Ezra Levant thinks George Smitherman’s personal tragedy is somehow unfair to Rob Ford

60 thoughts on “Ezra Levant thinks George Smitherman’s personal tragedy is somehow unfair to Rob Ford”

1. Repulsive.

2. Repulsive and stupid.

3. Repulsive, yes. Also accurate.

4. Everyone has an opinion. Nice to see right-wing paranoia developing.

5. Levant claims this is his main point: “Smitherman, Media Party, society types lowered media ethics in Toronto
   to new depths to get Rob Ford. But now they’re fastidiously mannered.”
   I’d adjust this to: Rob Ford, Doug Ford, Levant, Levy, the Sun and neoconservatives lowered political ethics in Toronto
   to new depths to promote Rob Ford’s ignorance and support his lies. But now they’re fastidiously claiming the high ground while they stand neck deep in their self-made cesspool of inhumanity and deceit.

6. SunMedia is not just right wing, but a trashy, unsophisticated/unpolished one at that. It’s one thing to be conservative. It’s another to be the Canadian equivalent to Duck Dynasty. #justsayin

7. Media has to be unbiased. Just because Ford insisted for months that they were a bunch of pathological liars, called them maggots on his own media channels, and falsely inferred that certain members of the press were pedophiles doesn’t give them the right to ask him tough questions.

   Smitherman may have been more forthcoming about his addictions and family problems, but doesn’t he deserve to be harassed as well, even though he is a private citizen with no civic or political power at all?

   I think so. #ISTANDWITHEZRA

8. Ezra who?

9. He is right about the double standard.

10. Behold a puny and vicious little mind….

11. I agree this whole conversation is a disgrace to Toronto. I am SO very happy that I have morals. Both sides are wrong. Get a life.

12. Scum.

13. We should be praising the Star and other media for persevering to uncover one of the biggest lies in Toronto’s history. Rob Ford is a mean, lying, reprehensible sloth. How anyone could possibly use Smitherman’s loss to make a point about a disgrace like Rob Ford is even lower than Ford himself.

14. Be the first to like I don’t like Ezra Levant https://www.facebook.com/pages/I-dont-like-Ezra-Levant/1408556439379482

15. Soon SNN will be a thing of the past. Blame Stephen Harper for their being here in the first place. Harper also tried to allow Fox into Canada but the CRTC wouldn’t hear of it. They are not fair and balanced. Now SNN is trying to be part of a compulsory cable package like CBC which means our taxes would pay for their existence. They are failing miserably on their own. The CRTC has turned them down a few times as well. The conservative party wants them in. The CRTC has changed its criteria on who it allows it thanks to the Conservative party. I think the decision is coming up shortly. I urge all Canadians to write to the CRTC and give your opinion of SNN.

    One of Ezra Levant’s favorite targets is David Suzuki. After all, Suzuki is so dammed liberal that he values the environment more than money. To a conservative, that’s just sick.

16. My mistake. They did get the support of the CRTC and Canadian tax payers are now supporting this right slanted crap. Thank the Conservative Party. The Conservative Party is going to make Canada as corrupt as the USA. Think about it, your taxes are paying for the Sun News Network whether you like it or not!

17. Of course Ezra is right.

    Imagine this scenario…

    Imagine if Rob Ford was to announce via twitter that his wife had just gone missing and was depressed and then a few hours later – immediately upon police finding her dead if Ford were to issue a prepared statement saying he took “comfort” that she “found peace” from depression (as Smitherman had done).

    The media would be clamoring for answers. They wouldn’t be “respecting Ford’s privacy”.

    We know absolutely nothing about the circumstances of Peloso’s death. Where was he found? What was the apparent cause of death? Without a full investigation how can we rule out homicide so quickly? Homicides can easily be made to look like a suicide. For example Toronto Police thought that the death of Dellen Millard’s father was a suicide. They didn’t even bother investigating. The OPP is now investigating Wayne Millard’s death as a murder now that his son Dellen has been charged in the death of Tim Bosma.

    The double standard is sickening. The media and left wing in this city get-off learning about every new detail of Rob Ford’s domestic problems. They are praying for Rob Ford to drop dead and yet when it comes to Smitherman anyone who dares question why this dysfunctional couple was allowed to adopt to small children is labelled a “bigot” and “homophobe”.

