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Furious George no more

TVO’s taping of the mayoral debate, televised at 8 PM Tuesday night for regular TV audiences, held a few surprises.

We now know how deep Rob Ford’s animosity is for George Smitherman.

Fordo couldn’t come to say anything good about Smitherman during a segment of the show in which host Steve Paikin asked the candidates what they admired about their opponents.

Didn’t look good on Ford, who says he can be as a consensus builder as mayor.

But more noteworthy from the debate, besides the chatter from media types taking the proceedings in from the green room outside TVO’s studios, was Smitherman’s performance.

Call it Act One in George Smitherman’s rehabilitation as the Furious One.

Hot on the heels of that “go screw yourself” or “go fuck yourself” incident involving a Rocco Rossi campaugn worker – whichever version you believe – a contrite and often introspective Smitherman acknowledged making mistakes in his personal and political relationships during the TVO debate.

The public penance was something to behold. It’s an acknowledgement from the Smitherman camp the their candidate’s bad rep precedes him and is turning off voters, too, and not just those who Smitherman’s turned off or cut off in political circles in the past.

Not even the suggestion by Ford that Smitherman can’t be trusted with the public’s purse strings because of his involvement in the $1 billion boondoggle, aka the eHealth scandal, could get Smitherman’s goat.

Although, Ford may be getting a lawyers letter for the hint he left hanging in the air that palms were greased in that one.

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