Reaction Roundup: the 12 essential quotes about Rob Ford’s meltdown and leave of absence
Wednesday night was an utter disaster for Rob Ford, with three different stories about different substance-fuelled embarrassments all hitting newspapers simultaneously. Here’s what some prominent personalities had to say once they’d finished retrieving their jaws from the floor.
“I have tried to deal with these issues by myself over the past year. I know that I need professional help and I am now 100 per cent committed to getting myself right.”
—Rob Ford, mayor
“I had no idea it was as serious as it was.”
—Diane Ford, the mayor’s mother
“Like Torontonians across the city, I am deeply disappointed by these revelations of Mayor Ford’s behaviour. For the good of the city, I call on Mayor Ford to resign.”
—John Tory, mayoral candidate
“I did have to tell the children on the way to school today that the mayor said some mean things about their mommy.”
—Mayoral candidate Karen Stintz, reacting to news that the mayor had been recorded drunkenly saying he’d like to “jam” her
“Rob Ford is not just a bad mayor. He is also a disgrace. Toronto can’t wait until October 27.”
—David Soknacki, mayoral candiate
“It’s clear Mr. Ford is sick. He has serious substance abuse problems. I am sure everyone in our city joins me in extending hopes for him as a person to recover from this sickness. As a mayor, however, he had his chance.”
—Olivia Chow, mayoral candidate
“I think [former federal finance minister Jim] Flaherty’s death recently was something that depressed him, but I didn’t go into detail or talk to him about that. I think life is just overwhelming at this particular point in time.”
—Dennis Morris, Ford’s criminal lawyer
“It’s taken him quite a while to recognize it and he finally has and that’s good for him. It’s 28 days and he’ll be back in the race, I imagine. If he isn’t, there may be others that choose to enter the race, including myself.”
—Giorgio Mammoliti, city councillor and one-time Ford ally
“man oh man”
—John Cook, the former Gawker editor who wrote the first story about Ford’s crack video
“Wish he’d [taken a leave of absence] sooner. Life would have been a lot easier for so many. So much opportunity squandered.”
—Mark Towhey, a former Ford chief of staff who was reportedly fired after advising the mayor to get help
“Ford might rehabilitate his health but 30 days isn’t going to cure his racism, misogyny, homophobia & chronic tendencies to break the law.”
—Kristyn Wong-Tam, city councillor
“All jokes aside, I hope @TOMayorFord really does get the help he obviously needs.”
—Jimmy Kimmel, host of Jimmy Kimmel Live!
![](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://torontolife.com/city/ford-meltdown-reaction-roundup/&title=Reaction Roundup: the 12 essential quotes about Rob Ford’s meltdown and leave of absence&picture=https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/rob-ford-thumb.jpg&description=Wednesday night was an utter disaster for Rob Ford, with three different stories about different substance-fuelled embarrassments all hitting newspapers simultaneously. Here's what some prominent personalities had to say once they'd finished retrieving their jaws from the floor.
"I have tried to deal with these issues by myself over the past year. I know that I need professional help and I am now 100 per cent committed to getting myself right."
—Rob Ford, mayor
"I had no idea it was as serious as it was."
—Diane Ford, the mayor's mother
"Like Torontonians across the city, I am deeply disappointed by these revelations of Mayor Ford's behaviour. For the good of the city, I call on Mayor Ford to resign."
—John Tory, mayoral candidate
"I did have to tell the children on the way to school today that the mayor said some mean things about their mommy."
—Mayoral candidate Karen Stintz, reacting to news that the mayor had been recorded drunkenly saying he'd like to "jam" her
"Rob Ford is not just a bad mayor. He is also a disgrace. Toronto can't wait until October 27."
—David Soknacki, mayoral candiate
"It’s clear Mr. Ford is sick. He has serious substance abuse problems. I am sure everyone in our city joins me in extending hopes for him as a person to recover from this sickness. As a mayor, however, he had his chance."
—Olivia Chow, mayoral candidate
"I think [former federal finance minister Jim] Flaherty's death recently was something that depressed him, but I didn't go into detail or talk to him about that. I think life is just overwhelming at this particular point in time."
—Dennis Morris, Ford's criminal lawyer
"It's taken him quite a while to recognize it and he finally has and that's good for him. It's 28 days and he'll be back in the race, I imagine. If he isn't, there may be others that choose to enter the race, including myself."
—Giorgio Mammoliti, city councillor and one-time Ford ally
"man oh man"
—John Cook, the former Gawker editor who wrote the first story about Ford's crack video
"Wish he'd [taken a leave of absence] sooner. Life would have been a lot easier for so many. So much opportunity squandered."
—Mark Towhey, a former Ford chief of staff who was reportedly fired after advising the mayor to get help
"Ford might rehabilitate his health but 30 days isn't going to cure his racism, misogyny, homophobia & chronic tendencies to break the law."
—Kristyn Wong-Tam, city councillor
"All jokes aside, I hope @TOMayorFord really does get the help he obviously needs."
—Jimmy Kimmel, host of Jimmy Kimmel Live!){kind=link}
Well, we now know what Rob Ford is all about- his racism, his misogyny and substance abuse. Will it ever occur to him, how unfit he really is? Probably not.