18. What would that make the Toronto Star, Keeping up with the Kardashians?

    Vapid turds, endlessly gushing over how polished and sophisticated they are?

    That aside, Levant is completely right. Toronto media (and Torstar in particular) have very clearly picked sides, and have zero problem with pushing their political narrative at every step through the framing of stories and the selection of which news to feature. But it’s beyond just Toronto Star, it’s Torstar, and all their properties. They even hired a resident propagandist in Matt Elliott to just push their narrative to the 21-35 crowd in the Grid. And it goes out from there, as the media world is fairly incestuous. CBC news used to be run by the man who now runs Toronto Star.

    But let’s pretend that’s inconsequential, and that the CBC is a neutral organization (pretending of course that the 911 story they ran on Ford, with no evidence, befits the mandate of a neutral organization). Torstar is the largest daily, and are pushing (or squeezing?) out their narrative on a daily basis.

    Toronto Star editor Michael Cooke is on the record as saying the best way to manipulate public policy is through repetition, but let’s pretend that Torstar’s endless attacks that begin before Ford was even mayor are coincidental. Let’s pretend that Torstar’s reporting on David Price’s messy divorce when he opened a door too hard was relevant. Let’s pretend that Torstar’s publishing of a video of people laughing at Ford for buying KFC was polished and sophisticated news coverage. Let’s pretend Torstar’s Christopher Hume didn’t say “all the rednecks moved east” after Ford was elected. Let’s pretend that the bigotry of the political left doesn’t exist, and that the Toronto Star’s Dimanno didn’t try to suggest that Ford’s children were in danger, and should be removed from the house.

    The outsized media influence of the political left in Toronto makes for a bubble of hypocrisy. Or perhaps it would be better characterized as a boil of hypocrisy, and sadly it takes “unsophisticated/unpolished” people like Levant to pop it.

19. This has nothing to do with Smitherman’s late husband.. may he rest in peace.. but truly, even if Smitty would be in office, the media would not touch this with a ten foot pole… and if they did, they would be very respectful as they should be…BUT..If this was a right wing tragic case.. the media would most likely hound and mock…

20. We need more variety in ideas, but trashy/unsophisticated media belong at the supermarket checkout or maybe in gossip blogs. I really don’t understand why Toronto (and many other cities, countries, etc… for that matter) elect people who seem “less” than they are. Toronto CAN’T be made up of fat, KFC-eating drug users who are in a desperate need to attend finishing schools are they? We can’t be THAT stupid! Or maybe we are. And that has nothing to do with conservatives. THAT, my friend, has much more to do with old school liberals (you know, the tree-hugging kind).

21. Funny how the Toronto Star was right about everything concerning Ford.

22. Like this?: Ezra is a maggot…Another lie by Sun News…Super Duper Sorry!

23. @ Ho Hum:

    To quote from your post below: “They are praying for Rob Ford to drop dead…”
    but aren’t godless elitist left wingers agnostic or atheist? “Hoping for”, perhaps…praying,
    doubtful.

    Even if Levant makes a point about one “story” being covered more than another, that the media pursues “hot” stories more than tepid ones, so what? That’s the way it
    works…it has squat to do with ethics or double standards. It’s the nature of the beast. Rob Ford is the story, left wing media is not. His antics and are of his own doing. Seems to me news agencies around the world are covering the Fordian shenanigans, and not Smitherman’s tragedy.

    Why not recuse them?

24. Nobody I know wants Rob Ford to drop dead. Check out of City Hall and into CAMH, sure, but dead? No.

    All deaths are sad but when there are young children left behind it makes those deaths doubly sad. Families (regardless of political leanings) should be allowed to grieve in peace and not face the vitriolic abuse that Christopher Peloso’s family faced this week.

    And let’s not forget the reaction of the right wing media when Jack Layton died.

25. Levant accomplished his goal here, which was to integrate himself into the discussion. His job as an op-ed hack is to create discussions that have no basis in or connection to actual facts.

