot of Ford. It's surreal. Beyond surreal. Doug is yelling at the crowd again. Yells at a guy, "you don't like it when we save money? Does it effect your grants??"
posted by dry white toast at 1:25 PM on November 18, 2013


And here's a GIF of Ford bowling over McConnell.

Personal note: I'm a friend of the McConnell family. She introduced me to my wife. (who was working in her office at the time)
posted by dry white toast at 1:27 PM on November 18, 2013 [2 favorites]


Wow, he didn't just bump into her, he grabbed her with both hands and shoved her out of his way. How has he not AT LEAST been thrown out of council chambers for that?

I seem to recall that one option for getting rid of him was that they could fail to meet quorum on the entire council for some period. I'm wondering if that isn't the play here - force EVERYONE to be re-elected.
posted by marylynn at 1:33 PM on November 18, 2013


In defense (??) of Ford, it looked to me like he grabbed her as she was going down to prevent her from falling over. But still, oi vey.
posted by dry white toast at 1:38 PM on November 18, 2013 [2 favorites]


The Taiwanese news animators have a new one.
posted by gman at 1:47 PM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]


In defense (??) of Ford...

posted by dry white toast



Now we really are getting into unbelievable territory.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 1:48 PM on November 18, 2013


That GIF makes it look like the floor is a circus. He shoves her, and then he catches her - but he shoved her! For those of us who can't follow live - are we REALLY down to school yard style politics?
posted by olya at 1:48 PM on November 18, 2013


As an American, my worry now is that one of the Fords shows up with a gun in his pocket. Maybe that's unimaginable in Canada. This standoff seems unlikely to end quietly though.
posted by Nelson at 1:57 PM on November 18, 2013


He grabbed her to get her out of the way (after the initial bump where she got knocked in the face). His arms were already around her as she fell and he did seem to help her land softly and then get up.

Look at the beginning of the video. Something grabs his attention. He stops pacing and stares for a moment like a dog waiting for you to throw the stick. Then he goes. He runs into McConnell and knocks her down, then walks away without even looking at her, much less asking if she was OK. He had to rush to his brother. His attention is on Doug at all time.
posted by beau jackson at 1:57 PM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]


In defense (??) of Ford, it looked to me like he grabbed her as she was going down to prevent her from falling over.

Possibly, but after the initial contact he hesitated, grabbed her arms, then started moving forward again while steering her out of his way. It's the moving forward part that bothers me...he obviously felt that his destination was more important than the person he just knocked to the ground.
posted by rocket88 at 1:58 PM on November 18, 2013 [2 favorites]


Someone tell him to get down off the cross, we need the lumber already.
posted by nubs at 1:58 PM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]


I think he just compared himself to a Patriot Missile.
posted by gman at 2:00 PM on November 18, 2013


"This reminds me of when Saddam attacked Kuwait...and you guys have just attacked Kuwait"

Ford's just gearing up for war.
posted by beau jackson at 2:02 PM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]


Wait, wait, wait - he's the oil-rich country invaded by a dictator that will ultimately be "liberated" by a multinational force?

I'm just trying to keep track here.
posted by nubs at 2:04 PM on November 18, 2013


@MarcoOved
"Everybody's had their say, the critics, the media, the opposition. I want people to listen to me tonight, 8-9 on Sun News." says Ford.


You have the floor now, sir. Or is this just about launching your next career move?
posted by nubs at 2:06 PM on November 18, 2013 [2 favorites]


Dude looks overdue for a coronary event

We can only hope.
posted by Fnarf at 2:09 PM on November 18, 2013


So in this analogy, Ford Nation attacks City Council in retribution for their attacks on Rob Ford, but curiously withdraws their forces after the attack, leaving City Council in charge? Then, a decade later, Ford Nation is attacked by someone totally else and launches a new campaign throwing City Council out of power but utterly bankrupting themselves both financially and morally in the process?

I mean he might have it right after all.
posted by saturday_morning at 2:12 PM on November 18, 2013


Voting underway and all the motions are passing so far, btw.
posted by saturday_morning at 2:13 PM on November 18, 2013


So can they reallocate the mayoral office to a strip mall storefront?
posted by edgeways at 2:14 PM on November 18, 2013


I was hoping they'd take away his parking spot personally.
posted by saturday_morning at 2:15 PM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]


I guess the only note of caution I have is that the CC truly sees this as extraordinary measures and not a precedent to used at will because of genuine political differences post Ford.
posted by edgeways at 2:17 PM on November 18, 2013


> Ford's just gearing up for war.

I'm honestly frightened by the prospect of how much more damage the Fords can inflict on this city and its citizens.
posted by The Card Cheat at 2:17 PM on November 18, 2013


So can they reallocate the mayoral office to a strip mall storefront?

I like the idea of Rob Ford as the Saul Goodman of mayors. All cash-only business, he knows a guy who knows a guy who can get you your own personal subway route. He can just run the mayorship like he ran his council position, face-to-face personal politics for his own Ford Nation constituents who show up at his door hat in hand, and the council can go about the real business of running the city.
posted by jason_steakums at 2:19 PM on November 18, 2013


If only for the Brian Butterfield-esque commercials he'd run for his little private mayoral practice.
posted by jason_steakums at 2:20 PM on November 18, 2013


I'm honestly frightened by the prospect of how much more damage the Fords can inflict on this city and its citizens.
posted by The Card Cheat at 3:17 PM on November 18 [+] [!]


So until now, Ford seems to me to have been generally trying to do what -- in his ideologically bound, ill-informed view -- is best for the city, albeit after satisfying the groaning demands of his personal excesses and gang-style network of loyalties. And look at all of the damage he's caused. I shudder to think what he will unleash if he tries to do bad things to get revenge instead of good ones; only his own incompetence and addicitions will hold him back.
posted by Homeboy Trouble at 2:23 PM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]


"Ford continues yelling after his mic is turned off "What goes around, comes around friends ... This is the worst thing you could do""


Dear fellow screenwriting workshopper:

I've read your continuing drafts with delight as the story has unfolded. But this latest dialogue before the voting scene starts strains credibility, even for the farcical world that has been previously established.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 2:24 PM on November 18, 2013 [24 favorites]


I guess the only note of caution I have is that the CC truly sees this as extraordinary measures and not a precedent to used at will because of genuine political differences post Ford.

I'd rather city hall set this precedent than the entirely more awful precedent that mayors can be removed by a majority of the people seated two subway stops north.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 2:28 PM on November 18, 2013


I guess the only note of caution I have is that the CC truly sees this as extraordinary measures and not a precedent to used at will because of genuine political differences post Ford.


If something like this was ever attempted over political differences I would expect the province would step in and shut it down quickly.

It is interesting to note that Ford is claiming the moral high ground based on the fact that he hasn't been convicted of a crime and therefore nothing he has done has violated any written rule that would justify him being kicked out of office.
The reason no previous government has bothered to write such a rule is because it was never necessary. It was always implied and fully expected that any honourable man or woman would resign for the good of the office. We now live in an era where that level of honour can no longer be assumed.
posted by rocket88 at 2:29 PM on November 18, 2013 [6 favorites]


Ford indeed might not have been charged or convicted of anything (yet), but what's oddly been overlooked in all of this is that the person who has been charged with committing some rather serious crimes was obviously doing so under orders from the Fords. Surely that has to count for something? Charles Manson never killed anybody.
posted by Flashman at 2:47 PM on November 18, 2013


Is there a good Tumblr or something that has all of the Fords' recent crazy moments posted in one place?

http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/rob-ford
posted by ocherdraco at 3:02 PM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]


So far this is the tumblriest link I've seen under that tag (warning: autoplaying sound).
posted by ocherdraco at 3:07 PM on November 18, 2013 [2 favorites]


Rob Ford Sound Board
posted by chunking express at 3:37 PM on November 18, 2013 [2 favorites]


Is there a good Tumblr or something that has all of the Fords' recent crazy moments posted in one place?

mayorford.info
posted by mightygodking at 3:48 PM on November 18, 2013 [4 favorites]


Jackson Proskow: "Sources tell me it will be very difficult for Mayor Ford to find 8 staffers willing to work for him. Majority want to go to Deputy Mayor."

Ivor Tossell summarizes Doug's post-meeting speech to the scrum: "Things," Doug Ford says. "Stuff taxpayers billions hate things taxpayers saving billions stuff."

James McLeod:"Kuwait's Wikipedia entry was updated." He's got a screen cap.
posted by maudlin at 3:57 PM on November 18, 2013


Is his show tonight? Is SunTV webcasting it at all? I am, as it turns out, a glutton for punishment.
posted by Lemurrhea at 4:07 PM on November 18, 2013


Apparently there's a interview with Peter Mansbridge tonight too? For those of us who refuse to give the Sun Network any eyeballs.
posted by nubs at 4:47 PM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]


Canadians questioning Prime Minister's ability to lead since he is the only politician in Canada who has not smoked pot.

Ok that isn't exactly the headline.

(Real story, no one cares about pot, but conservatives hammering Trudeau for pot smoking, while pretending good buddy ROFO crack use is a non-story)
posted by chapps at 4:56 PM on November 18, 2013


Via Joey DeVilla: "Rick Mercer: Rob Ford’s supporters would vote for a gerbil if they got a dollar back."
posted by maudlin at 5:02 PM on November 18, 2013 [5 favorites]


Oh my god I finally got around to watching RoFo's speech today.
Watch 2:50-3:00 in the clip.

"There are more poor people than there are rich people. And I side with the poor people."

