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Kathleen Wynne For the Lose

The usually sure-footed Ontario Premier, Kathleen Wynne, has apparently made a serious political misstep. It could come back to haunt her, especially in a provincial general election, in Etobicoke, North York and Scarborough provincial ridings, where support for Mayor Ford is strongest, unwavering, and very deep.
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Premier Wynne was hoping to score some political points with Toronto voters by exploiting the controversy surrounding Mayor Ford.

As reported in a recent Globe and Mail article, "Premier Wynne warned that she is prepared to intervene in the city's affairs, if necessary."

The Globe article further stated that Premier Wynne is monitoring the situation in Toronto City Hall and as appropriate, the Premier and her government would be involved.

Apparently, according to the said article, lawyers for the Wynne government are reviewing the applicable legislation governing municipalities, so as to provide Wynne with advice, if she should decide to act.

Liberal insiders suggested that Wynne may act to remove Mayor Ford if a majority of the Toronto councillors passed a resolution requesting the Wynne government to force Mayor Ford to step down.

You know the Premier crossed the line, when NDP Adam Giambrone, leftist Mayor Miller's right-hand man and former TTC Chairman, in a CBC Radio panel, publicly questioned Premier Wynne for even contemplating intervening in clearly a municipal matter.

Sue-Ann Levy, one of my favorite Toronto Sun columnists, and slightly to the right of Attila the Hun, echoed Giambrone's comments on the same CBC Radio panel.

Sue-Ann mercilessly lambasted Premier Wynne for showing unmitigated gall.

Sue-Ann Levy, went on to characterize Premier Wynne's attack as a cheap political shot, done in an effort to deflect the public away from the troubles of her own government."

It seemed that Premier Wynne may have, in turn, shot herself in the foot with this political gaffe.

No sooner had Premier Wynne given this interview to the Globe, it was widely reported that Premier Wynne was trying to beat a hasty retreat.

John Parker, a Toronto councillor and former Conservative MPP, curtly suggested to Premier Wynne, " thanks, but no thanks. " And that Parker thought that Wynne had enough to concern her at Queen's Park and we don't need to trouble her with our situation here. "

In other words, back off. Please stay out of our house. And by the way, you should fix up your own house first.

On CBC Radio, Friday evening, I specifically heard CBC reporter Jamie Strashin report that a majority of the Toronto councillors were very lukewarm to Premier Wynne getting involved with the Mayor Ford affair.

This view is in direct conflict with the above Globe and Mail article, which implied, from Liberal sources, that a majority of the Toronto councillors would welcome Premier Wynne's intervention to remove Mayor Ford from office.

Even the normally supportive Toronto Star has questioned whether Premier Wynne has a democratic and political mandate to intervene and try to remove Mayor Ford from his office.

Martin Cohn, of the Toronto Star, recently stated in his column, "Ford swept to power with a robust democratic mandate, winning more than 350,000 votes in the 2010 municipal election. Wynne owes the premier's job to a mere 1,150 delegates who annointed her at a Liberal convention last January, and has yet to face voters in a general election. While Ford has lost his moral authority as mayor, Wynne's own democratic legitimacy could become flashpoint, if she made a move to oust him. "

In short, the usually sure-footed Premier has apparently made a serious political misstep. Which could come back to haunt her, especially in a provincial general election, in Etobicoke, North York and Scarborough provincial ridings, where support for Mayor Ford is strongest, unwavering, and very deep. And such loyal supporters of Ford will neither forgive nor forget the Premier's political attack on their beloved Mayor.

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