26. Mr. Levant, you make Sarah Palin look like she is a member of MENSA!! Nobody would wish the pain and torment that Mr. Peloso went thru on anybody including Mr. Ford or a member of his family. And God Forbid if it did happen he would be shown the same compassion as Mr. Smitherman is receiving. Mr. Ford’s problems started long before his campaign for Mayor. He doesn’t think the rules apply to him or his family. He fully believes that he is above the law. He attempted not once but multiple times to insinuate that a particular reporter from The Toronto Star is a pedophile. He claimed pictures were being taken of minors in his backyard the night said reporter was looking at the patch of city owned land beside his property that the Mayor wanted to purchase. He made false statements to the police he called to his home that night. Yet was never charged, had it been anyone else they would have been charged. Mr Ford has been caught by citizens driving while talking on his cell phone, again not charged, Driving while reading papers (being a danger to himself and others on the highway!) and again still not charged. He has driven drunk, but no charges. He has blatantly lied about doing crack, and the video that exists that proves he did crack. Mr. Ford insinuated that media outlets professing that said video existed were on a witch hunt and out to get him and his family. He then went on tv in an Interview with Conrad Black and once again insinuated that a Toronto Star reporter, a)took pictures of minors in his backyard b) did something totally illegal and immoral by going to his home c) was a pedophile. All three things he has since completely retracted. Something that Police proved on that fateful night Mayor Rob Ford had gotten wrong. But his supporters continue to believe the Toronto Star and anyone who points out Mr. Fords mistakes and blatant lies, are nasty lefties angry they lost an election. NO sorry we just happen to be citizens who think someone in the Mayor’s office should not publicly slander a reporter from any media outlet, should not be smoking crack, driving drunk, or while talking on his cell phone or reading papers. He shouldn’t be lying on a daily basis. The Mayor is suppose to be setting an example of integrity and intelligence for the rest of City Council. Something Mr. Ford has never done and will never do.

27. Ezra’s basic schtick is to invent a position for his enemies to hold, then talk about how horrible they are to hold it. This is yet another example of that.

    Toronto Media want Rob Ford to die! They’d be gleeful if he was to commit suicide! They laughed at him when he did drugs! They’re bad people, and I’m exposing them!

    It’s very effective when you’re talking to people who never read, watch, or listen to anything outside their media bubble, elsewise they’d realize that he’s really critiscising something that he invented to begin with.

28. Ezra Levant
    a loathsome media slut.

29. If Mrs. Ford were to commit suicide because she was depressed, it would not be a bit surprising, considering what she has had to put up with, so I don’t think the media would be clamoring for answers. They would be sad that it had come to that and they would say so. As for the circumstances of Peloso’s death, given that his depression was well known and that he had wandered off once before this year, why should anyone doubt that it was suicide or, at least, that he died of exposure because he was too upset to look out for himself. If there was evidence of anything else, I don’t doubt that the police would investigate and, if they find anything, they would announce it.
    And, if the media and left wing get satisfaction from hearing every sad detail of Ford’s domestic problems, I haven’t noticed it. Ford brought her to City Hall and put her on display and then she was spoken of but not otherwise. Why should they? She’s not the one who is misbehaving. I think the media have been extraordinarily careful not to bring her into her husband’s problems.

30. Until we know the circumstances of his death I think we should be skeptical.

    If for example he took his life by jumping in front of a subway train and this was captured on video and it was clear he acted alone then you could conclude without a shadow of doubt that this was a suicide.

    Other circumstances are not so clear. For example did he fall to his death? This is the easiest way to conceal a murder especially in Toronto where our police lack skepticism. For example last year three men fell to their death from the 20th. floor of 200 Wellesley – two from the same apartment – the third from an apartment next door. Despite the fact that all three men were non-residents of the building – Toronto Police ruled the deaths as “not suspicious”.

    Without any critical examination of the facts everyone has automatically accepted that this was a suicide based on comments that Peloso’s husband made the day he disappeared.