I work providing services to no/low-income people. And coming from that place, fuck you you lying fuck. Rob Ford has never been with the poor, has never cared about them, has never worked to make their lives better.
posted by Lemurrhea at 5:36 PM on November 18, 2013 [8 favorites]


A reasonably serious question: it seems, after a few minutes' thought, that all of this is a problem resulting from Mike Harris and the PCs' forced amalgamation of Toronto about 15 years ago.

Couldn't the rageoholics of the Ford Nation be convinced to turn their energy and ire towards de-amalgamation?

Amalgamation was a Conservative play to gain control of Canada's largest city, but it feels like Ford Nation doesn't want to be part of what any reasonable person recognizes as Toronto, but rather just crave their own tiny gated fiefdoms. Could they be the right-wing solution to a 15-year-old right-wing problem?
posted by Shepherd at 6:03 PM on November 18, 2013


Lemurrhea, from careful listening to the man over the last little while, I'm learning that Rob Ford does more for/cares more for/works more for X than anyone else on council, for any value of X.

As with everything that comes out of the man's mouth, it's untrue and just more of the same posturing bullshit that typifies this type of grandstanding buffoonery that somehow plays with a segment of the population.

This would be where having a media that fact checks and calls out our shitbag politicians would be nice.
posted by nubs at 6:04 PM on November 18, 2013 [2 favorites]


Could they be the right-wing solution to a 15-year-old right-wing problem?

De-amalgamation is proof that Canadian urban liberals can come up with terrible ideas based solely out of political resentment just as much as conservatives can.

Seriously, it's a terrible idea. Toronto faces massive organizational challenges and de-amalgamation just makes them all more difficult and the bureaucratic tools to deal with them five times as expensive.
posted by mightygodking at 6:09 PM on November 18, 2013


Seriously, [de-amalgamation is] a terrible idea.

Fair enough -- you definitely know more about this stuff than I do. I had a feeling it might be in the "better if it had never happened, but now it can't be undone" category of things. I don't currently live in Toronto, but my current, much smaller, city of residence regrets amalgamation but can't bear the expense of undoing it.
posted by Shepherd at 6:12 PM on November 18, 2013


I had a feeling it might be in the "better if it had never happened, but now it can't be undone" category of things.

It's more the "could have been done more elegantly and smartly, but had to happen eventually" category. You can't realistically have a transit system that works efficiently across four or five separate municipalities as you do one that works efficiently across one. It's better to have one social service bureaucracy than five. Et cetera.
posted by mightygodking at 6:17 PM on November 18, 2013


You have to remember that Rob Ford is substantially rich. When Rob Ford says 'poor' he doesn't mean homeless people or single parent families that rely on food banks. He just means, you know, people who didn't inherit a multinational company from their parents.
posted by jacquilynne at 6:18 PM on November 18, 2013 [2 favorites]


The thing is that Ford doesn't look rich. From this Toronto Life story:
In November, I dropped by their home, a 1960s white-brick bungalow. In the driveway was a tan Chevy Uplander SUV with the vanity plates “Rob Ford.” A black plastic panther crouched by the front door. In addition to a few Christmas lights on the bushes, the lawn ornaments included two plastic snowmen, a small tinsel tree and random pots of plastic flowers. A small sign on the windowsill read “Welcome to our home.” ...

I had a clear view of the peeling shingles on Ford’s roof and his small, wedge-shaped backyard with its faded red-and-white Molson Canadian umbrella over the small patio table. Although some houses on Edenbridge Drive back onto parkland, Ford’s backs onto a municipal-truck depot and a community centre. Real estate records show that the three-bedroom house is about 1,200 square feet and was purchased in 2002 for $490,000.

To the [neighbours], the state of Ford’s home is a sign of his integrity. “I think Rob is doing a good job,” says Neda. “He doesn’t own a fancy car or a fancy house. He spends nothing. That’s the type of mayor we need.” Her husband agrees: “The city needs somebody who will stop throwing money at bums.” ...

Before heading back to the subway, I decided to try the Ford house one more time. I had scribbled a note to Renata asking for an interview. When I rang the doorbell to drop it off, two beaming kids peeked out the windows. To my surprise, Renata’s mother, Henryka, answered the door. She accepted my note and told me her daughter would be with me in a few moments.

Standing alone at the entrance, I glimpsed a small house with worn floors and a popcorn-finish stucco ceiling. Dated polyester sheers hung in the living room window. The sofas were covered with old sheets and blankets. Fiscal hawk, indeed.
He's certainly living more comfortably than people in the Dixon Rd. highrises, but his way of life doesn't excite a lot of envy in most Torontonians. He can play the generic middle class guy with a big car who eats ordinary food and does ordinary things, letting him rail against anyone living downtown in a small apartment or condo, who shops at Whole Foods or Fiesta Farms, but who doesn't have a fraction of the hidden personal wealth of the Fords.
posted by maudlin at 6:31 PM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]


I think when Rob Ford says 'poor people' he means the lower middle class of the swathes of 1950s bungalow & chainlink suburbia in Etobicoke. And by all accounts he *has* helped these people, as a councillor, probably less so as a mayor when he seems to have devoted most of his time to hitting the pipe. For all his inherited wealth this seems to be his natural constituency.
posted by Flashman at 6:43 PM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]


So was the Mansbridge interview any good? Tough questions? Good follow ups? Or is Peter just a newsreader?
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 7:07 PM on November 18, 2013


The latter, it seems. I didn't watch, but got this from Twitter (because I really, really, really am getting some work done tonight. Really.)
posted by maudlin at 7:17 PM on November 18, 2013


... OTOH, he did better here: "Mansbridge asks if Hudak has called to offer his support? No. How about the prime minister? No."
posted by maudlin at 7:33 PM on November 18, 2013


To add to the general note of menace, the mayor was seen directing his personal driver/security guard, who for some reason was allowed onto the chamber floor, to videotape certain of the spectators who had displeased him. Given the services his last driver, the alleged extortionist Sandro Lisi, is accused of performing, it was an altogether chilling moment.
posted by Flashman at 7:35 PM on November 18, 2013


I'd say that Mansbridge asked the usual questions with nothing new or creative to follow up to the Fords' canned answers. He did get some sincere and interesting moments out of them- like them talking about their bud Jim Flaherty and letting Rob end with a little personal reflection about his family and his dad, which I suppose was interesting TV, but not the challenging interview that he should have given to someone who is supposed to be the mayor of Toronto.

He let them go on about "coup-d'etat" and "dictatorship" without even asking what they meant by those terms- and without raising the point that Rob said he would do the exact same thing if he were a councillor (seriously, how can you not bring that up?). He let Ford avoid questions by hiding behind his "it's a matter before the courts" excuse.

It was frustrating that he let Rob have the last word. It was a touching moment about his family. As sincere as it might have been, this is an interview with an elected person that needs to be held to account, not a fluff piece about a guy getting his life back together.
posted by beau jackson at 7:38 PM on November 18, 2013




Holy crap, was that a softball interview.
posted by sweet mister at 7:49 PM on November 18, 2013


The Toronto Sun's invisible editors (OK, Lorrie Goldstein and what remains of his conscience) continue to sweat and panic: "If Monday’s city council meeting which stripped Toronto’s mayor of most of his powers was an example of the new and improved Rob Ford, then council took his authority away just in time."
posted by maudlin at 7:52 PM on November 18, 2013


Christie Blatchford flips again.
But for me, the lowest point came much earlier, when Mayor Ford finished off his questioning of Councillor John Filion, who proposed the motion to strip the mayor’s office of cash and power, by noting that Mr. Filion had wracked up more office expenses for his one ward than the mayor had and saying, and this was meant ironically, “Don’t you think you have a spending problem?”

By this point, many in the packed public gallery were openly chortling derisively or heckling the mayor. Then, with Doug Ford taking over the questioning, speaker Frances Nunziata trying to direct him and maintain order, Mr. Ford demanded that the “special interests and the CUPEs behind me [in the public gallery]…do me a favour” and be quiet. The mayor from his chair immediately began chanting “NDP! NDP! NDP! NDP! NDP!”, and muttering about “socialism.” ...

Very red in the face now, the mayor got up and walked away a bit; he was rocking back and forth on his heels, clearly spoiling for a rumble in the jungle. He approached a strapping fellow who, it was said later, either worked in his office or was a security officer. “Let’s go out in the crowd and talk to them,” he told the man. Mayor Ford was again grinning, but also unmistakably bellicose. ...

... with that big, thin, dangerous smile plastered on his face, he prowled the alley in front of the public gallery, daring the hecklers to heckle him in the face, in person. Finally, a couple of them did. From the speaker’s chair, Ms. Nunziata called a recess, but it was too late to quell either the mayor or the enraged citizens.

From the gallery, the crowd began to chant, “Shame! Shame! Shame! Shame!” — and quite correctly too.

Here was the chief magistrate of the city, prowling up and down the public gallery, trying to intimidate the very people for whom he works and who pay his salary, frightening at least one woman, probably in her 50s, into pulling her blue scarf over her face.
But don't worry, folks. She'll be defending him again before the end of the week.
posted by maudlin at 8:02 PM on November 18, 2013 [3 favorites]


Nah, because threads automatically close after a month.

And also because October 27th is slightly less than a year from now.
posted by jacquilynne at 8:08 PM on November 18, 2013


Jonathan Goldsbie has some up close video of the Fords baiting the crowd. Some more video that starts earlier.
posted by maudlin at 8:20 PM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]


Here's video of the incident Blatchford describes.

Make no mistake: that is the Mayor of Toronto trying to capture images of citizens he thinks are his enemies.

Christ, what an asshole. What a worthless piece of filth he is. Fuck this man forever.
posted by mightygodking at 8:21 PM on November 18, 2013 [3 favorites]


If you watch those videos you should probably watch this one afterward.
posted by saturday_morning at 8:31 PM on November 18, 2013 [2 favorites]


(ducklings for mayor!)

