The top 5 Rob Ford moments from council yesterday

It's a rare day at council when there's enough fodder for a video highlight reel. Well, highlight is the wrong word, but Rob Ford's slow motion descent into absurdity produced several compelling (and frankly tragic) moments on the floor of council yesterday.

Ford publicly admitted to buying illegal drugs, denied 15 Windsor Rd. is a drug house (despite police suggestions to the contrary,) and appeared ready to confront Denzil Minnan-Wong over the councillor's refusal to acknowledge ever smoking marijuana, all of it on live television across North America and in front of a packed public gallery.

In case you missed it, here are some of the key exchanges.

FORD ADMITS BUYING ILLEGAL DRUGS

Denzil Minnan-Wong, a former Ford ally who brought the motion asking the mayor to step aside, had a simple question: "Have you purchased illegal drugs in the past two years?" Ford, after a long pause, had a surprising answer.

MICHAEL THOMPSON ZINGS FORD OVER 15 WINDSOR RD.

Cllr. Thompson asked Ford if he thinks people should'nt report houses they suspect are home to drug users, referencing Ford's documented visits to 15 Windsor Rd. "That is not a crack house," Ford said (police have called the address a "drug house.") Ford then asked Thompson if he had ever been to the home.

ROB FORD SAYS HE HASN'T BEEN DRUNK (AGAIN) AT THE AIR CANADA CENTRE

Cllr Mike Del Grande, Ford's former budget chief and council ally, was questioning Ford by way of a hypothetical wayward employee at the mayor's company, DECO Labels and Tags. Del Grande asked Ford how he would react if his behaviour had been that of a worker.

At one point during the questioning, Del Grande pointed out that Ford had said his behaviour wouldn't be repeated following a drunken incident at a Maple Leafs game while he was still a councillor.

According to Ford, technically it hasn't.

DOUG FORD ASKS CLLR. DENZIL MINNAN-WONG IF HE HAS SMOKED MARIJUANA / ROB FORD APPROACHES MINNAN-WONG

The meeting wouldn't have been complete without a ridiculous line of questioning from Doug Ford, one of the few people to speak in the mayor's defense yesterday. Doug rose to criticize council for being "holier than thou" when it came to his brother. He then asked Minnan-Wong if he had ever smoked pot.

When the speaker ruled Ford out of order and called for a 5-minute recess, Rob Ford appeared to be about to confront Minnan-Wong but was dragged away by Doug.

Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.

Image: Chris Bateman/blogTO

by Chris Bateman via blogTO