| updated: June 2, 2002 | Stupid
& dumb things: |
May 22, 2002. Mel Lastman ("His Washup" according to Don Wanagas of The National Post & NOW) might have outdone himself -- if that's possible. He not only made himself look even more ridiculous, he managed to give a huge boost to the person who may become his chief mayoralty rival in 2003, Ward 19 Councillor David Miller.
Here is John Barber's column from the May 23 Globe & Mail: (and a link to the National Post view of the same meeting)
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Mel's funny, but Miller has last laugh By JOHN BARBER Mayor Mel Lastman is such a funny guy. The funniest thing he ever said was during a meeting of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities in 1979, when he joked about the sorry sense of responsibility among bad-apple moms and dads. "Too many parents think all they have to do is give birth and walk away," he said. If you believe Kim and Todd Louie, who say they are the two sons of Mr.Lastman's mistress from the 1970s, their fatherless family was surviving on welfare at the time Mr. Lastman made his joke, dressed in tattered clothes and hungry. His Melship made his second funniest joke yesterday, during a horrendously botched attempt to punish Councillor David Miller, a rapidly emerging rival who is basing his still undeclared mayoralty bid on bold charges of cronyism and worse in the Lastman camp. "You will never be mayor of this city because you say stupid and dumb things!" the mayor thundered across the council chamber. Saying stupid and dumb things has never hurt Mr. Lastman. In fact, his record suggests that regularly doing so is a prerequisite for success in the big chair. The vote on whether Mr. Miller violated council rules during a debate on Tuesday may not make the same headlines as the handshake from Hell, but it shook the foundations beneath the twin towers of 100 Queen Street West. The mayor not only lost control of council on a crucial vote, demonstrating that his main rival enjoys surprisingly broad political support; he virtually launched the Miller campaign, and on a high note. It was a breathtaking display of aggressive political ineptitude, highly suggestive of a political turning point. One can certainly understand why Mr. Lastman and his party would go on the attack against Mr. Miller, who has been showing his teeth lately by carefully and deliberately inserting the "c" word -- corruption -- into his criticisms of City Hall. Language like that is a dangerous virus that demands aggressive interdiction. Two days ago, Councillor Betty Disero filed notice to sue Mr. Miller over a comment he made in NOW Magazine. Yesterday, the other shoe dropped when Councillor Brad Duguid stood up in council to read a laborious legal opinion that culminated with a demand that Mr. Miller be censured for subsequent talk of the same ilk. Mr. Duguid set the stage for Mr. Lastman, who stood to defend his honour and quickly reverted to comical comments about stupidity and ugly threats. "I will sue you for everything you can possibly lay your hands on!" he screamed at all his antagonists in general. Loose cannon Rob Ford, a rock-ribbed conservative, began screaming back at him. "How dare you try to intimidate other councillors?" Michael Walker said. Other councillors rose to extol Mr. Miller's integrity and defend his comments, offering an amazing series of unsolicited endorsements. Still the Lastman party pressed on, with deputy mayor and council chairman Case Ootes reading his part from the script, demanding that Mr. Miller withdraw "his slander against council." The mayor's party were implacable and (briefly) impressive in their determination to silence their most effective critic. But when Councillor Anne Johnston made the expected challenge to Mr. Ootes's ruling, an amazing thing happened: Mr. Ootes and the mayor lost decisively, 27-16. Lastman allies Paul Sutherland, David Soknaki, Gerry Altobello (the previously mentioned nonentity), Lorenzo Berardinetti and Joanne Flint all joined in the rebuke. The bad-boy brigade hadn't even thought to marshal their votes before launching the essential but risky attack on Mr. Miller. They went out to win one for the Gipper, but they left their helmets behind -- and they're still seeing stars. Yesterday David Miller was just another cranky city councillor complaining about municipal corruption. Today he is a vertible statesman, looking down upon his powerful opponent from the moral high ground, and still complaining about corruption. Way to go, Mel.
Don Wanagas writing in the National Post May
25, 2002 - Observe, as the wrath of Mel rallies councillors to Miller
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