In politics, when one becomes radioactive, friends rapidly become few and far between.

Scandal and controversy are usually the cause. A politico gets enmeshed in some sort of mess, and people who previously returned his or her phone calls become elusive. Invitations to events and get-togethers start to dry up. Encounters in public places get awkward. And former colleagues and friends start to drift away.

It’s sometimes unfair, and it’s often painful. But, in politics, that’s just the way it is. As the late Elizabeth Taylor once observed: “You find out who your real friends are when you’re involved in a scandal.”

Rob Ford, the soon-to-be-former mayor of Toronto, is a walking, talking scandal. He is a human shrapnel machine. He is also a disgrace of biblical proportions. When the politics of this era are reviewed, learned people will be bewildered as to how so many people came to cast a ballot for such a colossal idiot.

Because, whether we progressives like or not, many did. When Ford was elected Toronto’s mayor in October 2010, more than 380,000 people voted for him. He beat his main rival, a rebarbative former Liberal politician, by a substantial margin — nearly 100,000 votes. No one considered Ford too radioactive back then.

He’d been controversial, to be sure. He’d been charged with drunk driving and marijuana possession in Florida, the latter charge dismissed.
He had a long and well-chronicled record of bigoted remarks and idiotic behaviour.
But plenty of folks voted for him just the same.

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Tonight at the Bovine, 542 Queen Street West!

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Some of the folks who helped, pro bono, to get Rob Ford removed from office – I won’t reveal who they are – intend to come to SFH’s gig tomorrow at the Bovine Sex Club on Queen Street West.  It will therefore be a celebration of sorts.

If you want to join in, and meet some of these heretofore unknown people, c’mon by.  This political pestilence will soon be gone – because (a) he is not going to win his appeal and (b) if there is somehow a by-election, he’s going to lose that, too – and that is cause to be happy.

UPDATE: And if you want to know why ridding ourselves of the Ford pestilence is so important, you must read this.

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Even though there is some stuff in it that I should like, I don’t believe any of it.

We have work to do.  And: always work like you are way, way behind.  Take nothing for granted.

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Whether there’s a by-election or not – and whether she actually runs or not – she’s the candidate for me.  Looks like she is for the whole city, too:

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I don’t ever like her stuff – she always needs an editor, her stuff could always be tighter, and she is always predictable in her conservative politics – but quite a few folks have brought her latest effort to my attention.

I’m biased, of course: I know all of the people in the complaint against Rob Ford, and I like them a lot.  Clay is one of my lawyers and an old friend.  Without getting into a lot of boring detail, I know quite a bit about the case.

That said, even if I didn’t know and like everyone involved in Magder v. Ford, I’d consider Blatchford’s use of flying quotes, her insinuations, and her swipes at Paul Magder’s wife, pretty despicable.  Fern wasn’t part of the action, at all.  Dragging her into this imagined Vast Left Wing Conspiracy – and her employment, and every petition she’s ever signed – is also despicable.

But like I say, not really surprising.  It’s what she does.

 

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From a Tee Dot Liberal:

“Warren,

Sandra is the candidate for us hands down.

I was at the five riding event last night for the five unheld ridings and after listening to her give a two minute speech (all the candidates were given a same allotment). The choice is an easy one.”

And, just arrived! Swell Sandra sartorial style:

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I’m going to be reading from and/or talking about Fight the Right at a meet the candidates thing in my home riding of Beaches-East York on Thursday, December 6th at 7:30pm. We¹ll be gathering at the St. Louis Bar and Grill (1963 Queen Street East) for grub, grog and a gab about what Grits need to win.

If you go, you¹ll get to meet some of the local Liberals who have put their names forward to help run the riding. They¹re up for election at the AGM on December 9 and they need your vote. Join or renew before 2 pm today! You can do so here.

Sign up now, and see you next week, BEY Grits!

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…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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