Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, who gained international attention in 2013 for admitting to smoking crack, threatening to kill a man, and general verbal diarrhea, appeared on the "Today" show Tuesday morning to assert that, despite being stripped of nearly all of his powers, he has "absolutely" been an "effective" mayor and thinks "we can win" Toronto's mayoral election in October.
Though Ford attempted to deflect anchor Matt Lauer's question when asked "point blank" if he still used illegal drugs, Ford said no, and focused on his efforts to lose weight at the gym. "I don't use illegal drugs, I experimented with them probably a year ago," he said. "I don't use drugs and we're in great shape. Right after this interview, I plan to hit the gym."
When asked about his excessive drinking, Ford said, "Have I had a drink? Yes, I have but not to the point of some of the episodes before. You know what, that's past me and we're moving on. I just can't wait for the campaign."
"I want to start debating my opponents," Ford said. "I have an absolutely fantastic track record in saving taxpayers money."
"We're on fire. We're doing a great job," he said, confident of success against his 34 opponents come Oct. 27.
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