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Rob Ford's Toronto

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Listening to the Black interview, Carol Off is amazing. He should stick to interviewing celebrities, not sitting politicians, since he's basically stating he's not a journalist who does his research.
 
SecretSquirrel said:
Obviously these aren't scientific figures, but still interesting. Do you think that by "the public" your contact had in mind "people who read the paper/internet news sometimes and watch some TV news" or "people who are scouring all media for any publicly available tidbit/rumour"?
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Hmmm, not sure, but they knew that I follow Ford's shenanigans closely so I'm guessing the latter .... but even if the the first group only knows 20%, then we probably know 50% which still leaves a lot to be revealed :) (fingers crossed)
 
atodaso said:
It's too bad Carol Off didn't interview Ford instead of Mansbridge. She does great interviews, knows her stuff, cuts through the bullshit, and doesn't allow weaseling.
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She interviewed him in the early days of his Mayorship and there was a "gotcha" moment; he won't speak to her since then :)
 
John_Dee said:
Warren Kinsella thinks Dale and the Toronto Star have already blown it:

http://warrenkinsella.com/2013/12/dale-vs-ford-and-ford-wins/

But I'm not so sure. This is still all very recent, and I can hardly blame the man for wanting to take the proper time to decide how to proceed. Still, I hope he does sue the vile piece of shit, and that he destroys Ford in court. It looks pretty open-and-shut to me. The "Mayor" was recklessly lying through his filthy, yellow, drug-stained teeth (as usual), and the police will presumably back that up. Ford has a history of malicious behavior, and was definitely acting out of revenge here. I can't see how Dale loses in such a scenario.

I certainly wouldn't hold it against Dale if he decides not to pursue a no-doubt lengthy and unpleasant court case, especially if his opponent is as vicious a thug as Slob Ford. But, y'know, slandering someone as a pedophile is no small thing, and Ford has been skating away from this kind of ugliness for far too long. It's well past time he learned that actions actually have consequences. This isn't the sort of thing that you let some lying, evil scumbag get away with.
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Maybe Ford has something on Dale. It doesn't even have to be what he accused him of, just... something. I've never met Daniel Dale and know nothing about him; but I can't assume someone's a saint just because they're progressive or hate Ford.

It seemed with the "I stand by my words..." bit and the sneering that he was practically goading him to sue.

As far as I know, you can't be sued for slander for what you say in court (once you're actually in a case). Ford could say things about Dale that he can't be sued for and would just bolster the idea that the media are evil and out to get him, and that Dale is some sort of weirdo.

Of course.... Dale could say things about, Ford, too. ;) Things the Star can't publish, but would be okay to say as part of such a case.

If Ford loses, he can paint himself a victim of the big bad liberal media (even though Dale is suing as a private citizen, but that's not how it will be spun). If Dale loses... I shudder to think. People will assume then that Ford was "right"? (even if that's not the reason that the suit was unsuccessful) Or that he's a hero for beating the big bad Star??

So many ways it can go... But unless Dale can use the courtroom to say things he knows about Ford -- things that the Star can't otherwise print, I don't really see the point (other than the principle of punishing a bully).
 
PinkLucy said:
She interviewed him in the early days of his Mayorship and there was a "gotcha" moment; he won't speak to her since then :)
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Yes was that the one when Ford was feigning that he was preoccupied with more 'important business' - ie coaching football? (or should I say demeaning and abusing his players)
 
I must confess, I am powerless:

The Grid
BY: EDWARD KEENAN

Can’t get enough

"Whatever highs we got from compulsively tracking the mayor’s antics have long worn off—and still, we can’t seem to look away. Admit it, Toronto. We’re Fordaholics. What will it take to kick the habit?

Last week, around the end of the workday on Dec. 4, we went on another bender."

http://www.thegridto.com/city/politics/cant-get-enough/
 
John_Dee said:
Granted that account hardly glorifies Dale - for which I think he actually deserves some credit; I know I'd be embarrassed as hell to have to make such a public testimonial that painted me in such an unflattering light - but c'mon, let's be real here. It's not like many of us would honestly come off looking good in such an episode. Most people are not action movie heroes in real life. Being suddenly confronted with an obviously out-of-control (and possibly drugged-up), enraged lunatic who was twice as big as he was, I can't blame Dale for feeling threatened. Ford was threatening him, after all.

Warren Kinsella thinks Dale and the Toronto Star have already blown it:

http://warrenkinsella.com/2013/12/dale-vs-ford-and-ford-wins/

But I'm not so sure. This is still all very recent, and I can hardly blame the man for wanting to take the proper time to decide how to proceed. Still, I hope he does sue the vile piece of shit, and that he destroys Ford in court. It looks pretty open-and-shut to me. The "Mayor" was recklessly lying through his filthy, yellow, drug-stained teeth (as usual), and the police will presumably back that up. Ford has a history of malicious behavior, and was definitely acting out of revenge here. I can't see how Dale loses in such a scenario.

