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[caption id="attachment_7313" align="alignnone" width="497"] Mayor Gregor Robertson. He's holding the beer but is he drinking it? Click to go to Pacific Western Brewing's Flickr page.[/caption]

So Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has admitted he smoked crack -- once -- well, actually, he was so drunk at the time he's not actually sure, but he sure is sorry. In fact, he might be the sorriest excuse for a politician I've ever seen, but he's still not sorry enough to resign.

This is absolutely guaranteed, the first time in my life I have felt sympathy for Toronto. Sitting all the way over here on the West Coast, I can only watch the Gong Show tragedy unfolding in central Canada, and shake my head as I do so. How is it that Toronto "The Good" can be so in the thrall of a... a... goof! Did Rob Ford and his band of cronies put something in the water supply? He's like your best girlfriend's bad boyfriend -- what does she possibly see in him?

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford is a toxic spill; he's a 50-car pile-up on the 401; he's a train wreck. Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson, not so much. Until I found the above -- deeply shocking -- photo of Mayor Robertson quaffing a brew, I never even imagined him drinking beer. I could see him drinking some wine with a meal, and yes, maybe the occasional juice binge. I think Vancouverites, whether they like his city administration or not, see him as a straight arrow. at worst, a photogenic do-gooder who means well. Who could imagine him dragging Vancouver through the gutter like Rob Ford has dragged Toronto? Not Gregor. He's more likely to convert the gutter to a bike lane.

I personally believe Rob Ford shouldn't even be allowed to visit Toronto's City Hall, let alone be the mayor; not just because he -- the person who sets the Toronto Police Service's budget -- admittedly smoked crack, but because in the last 12 months he has repeatedly demonstrated amazingly bad judgement. I also believe the way he has dragged things out, stonewalled, and frankly, tried to cover up his bad conduct, demonstrates a total contempt for the city he says he loves. I think he just loves to  be in charge.

I read coverage of Rob Ford's "apology" and thought "he's trying to get away with it." I can only imagine what Ontario's Premier Kathleen Wynne thought as she watched Ford apologize on TV, but afterwards she was quoted as saying:

“There are laws in place around when municipal officials can be — must be — removed from office. That’s why I say the police service and the judicial system have to take action.”