Ford follies, a continuing series: the politics of it

Rob Ford wins his appeal, so my earlier prediction was wrong.

But the Divisional Court is wrong, too.

By accepting the notion that a politician can set up a private fundraising vehicle – and direct lobbyists to donate to it, and control how it spends money – the judges have created the opening the Right wing have been lusting after for years: US-style PACs to get around spending limits. Political slush funds, now cheerfully sanctioned by the Divisional Court.

If the Right does it (and they will), then we progressives will have no choice but to do likewise. PACs will be everywhere.

The significance of today’s decision isn’t simply that a bumbling boor remains in office. Its broader significance is that one of the rules of democracy has been changed.

And in a way that none of us want.


Busy day

My take?

Rob Ford’s chances are bad. Sandra Pupatello’s are good.

What’s yours?


In their own words: what the media are saying about Pupatello this week

  • “MAKE PUPATELLO OUR NEXT PREMIER… when this newspaper’s editorial board looks closely at each candidate, we conclude that Pupatello is the candidate we must enthusiastically endorse. She is far and away the best person to become Ontario’s next premier because she has the skill and fortitude to deal with what ails this province…more than any other candidate, with her sterling public and private sector credentials she exhibits the awareness that a dynamic, expanding economy is the foundation for a just and equitable society.” – Kitchener Waterloo Record, January 24, 2013
  • “Pupatello is a political force of nature, sucking up all the oxygen in the room. Funny. Quick. Flattering. Self-deprecating. And not a bad listener… Her astonishing comeback – she is on the cusp of claiming power as the presumed front-runner in the Liberal leadership race – is a testament to her political will and force of personality. Pupatello has surged ahead of her rivals by reinventing herself as a political winner with a winning personality.” – Martin Regg Cohn, Toronto Star, January 24, 2013
  • “…we favour Sandra Pupatello. Of all the candidates, she stands out as the one with the energy, personality and message that will give her party the best chance to hold on to power in what promises to be a closely fought contest with Tim Hudak’s Progressive Conservatives and Andrea Horwath’s New Democrats. After a year of lurching from one crisis to another, the Liberals badly need to change the channel with a new leader and a new approach. Going with Pupatello would be the most convincing way to do that.” – Toronto Star, January 22, 2013
  • “Ontario is facing long-term economic challenges, and of the provincial Liberal leadership candidates with a serious chance of succeeding Dalton McGuinty as Premier, Sandra Pupatello understands that best.” – The Globe and Mail, January 24, 2013
  • “Sandra Pupatello is best placed to give the party a new face and energetic new leadership – while keeping it true to the values that make it distinct.” – Toronto Star, January 22, 2013
  • “Having spent a lot of time as economic development minister, Pupatello is pretty authoritative on trade file.” – Adam Radwanski, Globe and Mail, January 22, 2013
  • “Ms. Pupatello speaks with knowledge and conviction about jobs and the economy… Ms. Pupatello has another advantage over her opponents, and not just in the Liberal leadership race but among opposition parties as well: She is an effective communicator, exuding a personal warmth that may help her sell the inevitably tough fiscal medicine Ontarians will have to take in the years ahead.” – Globe and Mail, January 24, 2013