I certainly wouldn't hold it against Dale if he decides not to pursue a no-doubt lengthy and unpleasant court case, especially if his opponent is as vicious a thug as Slob Ford. But, y'know, slandering someone as a pedophile is no small thing, and Ford has been skating away from this kind of ugliness for far too long. It's well past time he learned that actions actually have consequences. This isn't the sort of thing that you let some lying, evil scumbag get away with.
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Actually these insinuations are not very recent. If you go back to the original incident in May 2012 Rob was already making these ugly insinuations.

This is what I had to say about it on this very forum: http://urbantoronto.ca/forum/printthread.php?t=14268&pp=15&page=458

Worse than the initial encounter in the park - which can be considered an assault (and possession of stolen property if Ford made the call from the phone) is what happened afterwards.

Rob and Doug accused Dale of peeping over the fence and taking pictures. They made ugly insinuations essentially accusing Dale of being a deviant with interest in Rob Fords young children.

Rob Ford claimed that his neighbors saw Dale perched on cinder blocks taking pictures over the fence.

To reinforce this claim Rob Ford brought reporters to a spot behind his property to show off a stack of cinder blocks (re-arranged from the night before as caught on camera!)

Based on this claim by Rob Ford of illegality on the part of Daniel Dale, the police conducted what was essentially a peeping tom investigation. The Police investigator confirmed to Dale that if there had been evidence that Dale peered over the fence and took pictures he would have been charged !

According to the latest from the STAR the neighbors now refuse to confirm Fords allegations. Did the neighbors actually see Dale perched on cinder blocks peering over the fence taking pictures or did Rob Ford make this up?

This is no trivial question. The claim that Dale took pictures over the fence is essentially a claim that Dale committed a crime.

Police have reviewed the video and blackberry and have concluded that there is no evidence of a crime (the video in particular would be very conclusive).

In essence the Police have concluded that the allegations against Dale is false. It is a very serious criminal offense to falsely report a crime to police when no such crime has taken place. It is called public mischief and punishment can include up to five years imprisonment . Either Rob Ford or his neighbor MUST be charged with this offense.
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I would agree with Kinsella that Dale probably blew his chance to sue Ford. I don't know why Dale didn't vehemently protest the ugly insinuations being made by Ford right after the incident.

The key to successfully suing Rob Ford for defamation was the video from the surveillance camera mounted on the back of the Ford home. This video could prove conclusively that Rob Ford was lying when he said that he saw Daniel Dales head bobbing up and down over the fence.

The police reviewed this video and the police investigator told Dale that if there was evidence that he trespassed he would have been charged. In other words - police reviewed the video and discovered that Rob Ford had lied about seeing Dale Dale peeping over his fence. So why didn't police charge Ford with public mischief? Did police retain a copy of this video?

The only hope that Dale has to successfully sue Ford for defamation would be to prove that Ford lied about seeing Dale peeping into his yard. The video would provide definitive proof of this. In the absence of proof that Ford lied Fords comments to Black and his comments immediately after the incident are merely a father recounting his emotional response to discovering a man trying to take pictures of his children - at least this is how it will be viewed in the courts.
 
pattycakes said:
I must confess, I am powerless:

The Grid
BY: EDWARD KEENAN

Can’t get enough

"Whatever highs we got from compulsively tracking the mayor’s antics have long worn off—and still, we can’t seem to look away. Admit it, Toronto. We’re Fordaholics. What will it take to kick the habit?

Last week, around the end of the workday on Dec. 4, we went on another bender."

http://www.thegridto.com/city/politics/cant-get-enough/
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I don't feel "powerless" -- I'll gladly stop looking for every scrap of info about Ford that's out there if the police would just slap the cuffs on and frog-march him to jail. :D
 
pattycakes said:
I must confess, I am powerless:

The Grid
BY: EDWARD KEENAN

Can’t get enough

"Whatever highs we got from compulsively tracking the mayor’s antics have long worn off—and still, we can’t seem to look away. Admit it, Toronto. We’re Fordaholics. What will it take to kick the habit?

Last week, around the end of the workday on Dec. 4, we went on another bender."

http://www.thegridto.com/city/politics/cant-get-enough/
Click to expand...

Keenan's a great writer and I see what he's getting at, but I don't think the metaphor of addiction is quite fair... the suggestion that we all need to sober up, realize we're only hurting ourselves and get past it. It doesn't seem reasonable to demand of ourselves to simply shed our need for more info when there's been no closure---that's the difference here. There is no "end" to an addiction but we all know there COULD BE one here. And the longer it goes on without Ford facing any consequences, ever, the more understandable it is for people to say "This has to end eventually and I would like to be there to witness it." I'm sick to death of Ford and the poison he exudes from every pore, but I'll still hang in there in the hopes of seeing him go down at last.

* I suppose I should specify "definitive consequences" or "consequences for crime shit." The MINO vote was wonderful to behold and a huge relief, but if anything it's also given Ford room to throw more bombs, do more illegal campaigning and generally be even less accountable to the notion that he has to do work to earn his taxpayer-funded salary.
 
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