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It's Tuesday November the 22 around 5:49PM and

You Lie Down with Flies, You Get up as Sam Sullivan?

This is excellent news. Vision Vancouver is calling for an inquiry about the dualing Mister Greens in the election on November 19th. While Sullivan has denied any wrongdoing, it appears that he asked if he could help James Green out when he was evicted from his office space. But Sullivan's credibility is pretty much debatable since he has a penchant for helping people buy crack and also has a weak spot for prostitutes in need. As Mr. Burns would say, "Excellent." [CBC]

Update: Darren Barefoot commented on this post below that we didn't give you the follow up story or give nearly enough background information on Sullivan's, how shall we put it, 'exotic tastes'. He is absolutely right, we were distracted by all the pretty Kate Moss movie watching, but any additional excuse to post more on Sammy is simply a great idea. More cowbell, as it were. He mentions this backgrounder on the situation from The Courier. We also liked this Bill Tieleman take down in 24 Hours too: "But that's the same Sullivan who is apologizing all over town for giving money to and assisting a drug addict buy and smoke crack in Sullivan's van. The same Sullivan who also gave a prostitute money to buy drugs."

This one at the National Post includes our favorite headline from the election, "Quadriplegic, draft dodger vie for mayor" and is a good backgrounder. Oh, and you shouldn't leave out a nice little Fox News post on a subject like this. But if righty Brit Hume isn't your bag, The Tyee has got you covered.

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Comments

Posted by: Jak King

November 22, 2005 06:36 PM

The people spoke and Vision Vancouver should listen and learn. Like typical apparatchniks, Jim Green and his acolytes don't understand (or, rather, refuse to accept) that the people have minds of their own. He believes them to be stupid and in need of direction, from the courts if not from him.

I have met a few mature people over the last few days who tell me they quite deliberately voted for James Green. They each saw it as a way of saying a pox on both your houses!

I'm not happy with a few of Sullivan's post-election statements, either, but I'm happy to sit back and watch him do his best.

Posted by: Darren

November 22, 2005 09:28 PM

Two things.

One, please report the story accurately:

But a news report yesterday quoted restaurant owner Julius Simon as saying Sullivan approached him about helping James Green with office space.
Since that report Simon has told CBC Radio that Sullivan only made the inquiry after James Green was forced to move out of the space by the building's managers. He says Sullivan simply asked where Green had gone.

That certainly doesn't exonerate Sullivan, but you're misrepresenting the story by not including the follow-up.

Secondly, you'd be wise to link to a story about Sullivan's (admittedly ill-advised) anti-drug experiment. Say, this one from the Courier. That way, readers can educate themselves and judge whether Sullivan 'has a weak spot for prostitutes'. Any number of readers may have no idea what you're talking about.

Posted by: Darren

November 22, 2005 11:14 PM

Thanks for that.

It's a pity nobody's discussing the semi-logical rationale behind Sullivan's actions. Paying the prostitute to enable her to buy drugs means she's breaking fewer laws, and no longer prostituting herself.

Personally, I prefer just giving addicts heroine for free. It's proven a relatively effective strategy in pilot projects in Britain.

It doesn't necessarily make fewer addicts, but it does make fewer criminals. After all, the addicts are only commmitting crimes to procure money for drugs. Give them drugs for free, and you reduce their negative impact on society.

If they'd considered the other Green, they could have had "Quadriplegic, draft dodger and black man vie for mayor", which is even more offensive.

Posted by: Jackson Murphy

November 22, 2005 11:25 PM

That was the kind of surprising thing wasn't it? That it didn't really become much of an issue in the election - but then again, issues seemed less important than rumors and such - which is what I find so funny about the past two weeks of civic politics.

And wow, that would have been a doozy of a headline Darren! Could you imagine?