Rob Ford Crack-o-Meter: eager, new hires and money laundering
Rob Ford has skated through some humiliating situations and emerged relatively unscathed. The crack-smoking scandal, though, has ratcheted the ridiculousity to new highs. Every day brings more bad news. So far, Ford has kept his cool (more or less), but we have to wonder if—or when—he’s going to crack. Here, our daily assessment of what’s going on with our infamous mayor.
• Ford’s rebuilding his team (Pressure: ↓)
The mayor says he has hired four new people who are “pumped up” to start work, which should help make up for the six staffers he’s lost since the crack scandal began (the sixth left Friday—though Ford says he actually resigned a month ago). Ford also reportedly offered raises to his remaining aides.
• Earl Provost is being encouraged to leave (↑)
The weekend was a relatively quiet one for Ford rumour-mongering, save a Toronto Star story that suggests both former Ford staffers and Provost’s Liberal Party friends are trying to convince the brand new chief of staff to quit.
• Ford made it through a radio show without calling reporters “maggots” (↓)
Although he expressed a desire to put Toronto Star staff on a raft hitched to a speedboat, then “gun it.”
• Gawker’s plan to buy the Rob Ford crack video is probably illegal (↓)
The Toronto Sun talked to an ex-cop who says it would be nearly impossible for the website to hand over $200,000 to the owners of the cellphone video without breaking the law. The point may be moot since the Crackstarter campaign hit its goal but the owners have yet to come forward.
• Only a few hundred people showed up to a protest calling for Ford’s resignation (↓)
Which proves once again how hard it is to transform Internet outrage into real-life action.
Crack Threat Level: LOW
(Images: Rob Ford, Christopher Drost; meter, Scott Akermann)
, but we have to wonder if—or when—he's going to crack. Here, our daily assessment of what's going on with our infamous mayor.
• Ford’s rebuilding his team (Pressure: ↓)
The mayor says he has hired four new people who are “pumped up” to start work, which should help make up for the six staffers he’s lost since the crack scandal began (the sixth left Friday—though Ford says he actually resigned a month ago). Ford also reportedly offered raises to his remaining aides.
• Earl Provost is being encouraged to leave (↑)
The weekend was a relatively quiet one for Ford rumour-mongering, save a Toronto Star story that suggests both former Ford staffers and Provost’s Liberal Party friends are trying to convince the brand new chief of staff to quit.
• Ford made it through a radio show without calling reporters “maggots” (↓)
Although he expressed a desire to put Toronto Star staff on a raft hitched to a speedboat, then “gun it.”
• Gawker’s plan to buy the Rob Ford crack video is probably illegal (↓)
The Toronto Sun talked to an ex-cop who says it would be nearly impossible for the website to hand over $200,000 to the owners of the cellphone video without breaking the law. The point may be moot since the Crackstarter campaign hit its goal but the owners have yet to come forward.
• Only a few hundred people showed up to a protest calling for Ford’s resignation (↓)
Which proves once again how hard it is to transform Internet outrage into real-life action.
Crack Threat Level: LOW
(Images: Rob Ford, Christopher Drost; meter, Scott Akermann)){kind=link}