Today's council circus? Further proof that I might be right about the Ford bros. getting set for the jump to pro wrestling.

It was all there - the double-teaming, open defiance of the ref, the mixing it up with the audience... laaaadeees and gennelmen... the Mayor of Mayhem and The Councillor...
posted by Artful Codger at 8:45 PM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]


It was all there - the double-teaming, open defiance of the ref, the mixing it up with the audience... laaaadeees and gennelmen... the Mayor of Mayhem and The Councillor...

I'm not convinced, honestly. From what I saw, they were trying for cheap heat -- not that there's anything wrong with cheap heat; it's part of the business, and definitely better than no heat at all -- and instead were getting X-Pac heat. When the crowd is chanting, "This is bullshit[1]," that's not a pop, that's a sign that the Fords got too much of a push for their talents.

I mean, really, did Rob need to be posing and stretching by the speakers' chair during the council meeting? The show was already about him; we don't need a visual reminder of that as well.

Since they've already squandered the rehab/road to redemption/face turn plotline opportunity, I'm not sure what's left. In my ideal world, they'd fade back, maybe job for a few years, and let some other talent come up, but I don't see that happening[2]. Nonetheless, something really has to be done to get them out of this rut.

So, my fantasy scenario would be: Hire Shawn Michaels to come up and act as their manager. He can teach them to cut a better promo and his substance issues can be used in parallel with Rob's in backstage spots. The man knows how to get heel heat from Canadians[3], can put almost anyone over, and having him around leaves open the lingering question of which brother will end up following in Marty Jannetty's footsteps. Most importantly, though, it creates some much-needed progression in a storyline that's stagnating.
  1. Clap clap clapclapclap
  2. The Fords don't seem like they'd job to anyone.
  3. Cheap ideas, some from previous plotlines: Have him insist on being referred to as "Your Worship", change up where he's billed as being from, a la Edge, to avoid getting cheered simply for being a local, have him start coaching American, rather than Canadian football.[4]
  4. Don't: Have him dodge title bouts and win on technicalities like the Honky Tonk Man. He's done that for long enough without a payoff, and it's a schtick that requires eventually being beaten in a fair match -- be it lumberjack, cage or just him not having a chance to weasel out.
posted by frimble at 5:15 AM on November 19, 2013 [14 favorites]


Since they've already squandered the rehab/road to redemption/face turn plotline opportunity, I'm not sure what's left

Rob Ford says he's quit drinking, has had 'come-to-Jesus' moment
"'If you don't see a difference in me in five months, then I'll eat my words,' he said. 'I've had a come-to-Jesus moment if you want to call it that. I've let my dad down, I know he's upstairs watching this.'"
posted by octobersurprise at 6:38 AM on November 19, 2013


So Rob Ford...is like...Princess Di?


You mean he's probably going to die in an underpass?
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 7:11 AM on November 19, 2013 [7 favorites]


So when I got home last night, my roommate was entertaining a young woman who turned out to be a Ford supporter, who luckily lives in the 905. She couldn't really articulate why she liked the brothers, beyond calling Rob "real" and saying she likes how Doug defends him. Nobody felt like an argument, so the issue was dropped. When 1:00 rolled around she decided it was time to go home. To my horror, she insisted on driving home while attempting to put her jacket on upside down and knocking things over in the process.

This made me realize that every person I know who has at one point expressed support for Rob Ford, in Toronto or Thornhill or even Vancouver, drives drunk all the time, with the exception of some extremely wealthy people who I only suspect drive drunk. The most loyal member of Ford Nation I know is also the most inveterate drunk driver. I think this explains some things. The "war on cars" rhetoric resonates with them because they do feel persecuted for driving. Persecuted for driving shitfaced, but nonetheless, they rightly identified Robbie as one of them, and someone who will defend their right to get hammered downtown, then blast through my neighbourhood while cursing streetcars and cyclists for keeping their speed below 80.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 7:25 AM on November 19, 2013 [9 favorites]


Well, feeling that it's okay when you drive drunk is more just a symptom of a root entitlement, blindness to others' needs, and NIMBYism that resonates with many things on Ford's platform. There's just something about driving, it's anonymous enough that I feel like the guard goes down and driving behavior reveals aspects of one's personality that they'd otherwise try to hide, like a selfishness gauge.
posted by jason_steakums at 7:38 AM on November 19, 2013 [3 favorites]


So, a broadening of the Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory?
posted by frimble at 7:48 AM on November 19, 2013


The "war on cars" rhetoric resonates with them because they do feel persecuted for driving. Persecuted for driving shitfaced, but nonetheless, they rightly identified Robbie as one of them, and someone who will defend their right to get hammered downtown, then blast through my neighbourhood while cursing streetcars and cyclists for keeping their speed below 80.

As a non-Torontonian, I find the "war on cars" rhetoric fascinating. I happened to be in Toronto a short time after Ford was elected (it was a fascinating time, because my city had just elected someone everyone I knew in Toronto thought should be their mayor, so lots of interesting conversations). Anyways, I finished up my meetings and was headed back out to the airport. The cab I was in was stuck in massive traffic on the Gardiner expressway (it being 7 in the evening and all) and the dispatcher was frantically pleading with drivers to make it to pickups faster, which they couldn't. At the same time, the radio news was on and Ford was talking about the "war on cars" being over.

I looked out my window and muttered something about the cars never having been in danger of losing, apparently. My cab driver thought it was very funny.

Haven't been back to Toronto since, now that I think about it...

Meanwhile, my mayor has issues of his own...
posted by nubs at 8:09 AM on November 19, 2013


And Rick's Rant
posted by nubs at 8:24 AM on November 19, 2013


One more video of Ford running into McConnell, this one with a better view of his face. Note that after he runs into her (and, to be fair, helps break her fall), he doesn't look at her, he doesn't seem to say much beyond maybe a mumbled "Sorry", and he keeps looking and talking to at his target off in the distance, not the woman he just knocked over. She looks at him, speaks to him, pats him on the chest, and holds onto his arm as he moves away. She gets no further attention from Ford. She may as well be an overpriced chair he knocked over.

And from the NY Times: His Honor? Toronto’s Mayor Rampages On, to City’s Shame
posted by maudlin at 8:25 AM on November 19, 2013


I haven't followed all of the links in this thread, so I'm not sure if this has already been posted but:

John Barber at the Globe and Mail called on Ford to resign (from City Council) in April 2008.

"But it's not funny any more. Recent events confirm that the Rob Ford farce is the public face of personal tragedy. Watching is ghoulish, not watching is impossible."

...2008
posted by sparklemotion at 8:30 AM on November 19, 2013 [1 favorite]


they rightly identified Robbie as one of them, and someone who will defend their right to get hammered downtown, then blast through my neighbourhood while cursing streetcars and cyclists for keeping their speed below 80.

I find this chillingly terrifying.
posted by Theta States at 8:30 AM on November 19, 2013 [1 favorite]


Regarding Nenshi's troubles, I haven't followed it, or read more than a few hundred words, but even if what he said was legally libel—and I'm not convinced it is—I'm happy there is at least one mayor in Canada who isn't the loyal toady of every crooked scumbag developer. Canada's precious libel laws are part of a general culture of polite silence that let Montreal's outright gangsterism fester for decades. Everyone knew the city and its suburbs were run by mobsters disguised as developers or politicians, but nobody said anything.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 8:40 AM on November 19, 2013 [2 favorites]


I thought it was funny during his (where to begin with the ridiculousness and bullshit) speech to council yesterday that he boasted of being the only person to console and forgive a couple of other Councilors who'd been busted for DUI. Pretty bold and compassionate, from the guy who's slurping vodka from a McDonalds cup while driving pretty much every day.
posted by Flashman at 9:03 AM on November 19, 2013


Per both the comments from Rick Mercer, and the NYT- yes, he was elected on a wave of anti-tax populism, and this should be taken seriously. However, it should be noted once again, that he has also failed spectacularly at cutting the so-called "gravy" at city hall. Mainly because there wasn't much there to begin with.

While his supporters may hold strong about opinions about taxation and local government spending, these positions are incompatible with actually running a functional city government.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 9:06 AM on November 19, 2013 [2 favorites]


There's a live chat on at The Star right now about Project Traveller, but for some reason, the page will autoplay some audio from Brent Bambury. You have been warned.
posted by maudlin at 9:27 AM on November 19, 2013


While his supporters may hold strong about opinions about taxation and local government spending, these positions are incompatible with actually running a functional city government.

Depends on your definition of "functional." A lot of these people just don't like government and would rather it be significantly smaller and less intrusive (measured by comparing Things They Use against Things They Don't Think They Use).
posted by Etrigan at 9:42 AM on November 19, 2013 [1 favorite]


I mean, things like making sure we have roads. Period.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 9:45 AM on November 19, 2013




There is an increasing trend, probably dating back to the first GWB campaign against Al Gore, for some conservative political strategists to embrace the working class as "their people". They run candidates who look, talk, and act like regular folk, and they paint their liberal opposition as "elites"...college-educated, upper middle class snobs who think they're better than you and who want to tax the working man's hard earned money and spend it on opera houses, bike lanes, union cronies and of course those lazy shiftless welfare cases who can't even be bothered to work.
This is Ford Nation. This is the future of populist conservatism.
posted by rocket88 at 9:56 AM on November 19, 2013 [2 favorites]


Torontoist.com recaps first episode of Ford Nation on Sun News. ("We watch so you don't have to.")
posted by Kabanos at 10:03 AM on November 19, 2013


Rob Ford scolded by NBC’s Matt Lauer as ‘celebrity’ mayor begins re-election campaign media blitz
Lauer asked Ford about his excessive drinking, wondering what would happen if there was a city emergency when he was “inebriated,” leading to a bizarre exchange where the mayor asked his interviewer to think about his own children dying.

