Canadian PM stumps for votes with ex drug-using Toronto mayor

By Rod Nickel
TORONTO, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Stephen
Harper, battling for votes in the crucial suburbs of Toronto
just two days before a tight election, rallied supporters on
Saturday at a raucous event promoted by controversial former
Toronto mayor Rob Ford.
Despite awkward optics for the law-and-order Conservative
leader, it was the second time in a week that Harper rubbed
elbows with Ford, who gained global notoriety in 2013 after
admitting he used crack cocaine while in office.
Surrounded by an estimated 1,750 cheering supporters, Harper
took the stage after a rousing introduction by Ford's brother,
Doug Ford, who ran for the mayor's office after Rob Ford pulled
out of the campaign to fight cancer.
"Make no mistake, God help this county, it will be an
absolute disaster if Justin Trudeau and (Ontario Liberal
Premier) Kathleen Wynne were running this country," Doug Ford
said, drawing boos with his reference to Harper's chief rival
and campaign frontrunner, Liberal leader Justin Trudeau.
Harper thanked the Ford brothers and other organizers but
was not seen shaking hands with either, and has not directly
answered questions about why his campaign is associated with the
Fords.
Harper's appearance with Rob Ford at two events in the final
week of a close federal campaign came as new details of Ford's
alcohol and drug abuse in office were revealed in excerpts from
a book by a former aide, "Mayor Rob Ford: Uncontrollable."
The former mayor and his brother remain Conservative Party
stalwarts who wield considerable influence in Toronto's suburbs,
where their populist, low-tax message has many supporters.
Rob Ford made global headlines by refusing to resign as
mayor even after he admitted he had smoked crack while in a
"drunken stupor."
The Fords "appeal to lots of people in the Toronto suburbs
who feel the elites don't speak for them," said Robert Drummond,
political science professor at York University. "I think it is
not a smart move, but I suspect the PM would prefer not to have
the Fords opposing him because he wouldn't come to their rally."
Trudeau told reporters in Montreal on Thursday that Harper
should be embarrassed to count on Rob Ford's support.
But Ford's backers are more forgiving.
"Whether I agree with their past behavior, I can't say I
do," said Arnold Birnie. "You don't have to be a Liberal to
smoke dope and get addicted and make mistakes."