Ford says he wants to run for prime minister one day

TORONTO – Toronto Mayor Rob Ford may have political aspirations far beyond a second term as mayor of Toronto.

“Yes, one day I do want to run for prime minister,” Ford said in an interview with U.S. Fox News’ John Roberts on Sunday.

Ford sounded a defiant tone, appearing unbowed at the prospect of a special city council meeting on Monday to vote on a motion to further weaken his mayoral authority.

He talked about his mistakes and said he is “dealing with it.”

“I am training every day — I’m in a gym for two hours every day — I am seeking professional help. I am not an alcoholic. I am not a drug addict,” he said.

“Have I made mistakes in my personal life, on my own time? Absolutely. But that’s all they’ve got. If that’s all they’ve got, well you know what, if you want to get nasty, we can get nasty, and I can start digging up dirt on every single one of those politicians down there.”

Ford also spoke to CNN’s Bill Weir — that interview took place at a community housing area. It aired on “Anderson Cooper 360” Monday.

In the CNN interview, Ford was asked why he decided to admit he smoked crack.

“I just had enough. I am sick and tired of all these allegations and all the b***s*** — excuse my words — and that’s all it is. Sorry, I shouldn’t have sworn in front of the kids,” he said.

Last week, Ford admitted he has purchased illegal drugs while in the mayor’s office. He also apologized for making a graphic sexual comment on live television when denying allegations by ex-staffers that he associated with suspected prostitutes.

The mayor and his brother, Coun. Doug Ford, also debuted their new show, “Ford Nation,” on the Sun News Network Monday.

On Sunday, Mayor Ford triggered a bit of a frenzy at the Toronto Argonauts game, when he showed up at half-time to watch his hometown team take on the Hamilton Tiger-Cats for a berth in the Grey Cup. The Argos were in the lead at that point, but then went on to lose the game.

Meanwhile, NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” was the latest to lampoon Ford. The show opened with a parody of the mayor’s repeated public apologies for such things as smoking crack, buying drugs, driving after drinking and using vulgar language on live TV.

— With files from The Canadian Press

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