“I’m very fortunate that hasn’t happened,” Ford said of an emergency. “It’s very few isolated incidents that it’s happened. But that could happen to anyone at any time. Say you went out drinking, and say something happened to your family.”

“The lives of a million people aren’t resting on my decisions,” Lauer responded.

Rob Ford continued: “Hold on, say your son or daughter have just got killed in a car accident and you are plastered out of your mind at three in the morning, are you going to be able to handle that?”
WHAT.
posted by Theta States at 10:03 AM on November 19, 2013 [3 favorites]




Re "War on Cars" - it was only ever an oversimplification turned into a Ford platform plank, like the "Gravy Train" meme. They are the most empty of political platitudes that aren't backed by cohesive policy.

As nubs notes, driving in Toronto still sucks. Hizzonner has made a few small token moves, but is nowhere near making the hard decisions that would eventually improve the traffic situation. Hell, he hasn't even touched some of the most simple fixes:
- synchronize the fucking traffic lights on arterial roads
- rush-hour isn't 4 to 6, it's 4 to 7 at a minimum
- rigourous enforcement of no-parking rules on arterial roads during rush-hour. My commute was impeded 80% of the time by illegal parking
- more thought given to permits for construction - stop letting developers swipe a lane or more for months at a time.
- more thought part #2 - don't schedule routine maintenance for rush-hours.

But hey, it's not like I obsess about this or anything... In Ford's defense, his predecessors of the last maybe 15 years haven't done squat about traffic either.
posted by Artful Codger at 10:15 AM on November 19, 2013


No, you see. Here's the problem. You don't know the history of mayoralty. I do.
posted by one more dead town's last parade at 10:22 AM on November 19, 2013


Who paid to advertise on the Rob Ford show. Because fuck those people.
posted by chunking express at 11:20 AM on November 19, 2013 [2 favorites]


I'm hearing that Canadian Tire is a backer, but I don't know if that's true. I hope not.
posted by Kitteh at 11:32 AM on November 19, 2013


Specialty television is usually purchased in bulk, months in advance. I doubt anyone had any idea that they'd be airing during the Freaktastic Ford Fiesta.

Now, who the hell would advertise on Sun TV in the first place is a more pertinent question.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 11:37 AM on November 19, 2013




Yeah, I was just reading that on Twitter. Whew.
posted by Kitteh at 11:58 AM on November 19, 2013


Now, who the hell would advertise on Sun TV in the first place is a more pertinent question.

It's almost entirely bottom-level "as seen on TV"-type products. CLR cleanser, sleep aids, reverse mortgage dealers, etc.
posted by mightygodking at 11:58 AM on November 19, 2013


You mean he's probably going to die in an underpass?

He's going to LIVE, in a van, down by the underpass.

or maybe just the Danforth
posted by mannequito at 12:04 PM on November 19, 2013 [3 favorites]


Ok, I've reached peak Ford for the day.
Going to play guitar and think about fun things for a while.
Funny how it seems to take less and less time to max out on this shit as the days pass.
posted by chococat at 12:06 PM on November 19, 2013


I just read this article about the allegations in the recently released police documents, and there are a couple of incidents described where a drunk RoFo starts crying when talking about his father, or calls staffers from his father's graveside sounding like he's been crying.
It really took the funny and the schadenfreude out of this whole situation. This is a deeply troubled man, and the whole ordeal seems all the more destined to end tragically.
posted by rocket88 at 12:35 PM on November 19, 2013 [1 favorite]


He certainly seems to be self medicating.
Sounds like he has some serious mood swings.

Some random fellow exhibiting these symptoms could well elicit feelings of sympathy. Unfortunately Ford is not just some random fellow.
posted by edgeways at 1:13 PM on November 19, 2013 [1 favorite]


There is an increasing trend, probably dating back to the first GWB campaign against Al Gore, for some conservative political strategists to embrace the working class as "their people". They run candidates who look, talk, and act like regular folk, and they paint their liberal opposition as "elites" ...

I can't speak to Canada, but in the States the modern version of this goes back to Nixon and Wallace, at least, maybe to the campaign against Stevenson. Outside that it's simply characteristic of every populist demagogue. Ford brings his own kind of junkie logic to this, insisting on his right to abuse, threaten, lie, and still deserve forgiveness because, hey, he's only human—who hasn't made mistakes, you self-righteous fucking elite pansy?
posted by octobersurprise at 1:26 PM on November 19, 2013


In the States, elites vs populism dates at least to the election of 1824.
posted by Chrysostom at 2:06 PM on November 19, 2013 [1 favorite]


David Hains doesn't know whether to laugh, cry, or take off his clothes and run gibbering in the streets: Sun TV has canned Ford Nation.
While Ford Nation pulled about 155,000 viewers, according to overnight ratings, it is a victim of the brutal economics of cable TV and the Fords’ relative inexperience with the medium: Monday’s episode took five hours to record, and another eight hours to edit, making it an unusually expensive endeavour for a niche network that is in only about 40 per cent of Canadian households.

“It’s by far the most successful thing, from an audience perspective, the network has ever done,” said Kory Teneycke, the vice president of Sun News. But the program would not be produced again.
Also: most senior staff trade Ford for Kelly.
posted by maudlin at 2:18 PM on November 19, 2013 [2 favorites]


One more video of Ford running into McConnell, this one with a better view of his face.

I was listening to the CBC's World at Six from last night. The mention of His Worship knock over Councillor McConnell was followed at once by, ""Ford later apologized." I wonder how many times that phrase has been uttered in new reports in the last few months.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 2:21 PM on November 19, 2013


> Sun TV has canned Ford Nation.

... soooo sweet.

I'm actually surprised they put production hours into it. I figured just two cameras, two mics, two chairs, a cheesy table, and another hideous SUN TV background... and that shit would write itself. Cheapest hour on TV.
posted by Artful Codger at 2:22 PM on November 19, 2013 [2 favorites]


From maudlin's link:
When Doug Ford boasted about their persistent popularity in the face of the scandal, saying it took him 15 minutes to get out of the parking during a recent trip to Wal-Mart after he was mobbed by supporters, his brother interjected: “Fifteen? I went out to a restaurant last night, took my family out, it took me four hours to leave the restaurant. It’s humbling.”
We used to dream of living in a corridor.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 2:26 PM on November 19, 2013 [7 favorites]


“It’s by far the most successful thing, from an audience perspective, the network has ever done..."

Seeing as how their audience was (is?) three thousand people, I have no doubt that's true.
posted by Capt. Renault at 2:28 PM on November 19, 2013 [1 favorite]


The Fords are like a playbook of classic propaganda techniques, the classic seven from the 1940s and even some modern ones. Propaganda is basically all he does:
  • Name-calling : "Unionists! NDP! Tax and spend!"
  • Glittering generalities: "Respect for Taxpayers!" "Subways Subways Subways"
  • Transfer: "I returned phone calls therefore I am a good mayor", Argos, High School Football, Bobblehead?
  • Testimonial: Don Cherry introduction, Harper at the BBQ, Doug is always trying this, but it doesn't work when there's nothing to transfer from
  • Plain folks: Does this even need a citation?
  • Card stacking: Cherry-picking, omission, illusions/distractions... again, citation really needed?
  • Bandwagon: "Ford Nation is Doing It"
Is there anything Doug does that's *not* propaganda? I guess the bullying.
posted by anthill at 2:46 PM on November 19, 2013 [2 favorites]


Jason Kenny says that Ford must step aside. If I'm not mistaken, he's the first Conservative or PC to say so.
posted by beau jackson at 3:13 PM on November 19, 2013


I'm surprised he hasn't been thrown under the bus by more Conservatives. Aren't these people supposed to be tough on crime and drugs and all that junk? I guess it only matters when it's not rich White people fucking up.
posted by chunking express at 3:17 PM on November 19, 2013 [2 favorites]


They're pretty tough on drugs when it's rich white people named Trudeau...
posted by arto at 3:26 PM on November 19, 2013 [2 favorites]


Well, not GARRY.
posted by Chrysostom at 3:38 PM on November 19, 2013 [1 favorite]


What do you think the FoBro strategy sessions are like? "Trust me, Robbie! When have I ever steered you wrong?"
posted by The Card Cheat at 3:57 PM on November 19, 2013


The Fords: Too Batshitinsane for Sun TV.
posted by chapps at 4:02 PM on November 19, 2013


Rob Ford and Chris Farley Video Mash Up. More depressing than funny.
posted by Nelson at 4:10 PM on November 19, 2013 [2 favorites]


Is this real life?
Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly stepped into the spotlight on Tuesday, one day after city council conveyed upon him a number of key powers it had stripped from Mayor Ford, among them the ability to set the agenda as chair of the powerful executive committee. Insisting he is not the de facto mayor, the long-time Scarborough councillor — a former history teacher and Liberal MP — spoke with the Post‘s Natalie Alcoba in his office.

Q You said earlier “politics is war without bullets.” Are you concerned about your political future given the mayor’s combative language at Monday’s council meeting, waging “war” against his opponents?

