The T-Star's shakedown targets

Last month The Toronto Star's loopy chairman wrote to 70 Toronto "elites"  in an attempt to intimidate them into denouncing Mayor Rob Ford (see Conrad Black's column).  Today, The (loopy) Star published a list of responders (and non-responders) along with their comments.  Many predictably went along with the Star's idiocy and dumped all over Ford as requested.  But many others either didn't respond at all or told the Star to drop dead.  Peter Kent's reply stands out (my bold):

WHENEVER A REPORTER FOR THE TORONTO STAR MIGHT WISH TO ASK FOR MY THOUGHTS ON AN ISSUE OF THE DAY, I STAND READY TO RESPOND.

HOWEVER, AND DESPITE YOUR “EXTENDED DEADLINE” I WILL NOT ANSWER THE DEMANDS IN YOUR LETTER OF DECEMBER 16TH, 2013, WHICH I CONSIDER TO BE A CRUDELY CRAFTED, VEILED THREAT THAT I (AND OTHERS) ENDORSE AN EDITORIAL COLUMN WRITTEN BY TORSTAR CHAIR JOHN HONDERICH . . . OR FACE CONSEQUENCES IN YOUR EVENTUAL STORY.

YOUR LETTER IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF WHAT MIGHT BEST BE DESCRIBED AS CRUSADE JOURNALISM; A NEWSPAPER'S ATTEMPT TO IMPOSE ITS EDITORIAL WILL FAR BEYOND THE BOUNDARIES OF ACCEPTABLE JOURNALISTIC PRACTICE.

MR. HONDERICH IS CERTAINLY ENTITLED TO HIS OPINION.

I WILL NOT BE BULLIED INTO COMMENTING ON THAT OPINION.

YOUR MANNER OF NEWS-GATHERING IS, I BELIEVE, AN UNFORTUNATE EXAMPLE OF THE DECLINE OF A CRAFT I ONCE PROUDLY PRACTISED.

[via Blue Like You]

Thomas Mulcair is a loon - he's "proud" of helping terrorists keep their Canadian citizenship

Perhaps not surprisingly, The Toronto Star agrees with Mulcair (or is it the other way around?):

Stephen Harper’s government is wrong to consider stripping Canadian dual citizens of their citizenship for committing treason and terror. ... 

... The Tory model would set up an odious and hard-to-justify distinction between Canadian-born criminals whose citizenship can’t be revoked even for treason and terror, and naturalized citizens whose citizenship can be lifted. ...

How to make your own Mayor Rob Ford Smoking Crack video

Via Blazing Catfur:

Legion of Decency video

Poll - A majority of Toronto Star readers are ignorant twits

Let’s see, the monarchy has been part of our history for hundreds years. It’s part of our British inheritance, our constitution and system of government. Yet a majority Toronto Star readers don’t think it’s a vital part of our identity:
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Whether people like it or not, the monarchy is still an important part of our identity. But, based on the result and the comments, apparently that’s not the question the readers answered. These two morons for example:

JohnNada at 11:45 AM Monday, May 18 2009: Kings and Queens deserve no respect from free people. Why should I venerate or even respect a person because their ancestors were ruthless murderers who ruled people with an iron fist and gained their opulence off the backs of peasants and working men and women throughout the centuries. The idea that a family can rule over others because of "divine right" is abhorrent and disgusting.

rustie at 11:18 AM Monday, May 18 2009: What a shame these guys aren't fighting for Darfur or protect the endangered manatees because these are actual important things going on in today's world. Our queen and GG is costing Canadians millions in needless tax dollars and needs to go.

Negotiating with the Taliban

Charles Adler, in Tuesday's 'Full Comment' blog, lets us know how he feels about Toronto Star columnist Thomas Walkom supporting Jack Layton's enthusiasm for negotiating with the Taliban:

Taliban Jack is no doubt a happy camper. His foolishness has received respectability from the Liberal newspaper of choice. And to think that all it took to meet the Toronto Star's price for respectability were a few dollops of kidnapping, rape, murder and blackmail.

Good post and the comments are well worth a read too.