QUOTED: Rob Ford and Adam Vaughan offer a taste of how vicious a mayoral by-election could get

—Mayor-for-now Rob Ford, lambasting Adam Vaughan at council yesterday after the councillor accused Ford of being unavailable to discuss a Queen Street development that Vaughan had championed and the mayor had opposed. Ford angrily invited Vaughan to take his complaint to the integrity commissioner. Vaughan’s rebuttal: “You’ll be out of office before the report comes back.” (Bureaucratic procedure burn!) The fiery back-and-forths may be a preview of bigger battles to come; this morning, Justice Charles Hackland deemed that Ford can indeed run to reclaim his spot as mayor in a potential by-election. (A by-election would take place if Ford loses his request for a stay this week and his appeal in January, and if council opts not to appoint a caretaker mayor to lead until 2014.) Between Ford’s temper and Vaughan’s sharp tongue—never mind a host of other mayoral hopefuls—we’re bracing for a deliciously nasty campaign. Listen to the full exchange [Toronto Star] »

(Images: Rob Ford, Christopher Drost; Adam Vaughan, BriYYZ)