Kelly There is a magnificent description of the battle of Thermopylae where 300 Spartans end up against a Persian horde. The Persians were horse archers and they’re standing there, the Spartans in full battle armour, and the Persians start off by shooting arrows at a distance. But, as the Spartans close in on them and it’s a wall of determined armour, they start to lower and the arrows are just thomb, thomb, they’re going right by their heads. You don’t flinch, you just move ahead. It’s the same thing here. This is part of the battlefield. ...
And yeah, I know, he's the kind of smug smart guy who doubts climate change, and he may just be Conrad Black Lite, but I'm still trying to get used to a near-Mayor who can string a few sentences together.
posted by maudlin at 6:28 PM on November 19, 2013 [1 favorite]


Yes, Toronto, it's come to this. We slide a climate change doubter into the mayor's chair, and it's considered a massive upgrade. Remember that next time you're looking down your nose at the Mississippi state legislature.
posted by dry white toast at 6:34 PM on November 19, 2013 [7 favorites]


Conrad Black is actually a pretty cool dude. He's a fan of the New Deal and wrote a biography of FDR, for heaven's sake.
posted by KokuRyu at 10:03 PM on November 19, 2013


Ford: say something happened to your family

Two brothers in politics...50th anniv of JFK...I'm getting vibes 'n' shit.
posted by telstar at 2:59 AM on November 20, 2013


I'm still trying to get used to a near-Mayor who can string a few sentences together.

Yeah, but can he string any sentences together that don't reference history as told by a shitty action movie?
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 6:57 AM on November 20, 2013 [1 favorite]


Conrad Black is actually a pretty cool dude. He's a fan of the New Deal and wrote a biography of FDR, for heaven's sake.


He's also a felon.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 7:51 AM on November 20, 2013 [3 favorites]


That's Lord Felon, to you.
posted by chococat at 9:03 AM on November 20, 2013 [5 favorites]


Or (Robber) Baron Black of Crossharbour, if you prefer.

Crooked as a dog's hind leg from the day he was kicked out of UCC for selling stolen exams, the bastard will be missed when he goes. A conservative wise enough to know that the social safety net is what saved modern industrial capitalism from itself, he has no place in the cruel and stupid world his papers helped create.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 9:15 AM on November 20, 2013 [1 favorite]


So, today:
- David Price no longer employed
- last night's Daily Show segment
- Ford's "health care professional" is a trainer convicted of dealing steroids in Nevada

(throws hands up in WTF)
posted by avocet at 9:16 AM on November 20, 2013 [1 favorite]


Oh yeah, didn't Black endorse Sarah Thomson too? HAHAHAHA
posted by avocet at 9:16 AM on November 20, 2013


Also, I don't have time to read any more ITOs this week, but Twitter tells me this Senate one is a doozy...
posted by avocet at 9:17 AM on November 20, 2013


> Conrad Black is actually a pretty cool dude. He's a fan of the New Deal and wrote a biography of FDR, for heaven's sake.

I'm rather certain that if he was the head of a nascent publishing empire in the early 1930s he would be using his mouthpieces to fulminate against the New Deal and foment smear campaigns against FDR and his supporters. Because he is at heart, basically a fuck-everybody-I-got-mine kinda guy who wouldn't for a moment support an iota of increased taxation on his well-off self for the benefit of others or the long-term health of the country.

It's only living in another country and another era which allows him to speak fondly of something so contrary to how he's lead his own life.
posted by ardgedee at 9:37 AM on November 20, 2013 [5 favorites]




I think avocet has just proven that we don't need complex and expensive police investigations to find crooks. Just turn Rob Ford loose to hire "professionals", drivers, and unacredited office staff/muscle. He seems to have a real gift for finding criminals.
posted by maudlin at 9:40 AM on November 20, 2013


Also, I don't have time to read any more ITOs this week, but Twitter tells me this Senate one is a doozy...

Yep, it looks like the RCMP is saying that Wright and Duffy broke the law and committed "bribery, frauds on the government, and breach of trust."

As soon as one scandal quiets down, the other roars back to life.
posted by nubs at 9:42 AM on November 20, 2013


Nobody wants David Price. Maybe Go Transut has an opening ...
posted by maudlin at 9:53 AM on November 20, 2013


Ford's "health care professional" is a trainer convicted of dealing steroids in Nevada


Relax guys, geez. How could he have known what was in the syringe? He was in a drunken stupor at the time.
posted by beau jackson at 10:16 AM on November 20, 2013


"There are more poor people than there are rich people. And I side with the poor people."

I think when Rob Ford says 'poor people' he means the lower middle class of the swathes of 1950s bungalow & chainlink suburbia in Etobicoke. And by all accounts he *has* helped these people, as a councillor, probably less so as a mayor when he seems to have devoted most of his time to hitting the pipe. For all his inherited wealth this seems to be his natural constituency.


Demographic picture of Ford Nation: low-income, less-educated — and spread across the city.
posted by Kabanos at 10:18 AM on November 20, 2013 [1 favorite]


Yeah I really want to make an interesting post about the Senate scandal, but we don't know when the big news will hit and I don't want it to get buried. I should prep a timeline of this scandal and have it ready for whenever the shoe drops.

In the meantime, oh look it's George W. Bush laughing at Rob Ford.
posted by Lemurrhea at 10:33 AM on November 20, 2013 [2 favorites]


I really want to find that trendspotter who, at the beginning of 2013, said, "I think public fascination over the contents of ITOs is going to be a thing this year."
posted by dry white toast at 11:40 AM on November 20, 2013


He's also a felon.

Only in the United States.
posted by KokuRyu at 12:40 PM on November 20, 2013


Good news: Ivor Tossell does a bang-up job of explaining Ford to Americans. Read the whole thing, and steal these paragraphs when you need them.
He was a visibly imperfect anti-establishment crusader, and the more voters heard of his failings, the more they liked him. Ford's anti-elite, anti-tax, anti-union, anti-bicycle, anti-almost-everything message appealed to well-off suburban white families who disliked the big city they'd been lumped in with (Condo towers! Organics recycling! Streetcars!).

But he also clicked with the poor, the marginalized, and the recently arrived from all over the world, for whom the wealth, culture, and attention flowing downtown seemed distant. It's a textbook story: Here was a man with a personal touch, who made direct contact with people who felt left out. Big, awkward, and ill-spoken, he was marginalized in his own way. There are many ways to feel alienated, and Rob Ford catered to them all.

So it was, to the undisguised horror of the city's downtowners, who Ford despised with an equally open gusto, a wave of support from the city's edges bore him into office.

It took less than a year for it all to fall apart. Ford turned out to be a better retail politician than a leader. At first, his right-leaning council was pliant, and he won a series of early victories, repealing taxes and canceling plans for light-rail transit. But with his thuggish, hyperbolic brother Doug at his side, Ford was intransigent and inflammatory. He pushed away allies, and when he looked to his base for support, he found that the protest movement that elected him wouldn't mobilize between elections. ...
Bad news: the city's borrowing rates have gone up.
posted by maudlin at 1:04 PM on November 20, 2013 [3 favorites]


Some wiretap summaries are coming this afternoon. John Lancaster at the CBC: "Media lawyers awaiting Judge's signature on endorsement, then some [Brazen 2] wiretap info will be released. Will post details ASAP." Some speculation at Urban Toronto that this may refer to drug use by another councillor.
posted by maudlin at 1:20 PM on November 20, 2013


From Ivor's article:

A city that once clung earnestly to Peter Ustinov's description of it as "New York run by the Swiss" went out and elected a mayor who married Sarah Palin's politics to Silvio Berlusconi's sense of decency and restraint.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 1:33 PM on November 20, 2013 [16 favorites]


Looks now like the (still unreleased) wiretaps are from Traveller, not Brazen 2. First reports are that Ford is talked about but doesn't talk on those wiretaps.
posted by maudlin at 3:17 PM on November 20, 2013


Whitehorse - Boss Man.
posted by maudlin at 5:02 PM on November 20, 2013 [4 favorites]


From the Ivor Tossell article:

Soon, he was endearing himself to constituents by driving around his suburb in his beat-up minivan, personally answering most every phone call and helping sort out municipal issues. Happiest when helping people one-on-one, he would blow through the bureaucracy like a cannonball on his constituents' behalf.

...

Ford retreated from governance, and went back to answering calls from citizens, trying to help with little problems, one-on-one, where he could.


I've read about this before, that he does this, and in his interviews, Rob Ford also mentioned returning phone calls, etc.

But what exactly does he do when he returns calls? What help is he providing?

Can someone give an example?
posted by Bokmakierie at 7:17 PM on November 20, 2013


But what exactly does he do when he returns calls? What help is he providing?

Can someone give an example?


Usually he gives them the contact information they need to talk to someone in the municipal bureaucracy. If it's a specific problem sometimes he contacts the appropriate agency himself. And, of course, there is a lot of standing around and making sympathetic noises.

In short, Rob Ford sees himself as being kind of like a social worker - except he really doesn't do that much work.
posted by mightygodking at 7:24 PM on November 20, 2013 [4 favorites]


Thanks, mightygodking!
posted by Bokmakierie at 7:56 PM on November 20, 2013


So, Rob Ford's problems would be solved if you people would just see he HAS PEOPLE SKILLS
posted by sparklemotion at 8:11 PM on November 20, 2013


Also, sometimes little bureaucratic snafus magically evaporate once you get a city councilor interested in the problem.
posted by Chrysostom at 8:17 PM on November 20, 2013 [2 favorites]


Ron Burgundy Sings Mayor Rob Ford's Campaign Song
*Spoiler: he pulls out the jazz flute
posted by gman at 5:24 AM on November 21, 2013


Can someone give an example?

Sometimes he finds the most pressing business in his calendar is to get a pile of sand removed from someone's backyard.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 6:53 AM on November 21, 2013


Chrysostom: "sometimes little bureaucratic snafus magically evaporate once you get a city councilor interested in the problem."

