Rob Ford briefly addressed media this afternoon in the wake of a press conference by Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair that revealed local authorities possess the notorious video in which the mayor is alleged to smoke crack cocaine. "I wish I could come and defend myself. Unfortunately, I can't. It's before the courts," a shell-shocked Ford told reporters gathered outside his office at city hall. When asked if he would resign, the mayor emphatically responded that he has "no reason to resign" and that he would return "to doing what people elected [him] to do, and that's saving taxpayers' money and running a great government."

Um, I'm not so sure about that. And I'm also not sure how long Ford can hide behind the "it's a matter before the courts" excuse. One suspects that pressure from his colleagues on city council to make a meaningful statement about these allegations will become immense. Can the mayor really pretend that it's business as usual?

Photo by BruceK