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 Ford, who became a popular target for late-night TV hosts
including Kimmel after admitting to smoking crack cocaine in a
"drunken stupor", appeared on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" where they
looked at videos and photos of some of his more colorful antics
during his years in office.
Ford, who posted messages and pictures of himself on Twitter as
he made his way around Los Angeles in recent days drumming up
entertainment production business for Toronto, wore a black
suit, black shirt and bright orange tie and pocket square for
his appearance.
Kimmel, who said he had become "obsessed" with Ford, even going
to the Los Angeles airport to pick him up, mopped the brow of
the noticeably sweating mayor and joked that he would be selling
the handkerchief on auction site eBay.
Ford was stripped of many of his powers by Toronto city council
but has refused calls to step down after media outlets reported
they had seen video of him smoking from what appeared to be a
crack pipe.
Ford seemed to shrug off, rather than explain, many of the
antics Kimmel asked about. "I'm moving on. People are going to
judge me based on my proven track record," he said.
Kimmel introduced Ford by saying he had "smoked his way into our
national consciousness". When Kimmel broached Ford's drinking
saying "If you are an alcoholic...," Ford threw his head back
and laughed out loud before saying, "I wasn't elected to be
perfect, Jimmy."
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"I've been responsible with taxpayer money for over 14 years," he
said. "Ninety percent of what I said I was going to do, I've done.
Toronto is booming right now."
When the crack video surfaced last year, Ford initially said he did
not smoke the drug, but admitted in November that he had indeed done
so. The revelation and his decision to remain in office drew
ridicule, especially from TV comics.
Ford also repeated on Monday's show that he expects to be returned
to office in Toronto's municipal election in October.
In another embarrassing episode, a video of Ford ranting in a
Jamaican accent and slurring his words was posted online in January.
He conceded he had been drinking and described it as a "minor
setback," saying his personal life did not interfere with his job.
After viewing a clip of the incident on Monday evening, Ford
explained that he "just went out with the friends ... I have a lot
of Jamaican friends, and that's how we speak."
The Kimmel show's other guest was "The Great Gonzo," one of the
Muppet characters.
(Reporting by Chris Michaud; editing by
Mark Heinrich)
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