Rob Ford calls himself 'the best father around' and says he wants to be Prime Minister of Canada

Mayor Rob Ford spent the weekend carrying out a series of media engagements in an attempt to repair his tattered reputation
When asked about what his children thought of his actions, Ford described himself as 'the best father around'
He continued to deny that he has any addiction issues, but revealed that he is spending two hour in the gym each day in an attempt to lose weight
Boldly proclaimed that he has ambitions to become Prime Minister of Canada
Toronto city council votes Monday on whether to strip him of nearly all his powers

By Daily Mail Reporter and Associated Press Reporter

PUBLISHED: 09:07 EST, 18 November 2013 | UPDATED: 09:24 EST, 18 November 2013

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Underfire Toronto mayor Rob Ford described himself as the ‘best father around’ on Sunday as he continued with his shameless attempt to ride out the media storm surrounding him after his admission earlier this month that he smoked crack cocaine.

The beleaguered official spent the weekend carrying out a series of media engagements in an attempt to repair his tattered reputation which has made him a global laughing stock and left his rivals attempting to do everything they can to strip him of his political powers.

Since his admission to smoking crack, Ford has barely been out of the headlines with a stream of allegations about his excessive behavior typically followed by gaffe-prone press conferences in which he steadfastly refuses to consider stepping down.

Underfire Toronto mayor Rob Ford described himself as the 'best father around' on Sunday as he continued his shameless attempt to ride out the media storm surrounding his admission that he smoked crack cocaine

‘I don't look at myself as the mayor. I look at myself as just a normal, regular person,’ Ford told CNN.

When asked what his children would think of his behavior, Ford said he was the 'best father around.'

In a separate interview with Fox News, Ford also revealed that his ambitions don’t end with remaining as Toronto mayor and that he wants to be prime minister of Canada.

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‘Yes, one day I do want to run for prime minister,’ said Ford.

He insisted that he is working through his issues and is even working out two hours a day in an attempt to lose weight.

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

Ford also revealed that his ambitions don't end with remaining as Toronto mayor and that he wants to be prime minister of Canada

Spectacle: Rob Ford's appearance Sunday was greeted with significant attention - and some amount of bemusement by football fans

Spectacle: Rob Ford's appearance at a CFL game on Sunday was greeted with significant attention - and some amount of bemusement by football fans

Ford maintains that he doesn't have any addiction issues with either drugs or alcohol, but said his weight was 'a huge issue.'

'We have a team of professionals that are working with me on some health issues and I’m gonna leave it at that,' Ford said.

'It’s really no one’s business what I do in my personal life, what I do in a gym, or the professionals I talk to.'

'The professionals have said no, you don’t have an addiction. We’ve got ways of curbing your drinking and losing some weight and working on some other issues,' Ford said.

Ford also said he plans to continue to act as mayor even if city council votes to remove his special privileges, which they did on Friday, and reduces his office budget, which the council will decide on Monday. It could also appoint the deputy mayor to lead his executive committee.

Party animal: Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, an avid Toronto Argonauts fan, hold up a makeshift replica of the Grey Cup while attending a playoffs game Sunday

Ford poses with a fellow Canadian Football League fan after making an appearance at the Rogers Centre - despite being warned off by the CFL commissioner

'I can assure you if the council wants to continue what it’s doing – stripping me of all my powers, taking away my staff – they can’t stop me from showing up to council, debating every issue,' Ford said.

'No one can stop me from returning phone calls, no one can stop me campaigning.'

'We’re going to move forward and I am going to continue to fight for the little guy, I’m going to continue to save taxpayer’s money, and if the councilors want to strip all my power, that’s up to them,' Ford said.

Ford said he is ready to fight for re-election next fall, promising to start campaigning and fundraising on Jan. 2.

Ford has remained defiant despite an increasingly-embarrassing list of public statements and admissions about bad behavior.

Most recently, he made crude comments about his sex life with his wife - while she was standing with him. He was attempting to dismiss allegations that he had propositioned a female staffer for oral sex.

On Sunday Ford made a very public appearance at a Canadian Football League playoff game to cheer on the Toronto Argonauts - despite the CFL commissioner's pleas that he stay away from the game.

