Re: Rob Ford Again
 

Crack and pot are illegal.

Re: Rob Ford Again
 

I see the spin machine worked for you

Re: Rob Ford Again
 

Naturally there are many spin machine's in operation. Harper's has tended to be more successful in recent years. It doesn't particularly look like anything is going to change soon. People who don't like him or his success will clutch at anything offered by the competing spin.

Re: Rob Ford Again
 

Is it right that they are? Is it right that the others aren't?

Re: Rob Ford Again
 

I don't think that such a person would have more appeal than Ford; he offers tax cuts to surbanites and, because he's fat and reactionary and often drunk, voters can identify with him. Someone else who offered a policy of tax shifting without the flamboyance would just be a dull version of him. If Ford does fall I'd expect Doug Ford, the thuggish brother, to be elected. A credible rival to the Fords would, I think, have to offer something different, be of another political persuasion.

Re: Rob Ford Again
 

Isn't the current situation that Mr. Harper has kicked the butt of his bag man, the one he says paid the expenses, not the people who took the money?

Re: Rob Ford Again
 

Did more than one person have their expenses paid? Is there any doubt that Mr Wright paid the expenses of Mr Duffy? Is there any proof that Mr Harper knew all of this?

Re: Rob Ford Again
 

Not yet. But he obviously did. Dead meat.

Re: Rob Ford Again
 

Does it matter whether or not it's right that they are illegal? The law states that they are. Is the fact that crack is illegal not enough to indicate that a man who smokes it, while in public office, and while so drunk* that he has no clear recollection of what he's doing, is not a fit person to hold that office?

* note: while I acknowledge that alcohol is not illegal, many things that are otherwise perfectly legal become prohibited while intoxicated. Does it matter that alcohol is not illegal? I find your questions in this post rather bizarre. You seem to be bringing one hell of a red herring into the debate. What are you trying to get at - what's the point of these questions? Nobody is suggesting that Rob Ford has tried to excuse his actions because the law is wrong.

Re: Rob Ford Again
 

Yes, but I suppose that's his function, (Designated Goat). Maybe he'll be rewarded somehow later for his loyalty, (try saying it like Don Corleone). ;) How can Wright deflect blame from our Leader? Is there anything he can do? Is there any criminal charge that might be laid against Harper that Wright could scuttle by accepting blame? One of you who lives in Ottawa, go look and see if the lights are on at RCMP Headquarters at night.

Re: Rob Ford Again
 

Yes, from party funds. AFAIK there's only one case where it's claimed that a party official paid expenses personally, out of the goodness of his heart.

In the sense that money went from the bank account of one to that of the other, no. I think there's all kinds of doubt over the actual source of the funds.

At this point there is only the circumstantial evidence that he's intimately involved in every other matter concerning his party. Proof doesn't much matter though, the whole matter is about image, it stems from an attempt by the party to conceal a fishy looking lack of wrongdoing.

Re: Rob Ford Again
 

Re: Rob Ford Again
 

I think that's the most bizarre thing about this whole saga, especially as relates to Mike Duffy. It seems apparent that Duffy's expenses, mostly related to his Ottawa residence, were deemed appropriate by the very Senate committee whose purpose is to check these things. The only reason for those expenses not to have been appropriate would be that he was considered not to be resident in PEI; if that's the case, then he should not have been eligible to be appointed (by Harper) as a Senator for PEI.

Harper is trying to have it both ways, here: I appointed you as a Senator for PEI, because you live there. But you don't live there, so you can't claim expenses for your house in Ottawa. So we'll cook up a story, pay back your legitimately-claimed expenses, and watch the whole thing blow up in our faces.

Presumably now that Duffy, Wallin and Brazeau have been kicked out they have even less to lose. No longer bound by Parliamentary convention, expect the accusations to start flying. Beyond the revolving door of the PMO, I don't imagine that Marjory Lebreton, for one, will come out of this with her reputation intact. Her office seems to have been the primary source of much of the duplicity in the upper house.

