Rob Ford admits to drinking, dodges drug questions on the Today Show

Rob Ford was on the Today Show this morning for a second interview with Matt Lauer, whose previous grilling of the mayor made headlines in November. This time around, Ford seems better prepared (he’s in full campaign mode, after all), and the questions about drugs and alcohol mostly bounce off his teflon hide. There are a couple interesting moments, though.

On whether he’s still drinking, despite claiming that he’d quit:

“No, no not at all. Have I had a drink? Yes, I have. But not to the point of some of the episodes before. So you know what? That’s past me, and we’re moving on.”

But of course this doesn’t account for the Steak Queen video, taken a month ago, in which Ford is clearly hammered. Here’s how Ford explains that episode to Lauer:

“Well you know what, I’ve been brought up with a lot of Jamaican friends, and we went out, and yeah, that’s what I mean. I was—I drank, and I enjoyed myself, on I think it was, Friday? I can’t remember what night it was. You know what, Matt? Maybe you’re perfect, but I’m not, and we’re moving on in a positive direction.”

Lauer doesn’t ask any followup questions about Ford’s two other recent episodes of apparent public inebriation.

And here’s what Ford says when questioned about whether he has used drugs in the past few months:

“[Laughs.] I don’t use illegal drugs. I experimented with them probably a year ago, but I don’t use drugs.”

Which sounds a lot like “I do not smoke crack cocaine.” But who knows?

The rest of the interview is embedded above.