Not Looking Good...

Gawker succeeded in accumulating the funds it required to complete the transaction it was determined to proceed with; the procurement, despite the steep tab, of the video that has caused such an uproar at Toronto City Hall, among journalists and the wider news media, hitting the news across Canada, the United States, Britain...who knows where else? Toronto, after all, is a world-class city and its mayor controversial enough to engender interest on slow news days.

Trouble is, now that it has the required funds it cannot obtain the video. All contact, through a third party, with the purveyors of the incriminating video was lost days ago. Gawker has pledged to contribute the funds it acquired through their fundraising endeavour to a Canadian charity involved in drug-addiction amelioration. A noble gesture, and a telling one, given the details of this silly, sad and sordid story.

Now two additional staffers at Mayor Rob Ford's office have departed. A matter of principle, they wrote in their resignation letters left on the mayor's desk, despite that he requested to meet with them before their departure. It isn't known whether he wanted to get first dibs in. Fire them as payment for abandoning him. As he did with his chief of staff who let the mayor down by assuming he had a drug-dependency problem, urging him to seek treatment, and for his troubles got dismissed.

"Everything is fine. I have no idea what the police are investigating. It's better that you talk to the police about that", Mayor Ford said, responding to enquiries. He hasn't convinced everyone, and the previously-supportive deputy mayor, Doug Holyday had his own take on the ongoing mess: "Obviously, with these people leaving, everything is not fine. I just hope there are no more defections, and I hope the mayor can sort this all out", he said plaintively.

Good man. He hasn't charged in, to shout J'Accuse! For, in fact, the incriminating evidence is missing. And the Brothers Ford are toughing out the bedlam. In the process, of course, adding to it by their belligerent, unapologetic, no-harm-done style, confessing to nothing that they assert they are not guilty of committing. For proof there is none, other than clumsy buffoonery.

The crack video is an "alleged" item that has simply disappeared, gone off the face of City Hall. For the time being all the mayor can be accused of -- and there are hordes waiting to shout racist! to anyone who does -- is playing the avuncular, understanding politician willing to have his photograph taken with any of his constituents, and all residents of the city are his constituents, right?

As for the maggot industry, they scored an unique apology. "I'm sure you understand it has been a very stressful week for me and my family. I sincerely apologize to each and every one of you." It rankles that the Toronto Catholic School Board has exhibited so little faith in a man who has so hugely enjoyed the honour of representing underprivileged youth and sport in the city.

But this bull mastiff of a rampaging rhino is equal to any collective leftist-ranting print rag and its leering reporters overjoyed in capturing Rob Ford in the holier-than-thou net of crime and corruption. The maggot-nomenclature he tossed off is still in place for them, obviously.