Rob Ford's Still Being Defiant (Video)

On NBC's Today Show Tuesday morning, disgraced Toronto mayor Rob Ford suggested that resigning is still the furthest thing from his mind. The night before, Ford had been stripped of most of his remaining powers: the Toronto council cut his budget and reassigned his staff to deputy mayor Norm Kelly. (Ford also mowed down a councilwoman during that council meeting, which he described as a coup d'état.) But the mayor still maintained that he has no intention of stepping down and, that, powerless or not, he will ride out the remainder of his term and allow the people to decide next fall whether or not to reelect him.

The Today Show's Matt Lauer took a firm, admonishing tone with the embattled mayor, telling him, "You have brought disgrace to this office. And you know that's true."

"I'm embarrassed," Ford replied. “Not just myself, my family, my friends, my supporters, the whole city. I take full responsibility for that. We've all made mistakes, Matt. I’m not perfect. Maybe you are, maybe other people are, [but] I've made mistakes. I admitted to my mistakes."

Lauer pointed out that Ford played a "game of semantics" when answering questions about his crack cocaine use, which Ford vehemently denied. At one point, Lauer asked Ford what would happen if an emergency — like a terrorist attack — happened during one of those "isolated" incidents when Ford is mid-drinking binge. "And I'm wondering, is [the fact that this happens mid-drinking binge] supposed to make anybody feel better?" Lauer asked.

"I'm very fortunate that that hasn't happened, but that could happen with anybody at any time," Ford to Lauer. "Say you had gone out drinking or you were drunk, and say something happened to your family." Yes, because being the elected leader of a city of millions is the same as being a family member. And because managing a tragedy involving one person is the same as coordinating with law enforcement and international colleagues in the case of a terrorist attack.

Rob Ford is not going to treatment, though in an interview with CBS Monday, he did say he's officially giving up drinking. "[I'm] finished. I've had a come-to-Jesus moment, if you want to call it that."

Yes, if you want to call it that.