Toronto mayor lashes out at critics, avoids mention of alleged crack video

TORONTO – Toronto’s mayor has passed up another chance to directly address allegations of a video in which he appears to be smoking crack cocaine, but he had plenty to say about his critics.

Rob Ford used his weekly radio show (on Newstalk 1010) to take a swipe at Ontario’s governing Liberals and media pundits who have questioned his ability to govern amid the video scandal.

Instead, Ford and his brother, a fellow city councillor, again slammed Premier Kathleen Wynne, who has expressed concern about the “personal issues” that have garnered much attention at city hall in recent days.

In discussing Wynne’s governance, Ford said she “couldn’t organize a two-card funeral” and told the premier to “straighten up” her act.

Ford also lashed out at the Toronto Star — one of the two publications that first reported on the alleged crack video — saying he would “have a stroke” if the newspaper apologized for its recent reporting, which his brother claimed was “gutter journalism.”

Ford answered few questions about the scandal last week, which erupted last month when two separate reports claimed someone described as a drug dealer was trying to sell the alleged footage of the mayor.

Ford, who has said he does not use crack cocaine, has lost several staffers over the past two weeks.