31. Don’t forget John Oakley and the rest of talk radio

32. All the Toronto media have avoided reporting anything even remotely critical about Rob Ford’s family. When Ford brought his wife down to city hall for him to hide behind after his crude sexual remarks about his wife earlier that day there was some media speculation about their relationship but that was it. Nothing critical has been printed about Ford’s wife at all. Compare that to the right wings’ vicious attack when Jack Layton died and now this when Smitherman’s husband has died. Depression is a real illness that can’t always be treated and is sometimes fatal. There’s lots of reason to believe that he succumbed to the illness he suffered from and none to believe it was murder or that Smitherman had anything to do with it.

    Its not at all surprising that Smitherman might have given some thought as to what to say if his husband died, he knew for a long time that he was very ill so its not like his death would’ve been surprising. Perhaps he did hire a PR firm to deal with the media for him, so what? Smitherman is now a private citizen but even if he wasn’t the death of a family member is a private matter. Why should the public “deserve” to know all the details surrounding this death? Why should those closest to him have to relive his death repeatedly through the media just for the satisfaction of those who want to mock him and his ex-politician husband?

    There is no reason to believe that lefties would be so viscous as to attack someone who’s just died or their surviving family, at least in Canada. I know many British folks who suffered under Thatcher’s rule celebrated her death but that’s significantly different, Thatcher’s policies were very destructive as she attacked social institutions Brits relied upon to get by, after all as far as she was concerned “society” didn’t exist, it’s just a bunch of customers. Some right wingers in Canada celebrated the death of PET and the worst that could be said about him is that he didn’t lower taxes like some wanted, ran a deficit, and thought the tar sands should benefit all Canadians.The worst that could be said about Layton is that his biggest political fights were for the benefit of the marginalized and those under attack in our society instead of the well off and comfortable.

    Just because we do have examples of right wingers behaving disgracefully when Canadian lefties or their family members have died doesn’t mean the opposite is true. I don’t recall anything remotely nasty being said about Ralph Klein after his death. There are no other examples or reason to believe that lefties would sink to the level of some right wingers in such situations.

33. I blame many of my liberal and centrist friends who didn’t bother to vote in the last Mayoral election – claiming, “There is no way Rob Ford will win, anyway” …

    I really, REALLY gave it to them. These are smart people. They knew better.

    Arrogance. Apathy and and a hard lesson learned.

34. ezra is right on the point ..which you all apparently miss.. there without doubt is a double standard and the lack of any coverage on this just exemplifies that .. as olivia chow said on feb 28, 2012..”the average canadian is not capable of making a rational decision”. you are tripping over each other in your zeal to prove her right.

35. Disgusting and sick!

36. Considering how low the bar was taken by the left wing totalitarians and the absolutely atrocious treatment EVERY AND ANY right leaning, sensible, honest politician can expect from Canada’s propaganda network that calls itself the Canadian media (while pushing agendas that are contrary to the interests of Canadians) I think this has been handled with a lot more professionalism than they all deserve.

    I’m surprised nobody has tried to blame tax cutting, union superkiller Rob Ford yet.

    Wake up people. You’re barfing back conditioned opinions based on framing and absent of fact. I saw one twit in here state the Star was right? THE STAR HAS BEEN WRONG ABOUT EVERYTHING. Everything! Unless you want to cite BS like that rat faced skank who lied about him touching her or the phantom tape that still….still nobody of any merit has seen. The Star is the most base level, insultingly stupid propaganda rag I’ve ever seen. Starcom (who also publish Metro in Canada and The Grid among others with the same agendas to steal and misinform) is a criminal enterprise helping unions steal from taxpayers and keep they heavily inflated salaries flowing and in the process bankrupting the country and putting a now near 80% of Canadians in debt.

    This article found a way to attack the right again even when there was no reason. You people are sick but luckily the silent majority will keep confounding you when you’re whole polluted, thought collective scurries back under the rocks you crawled out from.

37. I think you mean nothing. They lied and lied and lied and even moderate leftards let that rag go.
    lol
    They got NOTHING right. Get used to Ford being mayor.

38. Vote based on your racism and materialistic obsession with appearance. good idea, genius.
    Trashy unsophisticated media like the CBC and Toronto Star?

    Toronto and the people who were BORN HERE voted for Ford and will again because this is our home. Not some stop over to milk dry and then move on to the next city.
    The liberal party is already dead. NDP not far behind and those dumb as bricks old school liberals are at par in terms of intellect with the new lot of simpletons.

