[ROFOMOFO]

Don't the Fords have some kind of database that they use to mobilize the faythful?"

Yeah, I think it's the check in sheets with the cities probation officers.

P.S. What are the odds on a drunken Ford over the holidays, even money?

 

[CalgarianExOntarian]

Don't the Fords have some kind of database that they use to mobilize the faythful? Becuase it's hard to believe that some kind of communication hasn't been sent out to Ford Nationals along the lines of "-Ix-nay the -omments-kay on the -ternet-inay, mmm-kay?". Because every time some partisan parrots the defendant's version they're just strengthening the plaintiff's case, i.e. Mr. Dale's public reputation has been maligned, damaged and brought into low repute by the Mayor's easily proven falsehoods and willful, repetitive, derogation.

It has to wondered (and this is totally facetious) if part of any Ford defense will be "I can't be held accountable for what people who believe and repeat my every utterance say on the internets. Those people are morons, vandals and idiots!"

It's easy for the Fords to mobilize their crowd. It's going to be very hard to restrain that same crowd. It is depressing how good the Ford team has been at getting Ford Nation to react with not much thought but a lot of outrage. But I think that getting said Nation to think and act tactically and strategically in response to every new development is beyond the skills of any human.

As you sow, so shall you reap. If Rob and Doug's political careers die in a fire of their own making, the only bad part is that they will be too stupid to figure out that it was their own fault.

 

[CalgarianExOntarian]

Conman Black should be stripped of his titles. He does not deserve to be a noble.

If Rob Fraud becomes knighted, then it would be bad to all those who got knighted.

We live in Canada, and this is the 21st century. Fussing about knighthoods and lordships (and what, if anything, distinguishes them) and replacing solid Canadian art with portraits of the Queen in Canadian embassies around the world are things that should matter only to dinosaurs like Conrad Black and Stephen Harper.

In this country, the best outcome for us would be Conrad Black's total lack of influence on politics and public policy. I think we're pretty close to that already. It is a horrible shame that he used his TV show as a vehicle for libel, but it's not like over the last week or so Joe and Joanne Canuck have been thinking en masse, Hey, that Conrad guy has a point, we should see what else he has to say ...

 

[flonicky]

And look, the Trollonto Scum is already back to supporting their man. That breakup was quick:

Very quick because Warmington has been back on message for a long time. After he did those couple of columns where he tried to show some independence from the Fords, Doug said with some certainty on their radio show that Warmington would be back to his old self the following week. And not only is he back to his old self, but with the religious fervour of a convert.

 

[CalgarianExOntarian]

I like your optimism, but I think you are overestimating people's intelligence and attention spans. The narrative is that the Star is "out to get him," and that Ford "apologized." That is all people know or care about, and unfortunately it is enough to stick.

And look, the Trollonto Scum is already back to supporting their man. That breakup was quick:

Mayor Rob Ford's apology the right thing to do, even though he didn't have to

The City Hall apology Toronto wants to hear

So many thousands of pages back, I joked that the best explanation for the conduct of Warmington and Doug Ford is that they have to check in nightly with Satan to persuade the Prince of D that they've met their evil-doing quotas for the day. That's still a joke, but I'm f---ed if can come up with a convincing earthly explanation.

 

[Electrify]

Very quick because Warmington has been back on message for a long time. After he did those couple of columns where he tried to show some independence from the Fords, Doug said with some certainty on their radio show that Warmington would be back to his old self the following week. And not only is he back to his old self, but with the religious fervour of a convert.

My bad, haven't been following it as religiously as some. I also do my best to avoid reading the Sun, as I do not wish to feed the trolls. I noticed that Strobel was back onside, didn't know about Warmington. Has Peat become a follower of Ford Nation again? Just going by the retweets I get from him, he seems to be one of the only people at that rag who has the ability to think for himself.

 

[CalgarianExOntarian]

... replacing solid Canadian art with portraits of the Queen in Canadian embassies around the world ...

Nerdy self-correction: The Canadian art v Queen portrait issue was at Foreign Affairs in Ottawa. But boosting the Queen at embassies world-wide was real ...

