11.04.2013 09:27 PM

In Tuesday’s Sun: truth or dare is a dangerous game

“Never pick a fight with people who buy ink by the barrel,” Mark Twain of course said, although, in the modern era, that aphorism could be easily amended to avoiding fisticuffs with multinationals possessing converged media platforms.

To Twain’s dictum we should add another: “Don’t pick fights with people who have badges, guns and the ability to toss you in the slammer.”

Rob Ford should reflect on that one, perhaps.

Ford is the classless, world-class fool who, for the time being, is Toronto’s mayor. For months, he has denied a video existed of him appearing to smoke crack cocaine.

Last week, Toronto’s police chief said the video exists, and he has entered it into evidence in a prosecution of Ford’s occasional chauffeur.

Everyone, including conservatives, want him to step aside, get help, or both. He won’t.

He is a pig-headed yob, and he thinks he can lie and elbow his way past the train wreck that is his reputation.

That’s not all: On the weekly radio program where he and his addled councillor brother Doug regularly receive screened calls from the undereducated and overly opinionated, Ford dared the police to produce the crack video, knowing full well they presently can’t, it being evidence in a criminal trial. He thinks his dare to the police is a smart strategy.

Rob Ford, meet Gary Hart.

In May 1987, when he was seeking the Democratic presidential nomination for the second time, rumours were rampant that the handsome former Colorado senator was a philanderer and was following his little soldier into battle too often.

The New York Times asked him about the rumours. Said Hart, “Follow me around. I don’t care. I’m serious. If anybody wants to put a tail on me, go ahead.

“They’ll be bored.”

Gary was many things. Boring was not one of them.

Coincidentally, reporters from the Miami Herald were already tailing Hart, and they had staked out his Washington, D.C., townhouse.

In the wee hours of the very day Hart had dared folks to tail him, the reporters spotted a pretty young woman named Donna Rice slipping out a side door at night.

Ms. Donna Rice was not Mrs. Gary Hart.

A couple days later, the Herald received photos of Hart on a boat with Ms. Rice on his lap. The boat was called — this is the best part — Monkey Business. (You can’t make this stuff up, folks).

Hart gave a celebrated press conference in which he attacked everyone, which was almost as dumb as daring them to follow him around in the first place.

A few days later, he pulled out of the race. He now practises law, and he probably reflects — every now and then — on if it all could have been different.

Well, yes, Gary. It could have been quite different, if only (a) you had stayed away from leggy former models and yachts, and (b) you hadn’t issued a dare for people to come after you.

Rob Ford and his idiotic (and shrinking) inner circle probably think they can weather the raging storm. They think they can brazen it out by daring the cops to come up with evidence of a crime.

They should ask Gary Hart about that strategy.

20 Comments

  1. patrick says:

    Yeah, but in the hall of shame Ford will have Lissi hanging over him, while Hart will have Donna Rice. If you’re going to blow it you may as well get it while doing so.

  2. Michael S says:

    Thing is, Hart wasn’t shameless after all. He resigned.

    Now John Edwards, who fathered a baby with that frootbat and then tried to pass off the paternity onto his aide, all while his wife is dying of cancer, and using campaign funds to pay off people?

    That’s shameless.

  3. Mulletaur says:

    What is on the second video, friend ?

    • Kelly says:

      Oh, we’ll be finding out very soon, I think. Of course there’s weeks of other footage from the cops we haven’t seen — yet. My guess is his Worship will likely soil himself sometime soon. I just hope he’s not sitting in the big mayor’s chair when it happens. Upholstery cleaning is damn expensive. Respect for taxpayers!

    • Matt says:

      Something neither Ford nor Blair want to be made public.

      Ford, because he is allegedly involved in a crime, and Blair because he’ll be facing serious questions as to why his force never investigated said crime.

      Friends and family of mine work for Toronto Police.

      Some have seen the video. They’ve told me what is on it. It’s longer and other things are happening in addition to drug use in that video than the one Blair has confirmed exists.

      • Mulletaur says:

        If it’s what I think it is, all Blair has to do is get the video in the public domain and public opinion will take care of the rest concerning Ford. No need for the expense of an investigation and prosecution.

      • VC says:

        You should really let Rob and Doug Ford know that it isn’t just the Chief that is publicizing the details of the videos but also some of your friends and family. In fact, who needs Chief Blair when your friends and family are making the details of the videos public.

  4. Evan says:

    Some questions: #1-Ford is said to have smoked crack cocaine. I understand from media reports that police have, for some time, been conducting surveillance on Ford, including aerial surveillance. Correct me if I am mistaken but police do not normally conduct aerial surveillance on drug users. Drug dealers perhaps but not users. Something more is up then a mere tryst with the crack pipe. Or am I deceived? #2-did police tail Ford to Taste of the Danforth and if so, why did they not arrest him for drinking and driving?

  5. sean says:

    said it before and will say it again…. I want Ford to stay just to see what crazy shit he gets into next. I think he will be a very boring x-mayor.

  6. doris says:

    Bring the video on and let him defend his slagging of “queers” and Trudeau.

  7. W the K - No, not Warren says:

    Doug Ford just called on the police chief to resign. Yeesh…

  8. Paul says:

    bizarre place ..is Blair as arrogant as he looks in public….me thinks they may deserve each other….if I was on the police board , I would be asking why mayor was investigated, how long was mayor investigated, how come we let a guy drive around impaired as noted above (imagine if he killed someone and police airplane or detectives had it on video) what costs were to investigate mayor – appears to be dirt under every stone here – who deos Blair report to – the mayor? his board?

    • VC says:

      Why don’t you do a little research for yourself; you can start by doing what a lot of people did last week and read the partially-redacted court submissions that were released from the conditions of the publication ban.

    • Matt says:

      In a word? YES Blair is that arrogant. The stories I’ve heard about him flat out using his position to essentially, for lack of a better term, blackmail people to get his way would shock you.

      There was a situation just after Ford took office where the Police Services board had made the decision to bite the bullet and pay Blair to go away. allegedly, Blair got wind of it, and after a few members of the PSB got a phone call or two from him, that plan was quickly scrapped.

      The majority of the rank and file don’t like him. Some used to call him Chief Miller because he thought he ran the city back when David Miller was Mayor.

      It is also well known within the ranks of TPS he is pushing hard for a Liberal nomination to run in 2015.

      I’ll never be accused of being a Trudeau fan, but I’d suggest he say thanks but no to Blair running for the Libs.

  9. e.a.f. says:

    Their behaviour has worked for them to date. That is why they have continued in this vein.

    You do have to wonder why Blair was investigating Ford. Was it to find dirt on him or was there justification. If there was justification, why wasn’t he arrested, or was Blair wanting to use it to strengthen his position.

    They ought to be all flushed down the toilet, but alas, as we in B.C. know, the voters will vote for anything.

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