    Get used to Mayor Rob Ford. And get used to the increasing dissatisfaction or tolerance for people who want to dictate to us how we’ll think and who we’ll vote for.

39. David Suzuki is a bottom feeding loser who proved he was nothing but talk and the amount of money he was “given” ie: stolen from stupid losers like you is insane.

    SNN will be around a long time. It’s profitable. CBC…all we have to do is stop them from stealing over a billion a year from taxpayers and they’ll cave.

    SNN has been profitable since day one.

    Does it ever occur to a liberal that lying all the time probably means you’re wrong?

40. LOLOLOL

    Don’t get too angry, Mary. Your tinfoil butt plug will fall out.

    Canadian taxpayers? Your opinion does not in any way represent them. And SNN has been profitable since its first day. So BS some more, idiot.

41. Racism? What are you talking about? I see no racism in my post. Why does the voting public in Toronto (and in many other jurisdictions, for that matter) prefer Sarah Palin types, anyway? I’d love to see someone who is more debutante-polished (and money has NOTHING to do with this. Nor does ethnicity) than someone like Ford. We need someone who can actually present himself or herself well – something that Ford can’t do. He’s nothing but an over-aged frat boy.

42. your one way take is completely cancelled by your obvious bias and also the Toronto Sun
    There is no moral high ground

43. You are wrong sir!
    the Star and their investigative journalists were right about everything they printed by Ford’s own apologies and admissions.
    You just don’t agree with what they’ve uncovered about your boy.

44. ‘fat’ boy

45. No you’re just an overly sceptible drone who has been preyed upon by an obsessive shame campaign backed by union $$$. IE: YOUR $$$. Unless of course you’re an overpaid government civil servant yourself.
    Every single article they’ve written about the man has been peppered with lies or outright delusional fantasies on the part of the D student propagandists calling themselves journalists. Journalists are supposed to have integrity not be the antithesis of it.
    It’s not even subjective. It’s actually fact and you’re crazy enough to bend over for union BS rather than think for yourself.

46. Sarah Palin types? The voting public in Toronto prefer lower taxes. That’s it. The man can blow crack smoke out of every hole on his big round body for all I care. Slitherin is a pestulant waste of a human being. That rat faced moron who lied (to a guy from the Star no less) about him grabbing her sagging, pockmarked ass is now your source for backing the BS?
    The racism is what I wanted you to question. The mayor of Chicago smoked crack, raised taxes, stole money, and didn’t a fraction of the media scrutiny Ford has. Why are you so quick to take the bait? And now Sarah Palin? Any other white people you don’t like…for other reasons? ANY politicians in your crosshairs that aren’t white?

    lol
    EDIT: I thought I had typos. Turns out this kickass left leaning stupidity has a coding error that changes words like pock to locked when publishing. No wonder this article sucks these people are stupid.

47. .

48. You are wrong sir!
    Ford has Admitted to everything that he has been accused of . Everything. Journalists are supposed to uncover the truth. They have. You are just too thick or afraid to admit it.
    If it were otherwise I would admit it . But alas for you it’s all true.

49. FRAT BOY. As in FRATERNITY. Stereotypically, speaking, anyway. And where did I say that I hated white people? I just don’t like people who’re stupid. I don’t like people who lack polish when they CAN be polished. I admit that I might be a bit classist, but racist? Nope.

50. In order to be a supporter of the right wing, one must be either rich or dumb as a post. Personally, I can’t imagine you being rich judging from your half-whitted comments.

    If you had done research prior to spewing your ignorance, you’d have found that SNN begged the CRTC to include them in the compulsary news package which includes respectable networks like CBC and CTV. They were turned down flat in July and October of 2013. They did not have near enough of a following on their own because gullable airheads like you weren’t plentiful enough, fortunately.

    So why don’t you get your wife and sister, (same person), and get on the couch and watch the latest Duck Dynasty episode, you might learn something.

