Opera About Toronto Mayor Rob Ford Focuses on Crack Use, Fall from Grace

Mayor Rob Ford of Toronto admitted on November 5 that he had smoked crack cocaine about a year ago, when he was in "a drunken stupor."

When Ford was asked why he didn't admit this earlier, he said that reporters didn't ask him the right questions.

Ford admitted to his crack use during a drug investigation. During that investigation, other allegations of his drug use, drunkenness and abuse of aides have emerged, although Ford has not yet been charged with a crime.

Ford was elected mayor in 2010. He received 47% of the vote, a decisive victory. His staunch supporters, mostly conservative, suburban residents, are called "Ford Nation."

Brent Bambury, blogger for CBCradio, called his fall from grace "operatic." And now, his sordid saga has its own opera, based on music from Carmen.

"The Rob Ford Aria" was arranged and written by Topher Mokrzewski, resident conductor with the Calgary Opera, and recorded by CBCradio. Aaron Dimoff sang the role of Rob Ford. Alex Beley and Tyler Fitzgerald are the Ford Nation Chorus.

Same song, second verse...it's surprising to see that Canadians have the same tendency to elect scandal-prone politicians that we have here in the U.S., especially in Illinois. And Ford seems to have a particular talent for getting himself into hot water.

On Monday, Toronto's City Council voted to slash the mayor's budget and transfer most of his duties to the deputy mayor.

Last week, the City Council voted to strip Ford of his emergency powers and asked him to take a leave of absence. So far, Ford has refused to step down. He remains defiant, saying he will remain in office until the next mayoral election, scheduled for October 2014. But will "Ford Nation" continue to support him until then?

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