So what does it mean for the race?

The Sun's Joe Warmington has written a column accompanied by the headline: Nothing sticks to Teflon Ford.

"He may have lied about a few indiscretions but when it comes to his claims of going into City Hall as a relentless, common sense tax chopper, people seem to believe Ford will end the fat-cat spending party."

Warmington goes on to cite a Sun online poll, which asked readers whether they cared or not about the recent drug charge/did-he-lie-about-it? revelation. The unscientific but telling results: 84% didn't care.

The Sun typically has one of the more conservative readerships and has given favourable coverage to the Etobicoke candidate (although not today), but judging by the chatter on Twitter, Facebook, the coffee shop I stopped at en route to work today and the Star's own comment section - I think it is entirely possible this poll is more than a blip.

Heck, if the National Post is right, Ford is Toronto's Barack Obama. 

Some have predicted that between the immigration controversy and Thursday's scandal, Ford's campaign may finally have hit a bump it can't plow threw. But with Ford's clear "stop the gravy train" message and a bona fide track record for helping residents navigate city hall bureaucracy, I'm not so sure.  

Councillor candidate makes sweet introduction

When you're running against an incumbent you need to get creative to attract media attention.

So kudos to you candidate Justin Di Ciano for your delicious cookie hello. Well played sir. Now what are you going to do for Etobicoke-Lakeshore?

New poll: Rob Ford way out in front.

Rob Ford has officially broken away from the pack in the mayor's race. A just released poll by Pollstra Research, which recently surveyed 432 Toronto residents, shows the Etobicoke councillor at 37.6%.

George Smitherman came in second at 28.7%

Joe Pantalone earned 15.5% of the decided vote.

Sarah Thomson was 10.3%

Rocco Rossi earned 7.9%

About a third of those polled said they were undecided.

Although it is a small sample size (the margin of error is just under 4%), the numbers seem to mirror what internal candidate polls have been saying for weeks: Rob Ford is the man to beat.

The Pollstra data also showed that Ford holds the vast majority (65.7) of voters who identify as federally Conservative. Liberal party support split between Ford (36.8) and Smitherman (34.2). Pantalone earned 36% of NDP support, with Smitherman pulling 32% and, perhaps surprisingly, Ford earned 20%.

Pollstra Research is relatively unknown in the industry. Its website, garnered more than a few curious looks yesterday from both media and political types. They have most notably done internal polling for Giorgio Mammoliti during his bid for the mayor's job. Several industry insiders have questioned the margin of error used. In a late Thursday interview, president Josh Justice said he absolutely stands by his numbers.

Mayor David Miller will not seek re-election - again

Last year, mayor David Miller announced he would not seek re-election.

But as we've seen before, campaign buzz can be suddenly resurrected if the gossip gets loud enough. Those in the know tipped the media that Miller had been doing polling recently.

City hall watchers got to play the "what if" game for three whole days. This morning, Miller told reporters he was definitely, for sure, for sure, 100% not running.

The. End.

The Toronto Week in Review

The brother and father of slain teenager Aqsa Parvez pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, the Toronto Eaton Centre will get a $120 million facelift, and as the city braces itself for the G20 - which is going to cause all kinds of problems, problems, problems, problems - the US issues a travel advisory for Toronto-bound Americans.

On the mayoral front, man-to-beat Rob Ford - Toronto's Sarah Palin? - once again finds himself at the centre of controversy.

Here's how the G20 links to air travel

Those tenacious folks at the Clean Train Coalition are at it again. Today, the residents' group that has banded with some city councillors, Toronto's medical officer of health, and environmentalists, to push for the electrification of the Georgetown GO corridor, released the following list:

Air Rail Links of the G20 Nations

 

 

USA - Washington, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Dallas, San

Francisco, Atlanta, Seattle, Los Angeles - All Electric

 

Canada - Vancouver Electric, Toronto Diesel

 

Mexico - Mexico City - Electric

 

Argentina - None

 

Brazil - Porto Alegre, Recife - Electric

 

China - Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, Guangzhou - All Electric

 

Japan - Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka - All Electric

 

South Korea - Seoul, Pusan - All Electric

 

India - New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangaluru - All Electric

 

Indonesia - None

 

Saudi Arabia - None

 

France - Paris - Electric

 

Germany - Berlin, Hamburg, Rhein-Ruhr - All Electric

 

Italy - Milan, Napoli, Rome - All Electric

 

Russia - Moscow - Electric

 

Turkey - Istanbul - Electric

 

United Kingdom - London, Manchester - Electric

 

Australia - Sydney, Melbourne - Electric

 

South Africa - Johannesburg - Electric

 

European Union - Greece, Netherlands, Spain - All Electric

 

 

All candidates forum gets poetic

Courtesy the Better Ballots coalition, last night marked the first true all-candidate debate. All 28 individuals registered in the mayor's race were invited to participate in a forum discussion, held at the U of T. Two fringe candidates - Rocco Achampong and Keith Cole - were invited to join the six major contenders on a panel after winning an online poll. But every mayoral hopeful was given 60 seconds to address the crowd.

Crowd favourite was Howard Gomberg, 71, who read a poem.

Here it is in full:

If you continue to do what you've always done, you'll continue to get what you've done before.

You can't expect anymore; too much truth to ignore.

If you're driving down the road in the same direction, you are liable to end up where you are heading to.

You know it's true.

What else can you do?

Ease on the brakes, turn yourself around.

Take another point of view.

Do what it takes.

See what else can be found.

It's really up to you.

For if you go and plant corn, expect to get squash at harvest, you will be confused.

This is circular self abuse.

And no one here is amused.

The Toronto Week in Review

The Toronto Marine Unit fishes out a body encased in concrete Sunday.

The body of a Toronto-area mobster is discovered out of Lake Ontario, two are killed when a small plane crashes into a Markham roof, and the GTA swelters in record-setting heat. The Toronto police purchase sound cannons for G20 crowd control, charges against former Attorney General Michael Bryant are withdrawn, and George Smitherman joins Rocco Rossi and Sarah Thomson on the subway train. 

Of course, the most important news of all: the iPad goes on sale.

The Toronto Week in Review

The mayoral hopefuls gather for their first television debate Tuesday at CP24. 

A woman caught cheating on her husband blames her cell phone bill and sues Rogers, Markham makes plans to build the largest Asian mall in North America, and despite the political bickering, Transit City rolls ahead. Meanwhile, a controversial coach is mourned, a Toronto man accused of trying to send bombs to Iran goes to trial, and the city moves to ban pop in schools.

The Toronto Week in Review

A husky that has been exposed to ringworm is led to be put down at a Newmarket shelter.

Hundreds of animals are euthanized at a Newmarket OSPCA after a ringworm outbreak, Rob Ford - who may be polling first for mayor?? - apologizes to an HIV positive man, and bike lane advocate councillor Paula Fletcher accidently casts the deciding vote against lanes on University Avenue. The murder trial for two men accused of killing a Mississauga maid begins, preparation continues for the G20, and city councillors have a fight with the taxman.

Go! Habs! Go!