51. You were formally “smartguy” weren’t you? I recognize the lack of style and intelligents. Take the comment you just made. Is it smart? Is it interesting? Does it contain information that will enlighten the conversation? I’m willing to entertain right wing opinions even though I disagree with 99% of them. But they must have a some hint of intelligents. Yours don’t. Is this all you’ve got to offer? Does the place where you work sweeping the floor offer benefits to further your education? I’m sure you would qualify if need is a consideration.

52. Rob Ford is not “none’s” boy. He probably knows nothing about the whole fiasco. He comes on here and posts his idiotic comments, (has he said anything smart?), in hopes of stirring up the people engaged in a debate about the issues. It makes him feel large it spite of his irrelevance. I challenge “none” to make a post that is to the point, contains relevant information, and is presented in a way that is not pure ignorance. Mr. “none”, say something profound, please.

53. I’ll bet “none” is a victim of the replaced garbage collectors. He has the appropriate vocabulary. His comments are all garbage. Mr. “none”, people are in here posting and reading posts to try to gain a better understanding of what is going on in the world. Why are you here? If it truly is your motive to support Rob Ford, (crack smoking, drunk driving, wife beating, criminal consorter, lying, slob), then make positive points without pissing people off and making them resent your comments. We both know you don’t give a rat’s ass about Rob Ford. You’re just making your comments to provoke an emotional response. A lot like what I’m doing to you. Get a life jackass.

54. You are obtuse. Read the comments. Do you see others like yours? No. Other people are not here for the same reason as you. Go abuse your children or something, will you. You offer nothing to this discussion.

55. Stupid is as stupid does. Your name should be “Gump”

    Sarah Palin types? “None” would have to go back to school to become a Sarah Palin type. Isn’t there a forum called retards are us where you’d fit right in? Go away Jethro.

56. Addressing Mr. “none”. Your name is not explicit enough. You should call yourself “Nothing”. It’s a better description of what you are and what you offer to this forum. Nothing. You’re not interesting, humorous, challenging, enlightening, or entertaining. Nothing is a better fit. Go and read Sarah Palin’s book. Come back twice as smart as you are, and still be an idiot.
    My challenge is still there. Hit us with intelligent reasons why we should vote for Rob Ford. Surprise us all with your logic. ( it would be a surprise to me if he has any) Muster some smarts and tell this forum why we should vote for the biggest embarrassment Canada has had for decades.
    I challenge “none” to post an opinion, leaving out his ignorance, (that will prove to be an obstacle) stating real reasons why Torontonians should vote Ford. Is it possible for “none” to make a sensible contribution to this forum?

57. something profound ?
    That’s not going to happen.

58. Let’s watch these lofty lefties deal with Stephen Harper’s drummer. That will be a show.

    Ezra was absolutely correct, and only people who are blind in their right eye could not see that.

59. SNN has been losing approximately 12 million dollars a year with projected losses of 17 million. Define profitable.

60. Furious George is not the victim here, we have a troubled man with a mental health issue and instead of getting some rest after his attempt to flee George’s Type-A controlling natures to get his way, Peloso should have been isolated and got a rest. But no , George drags him on a stressful vacation to act like everything fine because Lover cures all. If this was a heterosexual suicide case with a type-a husband forcing t he spouse to get better, the Police would see this as a incited suicide . But Bryant gets a pass for killing a cyclist and having a addiction, now George gets coddled by the media . Who the hell said it would be good for two orphans to be adopted by a ex-drug user hot-head, and a person with depression and Mental health problems that traumatized the kids that may one day commit suicide themselves. The CAS seems to harm more kids than they help.
    BTW , the leftist progressives had fun when Jim Flaherety died and M.Thatcher.
    George will never be held accountable for his insane choice to act like a Doctor and hug Chris back to health. Just another ruling class white guy the beat the Courts because Hall and Wynne now control the Police . Who cares ab out the kids, it’s all about the adults and social engineering.

    BTW
    With all those $billion george pissed away, it could have gone to Mental healh issue or AIDS research….but nobody cares because they leftists love their tyrants and thugs even if it get them killed. Pro-Hamas groups in PRIDE support the brutal killings of gays in Gaza by razor blade and beating. But if gay don’t care, why waste your compassion on people volunteering to be kill during the Jihad for a caliphate in canada.

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