Re: Rob Ford Again
 

Re: Rob Ford Again
 

tasty! i love smoked salmon

Re: Rob Ford Again
 

The tie selection was exemplary.

http://www.thestar.com/content/dam/t....letterbox.jpg

Re: Rob Ford Again
 

Yes.

No.

Re: Rob Ford Again
 

So here's what I've learned from our mayors.

Toronto: walking heart-attack, overweight, smokes crack, angry

Vancouver: skinny, healthy, bikes everywhere, oooooommmmmm

Re: Rob Ford Again
 

London, UK: messy hair, cycles, sense of humour, straight talking

Re: Rob Ford Again
 

...wants to be Prime Minister (when he grows up).

Re: Rob Ford Again
 

Boris Johnson - straight talking??!! :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

Re: Rob Ford Again
 

Ok ok, he does have a tendency to obfuscate when he dislikes the question, but he's generally less measured and more opinionated than his pals.

Re: Rob Ford Again
 

Does any electorate want straight talking politicians?

Re: Rob Ford Again
 

Back to Rob Ford?

Re: Rob Ford Again
 

OK, back to Rob (and Doug). You know they're both going to end up being charged with being accessories to murder, right?

Re: Rob Ford Again
 

I liked this piece...

http://www.theguardian.com/commentis...ck-allegations

Re: Rob Ford Again
 

Does Ford (alone) really get to decide the budget of the police as the article stated? In Calgary, the mayor has no greater power than any other elected councillor, having a single vote. Is it different in Toronto?

Re: Rob Ford Again
 

Has there been anything in The Guardian about the gas plant fiasco ?

Re: Rob Ford Again
 

What gas plant fiasco?

Re: Rob Ford Again
 

Presumably the power station cancellation thing that cost hundred of millions that premier McGuinty was elbow deep in.

Re: Rob Ford Again
 

One presumes that his less attractive brother Doug is going to continue to do whatever Rob tells him, so thats two votes.

Hes the mayor, if hes not influential in setting the agenda and therefore the tone of the debate, not to mention having the casting vote should one be required, then what is he there for?

Re: Rob Ford Again
 

Oh, something not in Toronto not involving Ford, something routine, why would it be in the Guardian and what does it have to do with the price of fish? Is McGuinty sniffing fire extinguishers now?

Re: Rob Ford Again
 

It be good to see Ford run again, he might lose some naffing weight. :)

Re: Rob Ford Again
 

it is certainly fishy...

Re: Rob Ford Again
 

Are the municipal politicians in Toronto of such poor quality? If they cannot bring motions and vote appropriately, what are they there for?

Re: Rob Ford Again
 

Does that mean The Guardian can report on news items in Toronto concerning Rob Ford but no other news items in Ontario ?

A near billion $ loss is routine, have you considered a career in politics ?

Re: Rob Ford Again
 

You've seen who got elected as mayor; what do you think?:blink:

Re: Rob Ford Again
 

What's your point, exactly?

The government of the day, supported by all the other major parties, decided to cancel a contract. They acknowledge that the process of letting the contract in the first place was broken. It's a tawdry provincial political story - you wouldn't expect the GLobe & Mail to cover some equally dull story on the Welsh Assembly's inefficient use of taxpayers' money, would you?

Now if an individual Welsh politician were to spend an interesting evening on Clapham Common, say, then lie through his teeth about it until confronted with photographic evidence, then that would probably be salacious enough to feature in international media. I believe Ron Davies could explain how that works.

Re: Rob Ford Again
 

The Guardian may have reported on this gas thingy, I haven't heard of it so I suppose it wasn't a major story, but it may have been buried somewhere in the financial section. "Government in remote region of far flung country makes poor use of funds" is a story covered most days, "Fat Flamboyant Mayor mixes with Gangsters, Smokes Crack" is a bit more of a grabber, especially as a fair number of readers will have heard of Toronto.

Re: Rob Ford Again
 

wow, Canada seems so exciting these days.