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/canadian-embassies-have-till-sept-15-to-hang-the-queens-portrait/article593965/#dashboard/follows/

 

[flonicky]

Ford Nation makes up a large proportion of the Sun's readership, so maybe Warmington is just 'that guy' assigned to cater to the rabid, true believers and Peat's current role is 'objective robot'.

 

[EagleEye]

My bad, haven't been following it as religiously as some. I also do my best to avoid reading the Sun, as I do not wish to feed the trolls. I noticed that Strobel was back onside, didn't know about Warmington. Has Peat become a follower of Ford Nation again? Just going by the retweets I get from him, he seems to be one of the only people at that rag who has the ability to think for himself.

Peat is really fair. I just glimpsed at the 2 articles in The Sun and it was nice to see so many comments against the columnists as well as Ford.

 

[CalgarianExOntarian]

Ford Nation makes up a large proportion of the Sun's readership, so maybe Warmington is just 'that guy' assigned to cater to the rabid, true believers and Peat's current role is 'objective robot'.

Still, it's gotta be an interesting moment when those two pass each other in a hallway ...

 

[notshocking]

Heard a couple of interesting things tonight from my folks, who were discussing this with an old cop friend.

First, the tip-of-the-iceberg theme revisited; he claims that we haven't heard 90% of the dirt because of the need to protect informants. However, the case is still very much ongoing and Lisi rolling over is taken as a given.

Second, he says that RoFo actually owns a couple of these crack houses through a numbered corporation, and all the money is in the US.

Third, Rob is a serious drug user but has no actual role in selling or distributing.

I can't personally confirm any of this, of course, but the source is pretty legit. I'm happy to hear any interesting new info.

 

[CalgarianExOntarian]

Second, he says that RoFo actually owns a couple of these crack houses through a numbered corporation, and all the money is in the US.

Third, Rob is a serious drug user but has no actual role in selling or distributing.

Thanks for that (and the also the stuff I cut from my quote). I'm not trying to be argumentative, just asking for clarification: How is it possible to own a couple of crack houses through a numbered corporation, but have no actual role in selling or distributing? Rob's name is on the deeds but he has no clue about what goes on in the buildings? (That's sadly plausible.)

 

[notshocking]

Thanks for that (and the also the stuff I cut from my quote). I'm not trying to be argumentative, just asking for clarification: How is it possible to own a couple of crack houses through a numbered corporation, but have no actual role in selling or distributing? Rob's name is on the deeds but he has no clue about what goes on in the buildings? (That's sadly plausible.)

I'd suggest that a landlord could have no problem with what's going down on his premises, and even partake, without being personally involved with how substances find their way to these houses or what illicit businesses are run from them.

 

[Kat_YYZ]

So it's been about 10 days since the Matlow Escort tweet, and other cryptic predictions about another wave of Ford scandal to wash over Toronto. Some hypothesized the papers were sitting on a story until the Mandela funeral had exited the news cycle. If they are indeed sitting on something, what's the holdup at present? Theories?

I think Matlow is just reading this thread and getting his info from here. Although really -- I keep thinking St Paddy's couldn't have been an isolated incident and other people saw things at City Hall.

I worry that any "escort" story will be just the same as the G&M Doug Ford article: a bunch of anonymous people telling their stories, but no one willing to go on record. I want names; I want photos; I want a blue dress with a stain that can be DNA tested!

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

Heard a couple of interesting things tonight from my folks, who were discussing this with an old cop friend.

First, the tip-of-the-iceberg theme revisited; he claims that we haven't heard 90% of the dirt because of the need to protect informants. However, the case is still very much ongoing and Lisi rolling over is taken as a given.

Second, he says that RoFo actually owns a couple of these crack houses through a numbered corporation, and all the money is in the US.

Third, Rob is a serious drug user but has no actual role in selling or distributing.

I can't personally confirm any of this, of course, but the source is pretty legit. I'm happy to hear any interesting new info.

I don't think Lisi will roll, I do agree that there's a whole lot more that we don't know about but I think Ford sailed through this. This investigation was either botched or there was not enough evidence (or anything serious) on RoFo. What gets me though is what the heck were Lisi and Ford exchanging in those envelopes.
Ford has been looking good in the past 2 or 3 weeks. There's good (and consistent) colour in his face, no "red face" days - I think he's really off the junk & booze. Sadly some addicts relapse, and we know how little self control he has.