[ComradeTim]

Rob Ford, the pugnacious former mayor of Toronto who gained international notoriety after he admitted smoking crack while in office, died on Tuesday after an 18-month battle with cancer. He was 46.

A divisive figure in the politics of Canada’s largest city, Ford was adored by many who pointed to his common touch and straight talk on slashing spending. Ford was a popular city councilor for 10 years, becoming known for his brash political style and conservative policies, and celebrated for his habit of handing out his home phone number and personally returning constituents’ calls about potholes and broken water pipes.

He became mayor in 2010, tapping into the simmering resentment held by suburban residents of Toronto with promises to end what he described as “the war on the car” and to “stop the gravy train” of government spending.

But in May 2013, Ford became fodder for headlines around the world, after reports emerged of a video showing the politician inhaling from a crack pipe. Ford initially denied the allegations but backtracked when the recording was located by the Toronto police months later.

“Yes, I have smoked crack cocaine,” he told reporters. “But, no, do I? Am I an addict? No. Have I tried it? Probably in one of my drunken stupors, probably approximately about a year ago.”

He refused to resign. His statements and actions became nightly fodder for American late-night TV hosts such as David Letterman, Jimmy Kimmel and Jon Stewart.

But his popularity continued. Hundreds of people lined up for bobblehead dolls of the mayor, signed by Ford himself. Ford spent countless hours taking pictures with residents eager to be photographed with an international celebrity while “Ford Nation”, the name given to his most dedicated supporters, continued to grow.

His outlandish behaviour continued, casting an image sharply at odds with Canada’s reputation for sedate, unpretentious politics. He drew gasps when he used crude language on live television to deny telling a staffer he wanted to have oral sex. The father of two school-age children said he was “happily married” and added he “has more than enough to eat at home”.

A barrage of scandals followed: ,another video emerged in which Ford staggered around a room, ranting about killing someone, a third showed him calling the city police chief a derogatory name and attempting a Jamaican accent. Eventually, the city council stripped him of most of his powers and reduced his role to one of figurehead.

Ford was repeatedly videotaped and photographed while intoxicated in public. After a second video emerged in 2014 that appeared to show Ford smoking crack, Ford acknowledged his struggles with addiction and announced he was entering rehab.

In the fall of 2014, Ford was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive form of cancer called liposarcoma. The diagnosis, which came as he was running for a second term as mayor, forced him to withdraw from the race.

Between rounds of chemotherapy, Ford campaigned for his old city council seat, winning it by a landslide. He promised to run again for mayor in 2018, if his health permitted.

Ford declared himself cancer free in September and campaigned alongside Stephen Harper during the federal election campaign, but the former mayor was hospitalised again in October. His brother later said two tumours had been found on his bladder.

In recent days, amid reports of Ford’s worsening health, more than 6,400 people shared their thoughts and prayers for Ford’s recovery on a website set up by his family.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/m ... onto-mayor



A true loss to political humor. RIP you crazy diamond.

Rob Ford crack expose

Best of Rob Ford

[Bulaba Khan Jones]

A sad day indeed. Rob Ford will be missed.

[Potemkin]

RIP, Rob Ford. You will always be the mayor of our hearts.

[The Immortal Goon]

Reagan was a much worse asshat politically, and a retard shitting his own pants in the Oval Office between bouts of drooling, but people say they might have wanted to hang out with someone into clean living that just said no.

These people are clearly wrong. The conservative you would want to hang out with was Rob Ford: the only good conservative.

Rob Ford, you were politically a jerk; but you were someone I not only would want to have a beer with, but many beers, and do lines, and take crack, and wander the streets with.

[unbalanced zealot]

First Marion Barry a few years back, now this.

We need some new younger crack smoking politicians to rise up the ranks to replace the ones we've lost.

[Paradigm]

Farewell, sweet crack-smoking prince. You always held a special place in our hearts.