From a respected Toronto municipal columnist:

In essence, someone has to save the mayor from himself. He cannot be rehabilitated. He doesn’t “get it” when it comes to appropriate behaviour of a public official. He is surrounded by too many people who embolden him and too few who can knock sense into his ample skull.

But there is a tipping point, a straw that will send the embarrassing bundle that’s Rob Ford tumbling into obscurity. You can bet on Rob Ford being Rob Ford — which means he won’t see it coming.

From a respected Conservative analyst, in the pages of the Sun no less:

No one disputes Ford’s passion for the game of football and helping kids, but does this give him a free pass to ignore and skirt rules and regulations he does not agree with?

Unlike Ford, the kids who participate in his football program cannot do the same thing in life without suffering serious consequences.

When Ford does it, he is being a poor role model for these young people, as much as he may sincerely want to help them.

If it was just a one-off situation, most people would look the other way. But as the litany of the mayor’s bad judgment calls is revealed, what lessons are these kids actually learning from him?

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The most pro-union paper in the country:

…the moral high ground that teachers’ unions claim to occupy is slipping away..the unions are exploiting ordinary Ontarians for their own pecuniary purposes.

How can teachers explain to students and parents that they will now be used as pawns in a pointless struggle that is mostly about union leaders saving face and venting anger?

With the battle lost, teachers may think they are fighting for next time. But any party in power would treat teachers more or less the same way as the governing Liberals — as they have in the past — because the money is not there…

It’s beneath teachers to bring their political fight into the schoolyard. The unions have already punished McGuinty for overreaching and rushing things, and they will have plenty of opportunity to play the parties off against each other in future campaigns.

Keep the kids out of it.

Nobody on the public payroll should be allowed to “bank” sick days. Nobody – particularly post-recession – should expect big raises anymore.

The teachers had the moral high ground, as Cohn says. They’ve now lost it.

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Does the Globe now plan to do likewise for “conservatives?”

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At Bishop Carroll, we were obsessed by the film, too. But mainly because it was scary.

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Rudy Verstraeten, 24.138.185.196, wrote:

Warren YOU are the F**king idiot.
We are law abiding gun owners and follow the law and hurt no one.Get the gang
bangers of the streets and stop importing in all these criminals.
You should be more afraid of the drunk drivers on the roads and the criminals
you Liberals let loose every day to re-offend again and again. Who are you to
say what sport I can enjoy or not. Oh wait you are a Liberal socialist. Its your
way or no way.
Lets hope there aren’t any more of you in Canada.

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Why it won’t happen:

“Because of a party tribalism and institutional self regard in which the interests of voters are barely considered.”

Yep. Some of us tried, however, and got nothing but shit and abuse for our trouble. So, the NDP has become my enemy again. Their choice.

Paul Adams’ book, meanwhile, is worth choosing. I plan to read it.

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A narrative is forming: Trudeau’s young and vital, but not serious.

Garneau’s the other side of that: older, calmer, wiser.

In other news, the NDP has to be going crazy that the Libs are getting this much attention.

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Reading this, I was reminded that Gardner was a senior staffer in Mike Harris’ government. He’s running from that past, and simultaneously embracing it.

It’s weird, but most people do the same thing, remember.

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Daisy Group is looking for a U. of T. student (for its proximity to us, not because it’s without equal) who is interested in part-time interning. Writers given priority. We pay. Email me.

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And, no, I’m not making that up.

Jim McDonnell, the Honourable Idiot from Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry, said this, and I quote:  “It’s 73 years ago today that Canada declared war on another tyrant, and that’s what we’re seeing here. The people of Nazi Germany didn’t know what was going on, and over my time here I find it hard to believe how hard it is to find out what’s going on and how easy it is for the government to hide things.”

I’d note, at this point, that there is a qualitative difference between Hitler’s regime, and a democratically-elected government, but it would be lost on Tim Hudak and his cabal of morons.  So I’ll let you folks educate him instead, in comments.

UPDATE: Link here.

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