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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I’ll have more to say about the case later, but for now, Marc Weisblott has put together a selection of what various pundits have to say. Read it here.

My short-and-simple view? This joke of a mayor is dead in the water on the facts and the law. The relevant Act does not permit much room for discretion.

Ipso facto, it all comes down to whether a tough, senior judge is concerned about substituting his judgment for that of the people. If I had been able to tell him one thing, it would have been this:

“Democracy isn’t lost when a judgment removes a law-breaker from office. It’s preserved when officer-holders aren’t found to be above the law.”

Your views? We’re less than two hours away.

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Notwithstanding an impressive body of evidence to the contrary, politicians are human. Humans being flawed, politicians are also flawed.

Politicians say dumb things, for example. They try not to, but they do.

David McGuinty said something dumb this week. At a House of Commons natural resources committee get-together on Tuesday, the Ottawa-area Liberal MP accused Conservative members of Parliament of being “shills” for Big Oil, and suggested “they should really go back to Alberta.”

Hoo boy! Assorted Conservative MPs immediately commenced rending of garments and gnashing of teeth, and declared how deeply offended they were. Out in Calgary Centre, Conservative Party byelection candidate Joan Whatserface — who is hapless, gormless and had previously been more elusive than Sasquatch — suddenly made herself available to the media.

Stephen Harper and Whatserface could barely disguise their glee, as they invoked the Satanic Liberal trifecta: The National Energy Program, David McGuinty and, er, the National Energy Program.

Liberals like me — hailing from Calgary, as I do — were plenty mad at McGuinty for his dumb statement, coming as it did during a byelection that we could win. McGuinty thereafter quit his natural resources critic thing, and issued a poop-eater of an apology that must be read to be believed.

It’s one for the Political Apology History Book, a rather thick tome.

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…as we play our newest hit, ‘Justin Bieber Must Die.’

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Quote:

“Progressive Conservatives and New Democrats privately confide she would be the most formidable candidate in the next provincial election, expected as early as next spring.”

If others want to boast about selling many memberships in very few ridings, let ’em.

The others might win seats in Toronto. Only Pupatello can win the whole province.

Ask our opponents.

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The message? Simple. ALL PROGRESSIVES NEED TO VOTE LIBERAL.

If you don’t, the arrogant, out-of-touch Cons win. Again.

The message:

Hi,
 
The latest poll is 37% for Crockatt, 32% for Locke. Assuming about a 35% turnout (which is about normal for a by-election), the two candidates are about 1,600 votes apart. Chris Turner is at about 17% and about 5,000 votes behind. These number seem fairly stable in more than one poll. So, unfortunately I think the poll numbers just do not support Chris, or Dan Meades.
 
So, I am supporting Locke because I think he has the best chance to get ahead of Crockatt and the best chance to give a message to Harper. After 45 years of conservative voting, it would be great to see some change. I encourage you to also vote for the second place candidate.
 
Vote splitting by voting for the 3rd or 4th place candidates will simply ensure Joan Crockatt goes to Ottawa.
 
See the latest poll here:
http://return-on-insight.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/ROI-Media-Release-YYC-Centre-poll-Nov-22.pdf
 
Analysis of more than one poll is here:
http://www.threehundredeight.com/2012/11/new-calgary-centre-by-election-poll.html
 
Here is a new event group to encourage and end to Stop Vote Splitting.
http://www.facebook.com/events/141132799368065/
 
Please pass it around.
 

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Selling thousands of memberships is great.

Unless you’ve sold most of them in two ridings in downtown Toronto, that is.

Heh.

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Proud of him. But I always am.

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…meanwhile, Team Hair and Teeth© is heard from. For your reading entertainment.

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