Taunted: A woman holds a sign mocking the rival team's city mayor Rob Ford who was in the crowd watching the CFL eastern final football game between the Toronto Argonauts and the Hamilton Tiger Cats in Toronto

That prompted Argonauts CEO Chris Rudge to call Ford's ongoing calamities 'an unfortunate situation for the city.' CFL Commissioner Mark Cohon asked that Ford to stay away from Sunday's Eastern Conference final between the Toronto Argonauts and Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

He ignored the calls and Sunday afternoon, shortly after halftime, he took a seat a seat about 20 rows back from the field.

His arrival caused a stir in Section 129 of the Rogers Centre, with fans clogging the aisle as they snapped photos and exchanged handshakes with the mayor.

Wearing a dark blue Argonauts jersey with 'Mayor Ford' and the number 12 across the back, Ford laughed and drew cheers as he held aloft a crudely constructed replica of the Grey Cup, Canadian football's championship trophy.

Outside the downtown stadium before kickoff, fans of both teams said Ford should stay away from the game.

'He needs to take some time off and get help,' said Bob Walker, dressed in an Argonauts baseball cap and jacket.

Fan club: A Hamilton Tiger Cats fan holds a cut out poster of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford's head during the CFL eastern final football game between the Toronto Argonauts and the Hamilton Tiger Cats in Toronto

Mocking: A Hamilton Tiger Cats fan holds a cut out poster of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford's head during the CFL eastern final football game between the Toronto Argonauts and the Hamilton Tiger Cats in Toronto

The city council is seeking to strip the mayor of nearly all of his powers tomorrow. Today he celebrated at football

The city council is seeking to strip the Mayor Ford of nearly all of his powers at a meeting on Monday

'It's definitely a distraction... He means well, he's done well for the city. It's just, it's enough, you know? We need to get on with the city and take his business somewhere else for a bit.'

Hamilton fan Shawn Kowalyshyn, wearing a Tiger-Cats jersey, said the mayor has 'embarrassed' himself and his family.

'Unfortunately, I'd like to support him and his policies, but he's just gone too far over the top. ... It's gotten too ridiculous,' Kowalyshyn said.

Brothers Kyle and Matt O'Connor of Hamilton held up a hand-lettered sign reading 'Our Mayor Doesn't Smoke Crack!!' as they lined up to wait for stadium gates to open.

Earlier Sunday, the 44-year-old Ford was spotted outside the downtown studios of the tabloid Sun News Network, where he and brother Doug, a Toronto city councilor, were taping the first episode of their new current events television show, 'Ford Nation,' which will air on Monday night.

Working up a sweat: Toronto Mayor Rob Ford mops his brow as he watches the CFL eastern final football game between the Toronto Argonauts and the Hamilton Tiger Cats

Meet and greet: Toronto Mayor Rob Ford gets close to a fan of the opposition

Recently released court documents show Ford became the subject of a police investigation after news reports surfaced in May that he had been caught on video smoking crack cocaine. In interviews with police, former staffers accused the mayor of frequently drinking, driving while intoxicated and making sexual advances toward a female staffer.

Ford's erratic behavior was parodied in the opening segment of the Saturday Night Live with cast member Bobby Moynihan portraying the mayor who at one point ducks behind the lectern at a press conference to do a drug deal, exclaiming, 'Wow, that's a lot of crack.'

Ford finally decides he needs to go on a TV show which would believe him, and then is shown being interviewed by CBS '60 Minutes' correspondent Lara Logan (Kate McKinnon) who accepts his denials that he did crack, smoked marijuana and used alcohol.

Logan recently had to apologize on-air for a '60 Minutes' story about the deadly 2012 attack on a U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya, saying the network could no longer trust the testimony of a former security contractor who had claimed he was present during the attack.

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Coffee, Crayon, Bahamas, 6 minutes ago

Best father around huh. Heck he's not even the best liar around, I've heard many more believable lies from 5 year olds.

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Iggy, chattanooga, 10 minutes ago

I would trust him more than the koch brother's puppet that is PM now.

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Ter Lawson, petrolia, Canada, 36 minutes ago

This man, and his family, are the worst that Canada can produce. A drunk, drug abuser, reported wife abuser, flouter of laws, drives looking at his cellphone, drives drunk, abuses women, makes threats of violence and death, and many more accusations to come I'm sure. He is an embarrassment that won't go away. People like him are the result of the media giving a pass to people who are incapable of governing themselves let alone a city the size of Toronto.