It's not magic; the bureaucrat denying the request doesn't have the power to break procedure where as the cowboy mayor does have that power or doesn't care that they are breaking the procedure.
posted by Mitheral at 6:53 AM on November 21, 2013 [1 favorite]


I'm looking toward to the CBC Wiretap dramatization of the wiretaps

Ron Burgundy Sings Mayor Rob Ford's Campaign Song

I'm seeing a trend here and the trend is more jazz flute!
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 6:55 AM on November 21, 2013


Here's an example, from a food writer at The Star

Sounds like Ford's approach is similar to Kim-Jong-Il's. Stand next to the thing, look disapproving, get your photo taken. That should fix the problem!
posted by anthill at 7:15 AM on November 21, 2013


"sometimes little bureaucratic snafus magically evaporate once you get a city councilor interested in the problem."

It's not magic; the bureaucrat denying the request doesn't have the power to break procedure where as the cowboy mayor does have that power or doesn't care that they are breaking the procedure.


Usually (and I've been on every side in this equation), it's not that the bureaucrat doesn't have the power to do it, it's just that there are a hundred other things (many of them similar requests) on the bureaucrat's desk. When the councilmember (or whoever) raises the issue of a constituent not getting something, it's a lot easier for the bureaucrat to just do that thing for that constituent than to compile a report on the hundred other things that should be higher priority.

This is not to say that sometimes bureaucrats really do just need a kick in the ass and/or a realignment of priorities, just that the "magic" usually results in everyone else who didn't call their local councilmember getting pushed back one place in line.
posted by Etrigan at 7:52 AM on November 21, 2013 [5 favorites]


Yeah, it really can be any of several situations. The change can be delayed to workload, it can be tied up in bad processes (maybe it's not really clear WHO has final approval on something, for example), it can be held up because of malfeasance. Maybe even things are moving as they should, but the affected person is a jerk, and wants it done yesterday.

There's probably a role for a Ford-style intervention person, because systems do get screwed up. There's also potential for abuse there. In this as in all things.
posted by Chrysostom at 8:18 AM on November 21, 2013


So. Here we are three weeks later. Ford's still "mayor." In fact, as others have pointed out, he's probably exactly where he wants to be; largely free of responsibilities but still holding enough of a bully pulpit to fling poo and gum up the works of government as much as he can. Today the budget chief announced that property taxes are going to have to go up more than the 1.75% that Ford wanted. Now Ford can point to this hike, announced after his powers were wrestled away from him, and tell his followers "See? The gravy train is back!" They won't care about the details (like the cost of his beloved Scarborough subway, plus LRT cancellation fees), they'll just blame it on the rest of council. So he's got the same platform to run on as last time. Whether or not this will be enough to sweep him back into office remains to be seen, but now he's got almost a year to hammer his bullshit message into peoples' skulls without having to trouble himself with any actual governing.
posted by The Card Cheat at 8:42 AM on November 21, 2013 [3 favorites]


There's probably a role for a Ford-style intervention person, because systems do get screwed up.

Yeah, this is called "Your city councillor." I don't think Mayor Ford's job is actually limited to answering phones, as he seems to believe. The mayor's job is generally more than just a councillor-at-large, which is supposed to justify their larger budget and staff. Stuff like "attending parades" and "meeting with the Prince Consort of your own country" is actually part of his job.
posted by muddgirl at 8:47 AM on November 21, 2013


Conservatives want to make themselves the face of the common man? Well, guess what? Success! However, they may have forgotten that the common man likes to drink, screw, fight, steal, and lie. As one of our prophets puts it:
The hard Canadian
Is what he throws away
And he hurt her feelings
Almost every single day
Now he takes a shot of nothing
Stares off remembering someone
That's the hard Canadian
posted by No Robots at 9:03 AM on November 21, 2013


A nice interface to the Rob Ford incident file. This site is amazing.
posted by chunking express at 9:39 AM on November 21, 2013 [3 favorites]


The mayor's job is generally more than just a councillor-at-large, which is supposed to justify their larger budget and staff. Stuff like "attending parades" and "meeting with the Prince Consort of your own country" is actually part of his job.

So, I'm not clear on the system up in Toronto, is the Mayor more like the Prime Minister of Toronto or its President? I mean in my crazy American checks-and-balances point of view, I just assumed an Executive was tasked with executing the will of the legislature rather than overseeing the legislature itself.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 9:39 AM on November 21, 2013


The mayor is basically like another councilor, but with a few perks in terms of power.
posted by chunking express at 9:41 AM on November 21, 2013 [1 favorite]


I mean in my crazy American checks-and-balances point of view, I just assumed an Executive was tasked with executing the will of the legislature rather than overseeing the legislature itself.

A lot of municipal governments in the U.S. -- especially the ones that aren't big enough to have full-time mayors and council members -- have systems like this. It's not uncommon for a mayor to have only ceremonial duties above and beyond his or her role as a council member, and to have an appointed city manager or administrator who does the "executive" work. In some places, the mayor is just the city council member who got the most votes or has served longer than the other council members.
posted by Etrigan at 9:52 AM on November 21, 2013


Oh, agreed, muddgirl. I'm not saying that's the mayor's job at all. I just meant that the actions Ford took as councilor are not prima facie unreasonable.

10th regiment, you want to take a look at the differences both between strong and weak mayor systems and council-manager systems. Mixtures between legislative and executive powers are common on the municipal level. For example, I live in a small town in the US - here's what the borough has to say about our government:
The Borough of Sewickley has a Mayor elected for a four-year term who oversees and has responsibility for the Police Department. The Mayor does not vote on Council actions except in cases to break a tie vote.

Sewickley Borough Council is comprised of nine members, three each from the three wards, elected for four-year terms staggered every two years.

The Council is vested with the legislative and executive powers of the Borough and is responsible for the annual budget. Council sets policy and makes appointments to the various Borough Boards, Commissions and Authorities. Council also appoints the Borough Manager.
posted by Chrysostom at 9:52 AM on November 21, 2013 [1 favorite]


especially the ones that aren't big enough to have full-time mayors and council members

It's also often argued that it is less graft-prone to have essentially volunteer council-members and a well-compensated city manager, although I disagree.
posted by muddgirl at 9:54 AM on November 21, 2013


Torontoist has a piece up entitled Resolving the Crisis of Legitimacy at City Hall in which John Michael McGrath argues that as RoFo has declared his intention to not only to refuse to do his own job, but to obstruct other councillors as much as possible, the best course is to amend the relevant legislation and allow council to expel a member. He points out that while critics suggest this would lead to abuse, that the federal legislative assemblies of both Canada and the US have this ability, and history suggests it has not been abused:
Every system can be abused, and most are. Abuses can be a reason for caution, but on their own can’t be a reason to avoid necessary changes. (Police abuse civilians. Few think the absence of police would be preferable.) The actual history of expulsion powers suggests that abuse isn’t something we have to worry about. The Canadian House of Commons has expelled four members in its entire history, all for the commission of crimes. Of the 20 members of Congress who have ever been expelled, 17 were Southern Democrats who joined the Confederacy—and expulsion for treason seems pretty reasonable. Neither chamber shows a history of political expulsion votes.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 10:53 AM on November 21, 2013


Can someone give an example?


Well...let's say your family owns a printing and label company in the inner suburbs, and you really need some road and drainage repairs to be completed before your 50th anniversary party...



Also, for the further benefit of Our American Cousins: Five Things Rob Ford Says That Aren't True.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 11:18 AM on November 21, 2013 [1 favorite]


Five Things Rob Ford Says That Aren't True.

From the piece:
#4: That he has the support of the people
Well, as demonstrated in Brother Doug's picking a fight earlier this week with the public gallery at a council meeting, RoFo has the support of all "real Torontonians" (somewhat akin to "true Scotsmen," I gather).
posted by ricochet biscuit at 11:53 AM on November 21, 2013 [1 favorite]


Well, now this has happened. And it is spectacular.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 2:07 PM on November 21, 2013 [19 favorites]


..totally

(heh. called it!)
posted by Artful Codger at 4:33 PM on November 21, 2013


(heh. called it!)
Yeah, sorry but the Ford/Farley thing has been a thing for a long, long time.
posted by chococat at 5:35 PM on November 21, 2013


Well, now this has happened. And it is spectacular.

It's sort of incredible how well they were able to fit the storyline.
posted by davey_darling at 5:45 PM on November 21, 2013


What's amazing about the Farley clips is that some of them are indistinguishable from real life, specifically, falling on the football field and walking into the glass door, which looked like he was walking into the camera. Getting tossed out the bar is also something I can imagine happened to Ford.

Finding a clip of a white-haired DeNiro as Bill Blair was also inspired.
posted by Bokmakierie at 5:56 PM on November 21, 2013


Getting tossed out the bar is also something I can imagine happened to Ford.

Military Ball close enough for you?
posted by mannequito at 6:04 PM on November 21, 2013


Getting tossed out the bar is also something I can imagine happened to Ford.

Getting tossed out of a bar close enough for you?
posted by davey_darling at 6:10 PM on November 21, 2013


What's amazing about the Farley clips is that some of them are indistinguishable from real life
Many of those scenes were actually filmed in Toronto, strangely enough.
posted by chococat at 6:29 PM on November 21, 2013 [1 favorite]


Rob Ford #1 Sports Fan
posted by mannequito at 12:11 PM on November 22, 2013 [4 favorites]


Rob Ford was subject of August police alert: "Toronto police issued a city-wide alert for Rob Ford's SUV on Aug. 29 after witnesses called police with concerns about the Toronto mayor's fitness to drive, CBC News has learned. The calls to police came in response to Ford's behaviour at a barbecue attended by Prime Minister Stephen Harper at Sunnybrook Park."
posted by maudlin at 3:42 PM on November 22, 2013 [1 favorite]


Do yourself a favour and don't read the comments.

