If you want to understand Smitherman, look at the people around him

Today Toronto city councilor and former Etobicoke mayor Doug Holyday endorsed Rob Ford as the best choice for mayor.

According to The Toronto Star, The Ford campaign has for some time been trying to land Holyday — an elder statesman on council’s right wing, known as much for his level head as Ford has been in the past for his hot temper. Holyday (Ward 3, Etobicoke Centre) said he finally agreed because he’s convinced Ford’s main challenger, George Smitherman, is a tax-and-spend liberal running as a fiscal conservative.

Holyday said:  "You look at the people Smitherman has around him — (Councillor) Pam McConnell, (former Toronto mayor) John Sewell — it’s going to be more of what we got from Miller.  If the public wants more of the same, there’s a clear option for them. If they want change — I think Rob needs help, and there are those around him to help him do that.”

As noted in an earlier post, Sewell has recommended imposing a municipal sales tax and his single-term mayorship 30 years ago was best noted for the destructive conflicts he had with the Toronto Police Department.