Mayor Rob Ford in City Hall, lunging at Councillor Pam McConnell
Pam McConnell
No wonder Ford lunged at her. Who would want her around?
Pam McConnell is a limousine-lefty city counsellor (of the New Democratic Party). No wonder Ford wanted her out of his way. She is at the top of the "spending" bracket for Toronto's politicians. Ford is at the bottom.
The mayor of Toronto has become known to Americans mainly through CNN's obsessive reporting, and now through a Saturday Night Live spoof.
Basically, the mayor was caught in a crack cocaine bust, because of a video that the bunch of crack-smoking hoodlums with whom Ford was associated sold to a US blogger. Ford is not shown smoking crack.
Ford admitted to smoking crack once, although it is not clear if he did so during this up-for-sale photo shoot.
I should add that Ford used to coach inner-city black boys soccer. This photo could very well be one of his moments with his "gang."
In any case, Ford has been coming out in public denying allegations, and even weeping a little. Finally, Ford cleared the air and admitted that he smoked crack once, and that he is not an addict nor a repeat user.
His other folly is that he drinks a lot, and has been caught drunk on a couple of occasions. He also has a tendency to use swear words in some of his colorful retaliations.
Still, despite all this, he managed to turn around Toronto's economics, by actually saving the city money and leading it down a prosperous road. In fact, Toronto looks really good these days, with interesting restaurants sprouting up, a revamped shopping center at the Eaton Center, clean roads, and flower baskets on lamp posts along the main (and even side) streets.
For whatever reason, Ford is reacting very viscerally to all this. When he is not half-weeping in front of the camera, he is throwing fists at his adversaries.
And the media - left, right and center - is loving this.
I say, leave the guy alone. When left to his smarts, he does good things. Perhaps it is his home life that is in turmoil (although his wife is now dutifully appearing beside her man), or some other issue. But, Ford, although he admits he needs some counselling (for his temper, his alcohol drinking, for giving it to the media and his left-wing City Hall colleagues?), has said that he is not resigning, and will in fact run again at the next municipal elections.
Good for him.
There is a viciousness in Toronto politics, and generally Toronto life, where anyone remotely associated with a "right-wing" politics is deemed the anti-Christ. This leaves two options for the condemned: sit quietly and take it, or fight back as viciously as the adversaries. Ford decided to take the second route.
I think he'll be alright. He used to be a football player at one time, and he knows what fighting, and competition, is all about. I also think he will win in the next elections. The municipal elections will bring a large roster of candidates, and votes will be splintered between them. And I think Ford will amass enough votes to win. People like what he's doing for the city.
There was a time also when politicians were admired for any whisky drinking and cursing tendencies. A little red-blooded rowdiness never hurt anyone.
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Posted By: Kidist P. Asrat
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