It's never a good idea to read them, of course, but...

Take a step back, people. Think about what kind of behaviour you're excusing, and why.
posted by Capt. Renault at 3:39 PM on November 23, 2013


So close to 2,000 comments, people. I have faith!
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 8:23 PM on November 23, 2013


Is Rob Ford Untouchable?
posted by nubs at 9:15 AM on November 24, 2013 [1 favorite]


Lies, damn lies, and statistics.
posted by jacquilynne at 9:19 AM on November 24, 2013


Rob Ford: The inside story of the police investigation: "What follows is a behind-the-scenes look at how the probe, dubbed Project Brazen 2, developed. There might come a time when much more will be known about an investigation police say is “ongoing.” None of the key police and legal players involved would speak to the Star about their roles, but two sources with knowledge of the investigation and who have read search warrant materials agreed to fill in some key blanks on the condition they not be identified."
posted by maudlin at 10:38 AM on November 24, 2013


From that Star article:
Someone had received information that the video might have been on a phone stolen from Smith the night he was murdered.
That seems to exonerate the mayor on the murder charge. That's something, I guess. Toronto's mayor may be a crack smoking wife beater who routinely drives drunk, but at least he isn't a murderer!

Anyway, the article draws in stark relief exactly what special rules the police play by when it is the Mayor (who happens to be a rich white guy, naturally) under investigation. Specifically:
“No way” were lead investigators going to stop the mayor if all that was in the envelope was a bottle of vodka, said one source.
and
In the end, it was the undercover drug investigation, sparked when the undercover officer dropped off a shirt with a package of rolling papers slipped into a front pocket, that would lead to Lisi’s Oct. 1 arrest for marijuana trafficking and possession.

“It wasn’t going to get any better,” one source said of why Lisi was arrested when he was, and on relatively low-level drug charges. The evidence was there.
posted by Chuckles at 10:27 PM on November 24, 2013


the article draws in stark relief exactly what special rules the police play by when it is the Mayor (who happens to be a rich white guy, naturally) under investigation. Specifically:

“No way” were lead investigators going to stop the mayor if all that was in the envelope was a bottle of vodka, said one source.


I took that a different way: when you've devoted this many person hours and resources to the investigation and building the case, you aren't going to jump to make an arrest in a moment like that unless you are absolutely sure you are going to catch your suspects holding the proverbial smoking gun. Without knowing exactly what was in the envelope, why risk it? Then all you've done is tip your hand for no good reason.
posted by nubs at 7:38 AM on November 25, 2013 [2 favorites]


I agree, and also, when the suspect is someone as high-profile as the mayor the charges are inevitably going to be suspect to a high degree of public scrutiny, so I would think that the police would want to gather sufficient evidence so that their case is rock-solid, do everything exactly by the book so no one (Doug) accuses them of bias, and hold out for a bigger crime if possible (say, extortion rather than driving with an open bottle of liquor) in order to avoid accusations of bias and that the police are wasting their time & resources
posted by iona at 8:11 AM on November 25, 2013


still mayor
posted by (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates at 9:58 AM on November 25, 2013 [1 favorite]


Rob Ford's superpowers are a) getting away with shit and b) convincing people to make excuses for him.

The current scuttlebutt on the Urban Toronto thread is that Brazen 2 is wrapping up, probably with no charges being laid against Ford. If this happens he'll be able to fall back on "I was never charged with anything" and claim the police and the Star were on a fruitless witch hunt against him. If the crack video never sees the light of day people will forget that, too, and we'll be back to "GRAVY TRAIN SOCIALIST COUP I SAVED YOU A BILLION DOLLARS SUBWAYS," which will be more of the same old bullshit, but we have seen how eager Ford Nation is to believe anything that comes out of Ford's mouth.
posted by The Card Cheat at 10:09 AM on November 25, 2013




"Black/ford", a new situation comedy featuring a mismatched pair of neighbors, who, despite their differences, share an affection for fancy pipes and home cooking.
posted by No Robots at 11:21 AM on November 25, 2013 [2 favorites]


He has hit the big time now (and doubtless will leave archives readers in fifty years as baffled as most of us today are by scathing satires of the Teapot Dome Scandal).
posted by ricochet biscuit at 2:11 PM on November 25, 2013 [1 favorite]


Rob Ford's superpowers are a) getting away with shit and b) convincing people to make excuses for him.

It's frightening. The Fords' ability to lie and deceive would be admired by Goebbels.
posted by KokuRyu at 5:19 PM on November 25, 2013


The Fords' ability to lie and deceive would be admired by Goebbels.

He'd just see them as typical Englishmen:

"The essential English leadership secret does not depend on particular intelligence. Rather, it depends on a remarkably stupid thick-headedness. The English follow the principle that when one lies, one should lie big, and stick to it. They keep up their lies, even at the risk of looking ridiculous."
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 8:26 PM on November 25, 2013


Rob Ford interview by a correspondent on The O'Reilly Factor.
posted by beau jackson at 9:15 AM on November 26, 2013 [1 favorite]


Lest we forget, it's only been a year since Ford was ordered out of office by a judge for violating the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act (this was later overturned).

Relive it on Metafilter!
posted by Lemurrhea at 11:05 AM on November 26, 2013 [1 favorite]


Hmmm, so many things associated with crack smoking now. Toronto. The mayor. Fat white guys. Poli-corporate machines. Football scrimmages in city council meetings. Extreme drinking and driving. Canada.

I was comfortable, as a crack user, with crack merely being associated with niggaz and dope fienz.

Rob Ford, resign and stop besmirching crack's reputation!
posted by telstar at 12:01 PM on November 26, 2013


The porn parody exists!

And supposedly Vivid has offered RoFo money to act in a real porno. Just in case the rumours aren't true.
posted by Lemurrhea at 12:42 PM on November 26, 2013


Probably porn-free: Judge orders entire police document about Mayor Rob Ford and Lisi be made public. BUT ...
The information will not be released until at least Dec. 6 at 4:30 p.m., Nordheimer ruled, to allow the Crown time to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada.
posted by maudlin at 11:02 AM on November 27, 2013


The Globe has more:
... almost all of a nearly 500-page police document can be released to reporters, save for details relating to confidential informants and police investigative techniques. ...

The newly released material chiefly involves wiretap information collected while Toronto police monitored the phone calls of at least 59 people identified through Project Traveller, a year-long guns-and-drugs investigation that culminated with dozens of arrests in mid-June in Toronto, Windsor and Alberta. ...

Court documents released last week revealed that the mayor’s voice was not captured in police monitoring of telephone calls related to Project Traveller. The records, though, show Mr. Lisi was in phone contact with several men arrested in Project Traveller.
posted by maudlin at 11:08 AM on November 27, 2013


And via so Ivor! much Tossel!, a solid article from The Atlantic about Ford's base that does not repeat the usual babble about who elected Ford and which includes Zack Taylor's excellent map of 2010 voting patterns.
What I’ve found most interesting in the debate about Rob Ford is the attempt to parse out “Ford Nation”—that seemingly monolithic swathe of voters living in the suburbs. The stereotype is that the suburbs are all about big backyards and SUVs and barbecuing on the deck, and that the people there are the Canadian counterparts of the American Tea Partiers. They are fiscal conservatives and just want to be left alone with minimal interference from big government. Ford Nation loves Rob Ford because Rob Ford is just like Ford Nation.

Sure, the suburbs have their share of million-dollar “monster homes” and upscale neighborhoods, just like there’s poverty in Toronto’s downtown core. But we don’t often talk about how, in large parts of Toronto, suburban also means poor and non-white. Without a discussion of that, any portrait of Ford Nation is ridiculously incomplete.
Naheed Mustafa is a (former) Torontonian who now lives in the 905 and writes for American media. More like this, please.
posted by maudlin at 11:17 AM on November 27, 2013 [2 favorites]


Oh thank you maudlin!

I have 8 hearings next week, including about 500km of travel in northern Ontario, up until Friday the 6th at about 3. I am going to relax and justify reading the entire ITO as "legal studying" and not have to deal with people until Monday.
posted by Lemurrhea at 12:18 PM on November 27, 2013 [1 favorite]


Florida Sheriff says "this isn't Toronto" as he arrests Mayor for dealing oxycodone.
posted by Chrysostom at 1:14 PM on November 27, 2013 [3 favorites]


If RoFo had gone into a 28-day rehab program the day this was announced by Blair, he would be getting out tomorrow: a man redeemed, with a near-certain lock on the 2014 election. No Kimmel/Letterman/Ferguson/Daily Show/Colbert/SNL mockery, no series of council meetings to strip his powers, no surprise press conferences where he discusses his wife's clitoris, no radio show cancellation, no empty threats to sue people for cooperating with a police investigation, no flattening Pam McConnell, no debuted-and-cancelled TV show, no offhanded admission of drinking and driving, probably no bobbleheads... what could have hurt him in the last four weeks that was not of his own doing? I suppose the video of him threatening someone could have surfaced, but any media pushing that while he was in rehab would have been widely seen (and not just by Ford Nation) as kicking a man when he was down and trying to get clean.

