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'God‘s gift to comedy,‘ quips late night host about Rob Ford

TORONTO - The Rob Ford saga provided still more fodder for the late night TV comedy hosts Monday after another controversial day for the Toronto mayor.

On The Tonight Show, host Jay Leno called the mayor ”God’s gift to comedy” and mocked Ford’s statement to Fox News last week that he one day wanted to become prime minister.

”If there was anyone qualified for the highest office in the land, it’s the highest mayor in the land,” joked Leno.

The Tonight Show and a few other late night programs also drew laughs by playing a video clip of Ford mimicking an impaired driver during Monday’s council meeting.

That incident came as council voted overwhelmingly to slash Ford’s mayoral budget and hand many of his duties and staff to the deputy mayor.

Late Night host Jimmy Kimmel noted that while council had stripped Ford of most of his duties, he would continue to represent the city at official functions.

”That’s the one I would be worried about,” joked Kimmel.

During Monday‘s council session, the besieged mayor appeared to charge a heckler, but instead accidentally steamrolled a female councillor in his way.

Said Kimmel: ”It’s like Canada’s running of the bulls or something.”

The Late Night host also joked that Rob Ford is his ‘‘favourite new reality show.”

”If he lived in America, we’d be renewing him for a second season.”

David Letterman took a shot at the Toronto mayor with a brief segment called ‘‘Rob Fod Lie‘‘ accompanied by swirling comedic music. It included a snippet from an interview in which Ford said he said he‘s ‘‘in a gym for two hours every day.‘‘

The late night quips followed an extraordinary day at council which Ford characterized as a “coup d’etat.” He compared the council votes to strip him of more powers to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and a declaration of war.<

Ford said voters should be able to pass judgment on him, not fellow councillors.