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Rob Ford’s frenemies on council eager to emphasize the “fre” part

By John Michael McGrath
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Rob Ford is becoming leader of the frenemies

Mayoral front-runner Rob Ford doesn’t have a lot of people he could call friends on council, or so the story goes. Just yesterday we heard Howard Moscoe and Kyle Rae say how little a hypothetical Mayor Ford would be able to accomplish with all his enemies in council. Moscoe’s delightful phrase: “He won’t be able to pass gas.” But that may be changing, if the Toronto Star is right: some of the right-leaning councillors are trying to make nicey-nice with Ford.


One of those councillors seen becoming increasingly cozy with Ford is Mike Del Grande. Del Grande, who is rumoured to have been offered the role of deputy mayor, stopped Ford several times on the chamber floor to share a laugh. Frances Nunziata, another councillor who has supposedly been promised a high-placed position, sat happily chatting with Ford throughout the meeting.

Now, we wouldn’t want to accuse the Ford campaign of measuring drapes for the mayor’s office two months before the election, but it’s clear there’s a Ford party at city hall, and despite the wishes of people like Rae and Moscoe, it will probably be able to fill some of the chairs on the executive committee, at least.

This is going to be especially true after the election, if Ford’s coattails manage to bring in a clutch of new, fresh-faced right-wing councillors. Don’t forget about all those open seats, people. For all the bluster about the left of council being able to keep control despite, or to spite Ford, it looks like he might have just enough supporters to actually run things if it comes to that.

This might be too much: we were just getting used to the idea of Ford winning the election. Now we have to get used to the idea that he might have enough help to run things? What’s next? Learning that Rob Ford has secretly been taking night classes toward a degree in public policy?

Rob Ford is Mr. Popular at city hall [Toronto Star]

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