At this point, he is the author of his own fate. I cannot pretend to know how he perceives the world, but I have this tragic suspicion that every time he completes a new interview for Fox or CNN or something, he figures, "Okay, things are finally going my way again! This was the one that turns it all around. It's all sorted now and everything is coming up Rob!"
posted by ricochet biscuit at 2:15 PM on November 27, 2013 [7 favorites]


The current budget debate already shows what's happening. Ford will run as an outsider who wants to stop the tax-crazy city council (again) and make crazy promises that defy math (again). Brazen 2 will wrap up without charges. Ford will strike and kill a cyclist in his SUV, but will be released without charges and without being given a breathalyzer. The Toronto Star will go nuts, which will be used by Jerry Agar and other bloviators as evidence of a left-wing media conspiracy to both discredit Ford and promote cycling, in service to their true masters, the socialists at the UN who are behind Agenda 21 and the climate change hoax. Ford, for his part, will use the incident to call for a ban on all cyclists on city roads. He will be re-elected by 32% of the vote, with the remainder going to Olivia Chow, Adam Vaughan, Denzil Minnan-Wong and John Tory.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 2:50 PM on November 27, 2013 [2 favorites]


Florida Sheriff says "this isn't Toronto" as he arrests Mayor for dealing oxycodone.

it's not Toronto but it sure is a speed trap
posted by one more dead town's last parade at 4:41 PM on November 27, 2013


Civic treasure Matt Elliott explains the 2014 budget using charts and clear English. You may want a printout handy for any Ford-related arguments in your near future. Or maybe you can just have this part tattooed on your forehead:
The land transfer tax adds another $20 million as it outperformed estimates in 2013 and staff have built in a revenue increase for next year. It’s always important to note how critical the land transfer revenue is to the city’s fiscal health. Without it, the opening pressure would be about $350 million higher than it is.
posted by maudlin at 7:19 PM on November 27, 2013 [1 favorite]


As part of a council-approved financing strategy that will eventually see the average household pay about $40 a year toward the subway debt for the next few decades, the 2014 budget demands about $12 million to start financing our all-underground transit dreams.

[...]

Various reductions to program spending and absorbed inflation make up $64 million of the balancing strategy. This continues the legacy of cost containment and continuous improvement that started when Toronto introduced its long-term fiscal plan in 2005. I forget who the mayor was then.

[...]

This negative budget outlook should keep Toronto mayoral candidates from promising property tax freezes or big infrastructure investments without revenue strategies backing them up. Unless, that is, they’re totally willing to ignore fiscal reality. But would anybody ever vote for a candidate who did that?
Has Metro News always been this awesome?
That article should be read by every Torontonian...
posted by Theta States at 8:21 AM on November 28, 2013


While Metro doesn't do deep investigative stories like the big dailies (kind of, sort of, less than before, I know), it is capable of hiring some fine people like Matt. (It also has been running TEMP by Douglas Coupland all month, which is an addictive little trifle.)

Torontoist also produces work of this quality, but I think it doesn't reach as many people or as broad a representation of Toronto as a free subway newspaper, sadly. I'm already planning my Christmas dinner with Scarborough relatives and I definitely intend to use Metro for my go-to quotes.
posted by maudlin at 9:31 AM on November 28, 2013


(It also has been running TEMP by Douglas Coupland all month, which is an addictive little trifle.)
Well, now I have at least one reason to be thankful to Mayor Rob Ford.
posted by fullerine at 9:37 AM on November 28, 2013


A timely reminder of Torontoist's excellence: David Hain's take on the budget. The following should be used by some smart mayoral candidate, too: "The key feature of the mayor's budget plan: spend more money than you're willing to raise. "

Also, too: "The third element of the property tax increase is 0.5 per cent which council has already voted on, to help pay for the Scarborough subway. (This, if you’re wondering, is not negotiable: because of the wording of the motion that’s already been passed, council is not allowed to reduce services elsewhere in the City in order to accommodate the subway extension. In other words, even if council did muster some new political interest in cutting services, it couldn’t use the savings to pay for the Scarborough subway.)"
posted by maudlin at 9:39 AM on November 28, 2013 [1 favorite]


The "I Hate the War on Mayor Rob Ford" Facebook page: 2,800 likes.

The "500,000 Voters for a Rob Ford Free Toronto" Facebook page: 21,229 likes.

I'd say there's hope for Toronto yet.
posted by orange swan at 9:49 AM on November 28, 2013


Metro is owned by the same group that owns the Star. Idk if they share resources, but the Metro has a suprisingly respectible pedigree for a free daily.
posted by bonehead at 10:16 AM on November 28, 2013


There was a media discussion on the Ford case streaming late this afternoon featuring Robyn Doolittle and Michael Cooke (Star), Greg McArthur (Globe) and Andrew Coyne (Post). Some highlights from Jonathan Goldsbie's Twitter feed:
Cooke: "The spittle and the phlegm kept going at us like a fire hose" and only stopped when Blair confirmed the account of the video.

Cooke repeats what he said in Quebec City last weekend, that the Star lost over half a million dollars in subscriptions from this.

Doolittle on the video: "When you all eventually get a chance to see it, it will stop your heart -- it's something to see."

Ooh, Cooke asks Greg McArthur why the Globe sat on the hash story for a year. McArthur says editors felt it still had holes in it. Cooke: "Well, what changed?" McArthur: "The same thing that changed when Gawker published your story." (McArthur is probably the most interesting figure on the panel, if only because we've never heard from him at length before.)

Doolittle: "The hate mail's dropped off, which is great."

Cooke: "The Mayor's thugs went out and tried to suppress" the crack video.

Cooke explains the Star was considering donating money to "leaders in the Somalian-Canadian community" for *them* to retrieve the video.

McArthur bemoans the fact that the Globe doesn't gets tips like the Star does. "No one ever comes to us with the video."

Doolittle explains how the Mayor uses his kids as human shields: "Every time he ever has an issue, he brings his children out."

Doolittle says that she's heard through her "sources" that Renata Ford was not a willing participant in that press conference.

McArthur, who broke the Airbus scandal, says Doug Ford and Brian Mulroney have a lot of similarities with regard to how they warp the truth.

Cooke on remaining Lisi documents: "Well, I know what's in them. And they're stunning. More of the same, plus it ratchets up one big level."

The panellists don't deny they've heard there's a video of people waving guns around a passed-out Rob Ford.

Coyne, reflecting on what was reported about Ford in the 2010 election: "The Star was right, and I was wrong."

McArthur says that journalists go after the Fords so hard because they like to lie, and journalists take that as a challenge.

And we end with Robyn acknowledging that, yes, she gets threats from Ford supporters every time the brothers make a claim about her.
posted by maudlin at 6:25 PM on November 28, 2013 [5 favorites]


Ford brothers planning web series after turning down reality show offers from ‘Oprah and Dr. Phil,’ Doug says.

Doug's wife, Morgan Fairchild, was not available for comment.
posted by maudlin at 7:03 AM on November 29, 2013 [3 favorites]


"Cooke repeats what he said in Quebec City last weekend, that the Star lost over half a million dollars in subscriptions from this."

They lost subscriptions after breaking a salacious story about a powerful official? Were those people all conservatives? I wonder if some right wing paper like the Sun has gotten a corresponding uptick in subscribers, or if those people have stopped reading newspapers altogether.


"McArthur, who broke the Airbus scandal, says Doug Ford and Brian Mulroney have a lot of similarities with regard to how they warp the truth."

Ouch. That's a sick burn, as the kids say.
posted by Kevin Street at 11:24 AM on November 29, 2013


They lost subscriptions after breaking a salacious story about a powerful official? Were those people all conservatives? I wonder if some right wing paper like the Sun has gotten a corresponding uptick in subscribers, or if those people have stopped reading newspapers altogether.

Lots of Star-Subscribing, big-L Toronto Liberals must have voted for Ford. The much-ballyhooed 2011 Conservative break into Toronto was mostly from vote splitting. Only two City of Toronto ridings even came close to a majority of the vote for Conservatives. Even then, suburban ridings that voted for Ford by over 40 point margins gave the Liberals their strongest Toronto showing in 2011; Scarborough—Agincourt, Etobicoke North, and York West saw solid Liberal wins. Toronto's inner suburbs remained a solid Liberal lock in the previous two federal elections, elections in which the Toronto Star was the only major daily newspaper in Canada to endorse the Liberals.

Toronto is also stewing in a crab bucket mentality, with special ire reserved for public sector unions and anybody with a defined benefit pension. Rob Ford has stoked this fire very well, and the rhetoric is pushing this city towards a dark place. For me, it was shortly after the last provincial election that I noticed how ugly things have gotten. I was watching a panel on The Agenda where one talking head said McGuinty's negotiation with public sector unions reminded him of Neville Chamberlain's promise of "Peace for Our Time". When the panelist representing CUPE tried to object to this characterization of him as Hitler, Paikin cut him off for speaking out of turn.

I think a lot of Ford-voting Star readers who see themselves as centrists or even moderate leftists were offended by the Star first coming out against Rob Ford, then endorsing the NDP federally in 2011, taking it as an endorsement of unfettered public sector unionism, which is now conflated with riding bicycles and streetcars as a form of Hitler. A lot of their former subscribers probably had enough when the Star resorted to dirty union tricks to bring down their man Rob.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 4:54 PM on November 29, 2013 [2 favorites]


Post-post Thanksgiving leftovers:

On Rob Ford and the Dangers of Shame Without Guilt.

A video of that media discussion from Thursday (Doolittle, Cooke, McArthur and Coyne) is here.
posted by maudlin at 8:16 AM on November 30, 2013 [2 favorites]


Rob Ford may be a blight on Toronto, a parasite who can slide past the defences of a civil system founded on duty and the assumption that a sense of guilt will moderate bad behaviour, an embarrassment to a whole nation as the world titters behind its hand at us. But on the other hand, I probably never would have been introduced to Hazlitt without maudlin's link above, and holy god is it good.

So, silver linings.
posted by figurant at 10:22 PM on November 30, 2013 [1 favorite]


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