…and, without getting into too much detail, I can reveal a family member may or may not have been part of this. Neat, eh?

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Things are getting…interesting in Beaches East York, where I live. Some people, who I won’t identify (for now), are treating the local federal Liberal association as if it were their own. That’s a mistake.

If you believe, as I do, that the Liberal Party of Canada needs to renew and reform itself from top to bottom, then please get yourself signed up – here – to come out and vote at the upcoming AGM. The cutoff to be eligible to vote in the AGM is tomorrow – Friday at 2 p.m.

Does that seem like a ridiculously short timeframe, one that is perhaps designed to keep new folks out, instead of getting new folks in?

Yeah, it seems that way to me, too. So sign up now, and get to that meeting.

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Right here!

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Here.

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Talked about comms, politics, you name it. Now that I’ve put their picture up, they all need to go buy Fight The Right!

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I know him, and I know he is no extremist. He is the kind of person we need more of, in fact.

I’m proud of what he did, and how he did it. He did this city a great service.

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I love, love it.

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Calgary Centre notwithstanding, it’s a good time to be a Grit. I truly feel that all the signs that are pointing toward a revitalization of the Liberal brand (and values), both nationally and here in Ontario. Sometimes, though, change starts right in your own backyard. Mine, for example.

For those of you lucky enough to live in Beaches-East York (which runs from from the Lakeshore North to Sunrise, Coxwell to Victoria Park), you have a super-duper opportunity to start the building process right now.

The Beaches-East York federal Grit riding association is having their annual general meeting on Sunday December 9th. The AGM is where the riding executive is voted in, and it sets the tone and direction for the year ahead. Linkage here.

This year, there are a bunch of skilled, energized federal Liberals who are super engaged, super motivated, and totally ready to start rebuilding. They can turn things around, and all they need is, well, your vote.

So, if you’re a member of the riding, get out to the AGM and VOTE.

If you’re a former member in the riding who has been waiting for the chance to help rebuild the Liberal brand, and win back Beaches-East York, you can renew your membership by November 30 and then get to the meeting and vote. Linkage here.

If you live in the riding and are a Liberal voter, or a Liberal supporter, or an Ontario Liberal, or someone who has never been involved in politics, you can join up by November 30 and then get to the meeting and participate, too.

Once you’ve gotten your membership in order, speak to your family, your friends, your kids (14 and over) – anyone who is, was, or should be a Liberal in BEY, and is ready to see the building begin. Help them sign up. Linkage here.

It’s very cool to see this happening, organically and on its own, in my own riding. It frankly gives me hope for ridings across the country with similar challenges. This is where it starts.

Sunday, Dec. 9th. 2pm. Royal Canadian Legion Branch 11, 9 Dawes Rd. (just south of Danforth). Join, listen, ask questions. Stand for election. Mostly, VOTE. Linkage here.

And, if you have questions, send these folks an email: info@beyliberals.ca.

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In political war rooms, it’s called “quotes and votes.”

Digging up embarrassing old statements by an opponent and publicizing them, that is. Also, dusting off long-ago missed legislative votes, or questionable expenditures or travel.

When you get a quote that hurts your adversary, you leak it to a media organization. Once the media report on the statement, the political party then can bray and screech about how offended and outraged it is.

The outrageous Justin Trudeau quote about Alberta, by now, is well-known to all.
In a 2010 interview on a French-language program, Trudeau said Canada wasn’t doing well because “it’s Albertans who control our community and socio-democratic agenda.”

I think it was a dumb thing to say, and not just because I’m a member of the Alberta diaspora. If an Alberta MP had said it about Quebec, Trudeau et al would be rightly upset.

Now, as I said in Sunday’s column, politicians regularly say dumb things, and no one is ever truly shocked or appalled when they do.

Politicians and media pretend to be shocked and appalled, but voters aren’t. They’ve seen it all before.

What was interesting, therefore, was something else entirely — the way in which the three main political parties handled the controversy.

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I can’t say a lot about the case, because Ford’s now said he plans to appeal, and because I’m familiar with some of what is going on in the background. And the whole thing is still theoretically before the courts.

What I can say is this: when you break the rules, there’s a price to pay. A lot of folks felt that Rob Ford had broken the rules, and the court apparently agreed.

No one is above the law, Rob Ford included. Rob Ford says he did this for the kids. He deserves credit for helping those kids. But he should’ve remembered he had an obligation to set a good example for those kids, too.

He shouldn’t have taken lobbyist money for his football team, just as he shouldn’t have used taxpayer resources for his football team. Like he did, over and over and over.

I think he’s a terrible mayor. But I’m also a bit amazed about all this. I’m amazed, because it could have all been so easily avoided. It could have been avoided if Rob Ford had played by the rules. He got cocky, and he brought this on himself.

Those who say that democracy should matter more than court decisions are right. Rob Ford, in this case, violated the rules of this democracy. We keep our democracy healthy by ensuring that no one is above the rules. Many Torontonians agree with that, and now the court does, too.

He says it’s a Left-wing conspiracy. And he says he’s going to appeal. But he will lose. The judgment is airtight.

So, as he waits two years for another shot at the mayoralty (because there will be no by-election), Rob Ford will have lots of time to identify the reason for his ouster.

He sees it in the bathroom mirror, every morning.

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