Rob Ford draws line between his antics and his brother's campaign

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford doesn't want his past bad behaviour to stain the mayoral campaign of his brother.

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Rob Ford told the Toronto Sun his brother Doug Ford is "a good guy" and told the newspaper it is "unfair" that Doug be forced to answer for mistakes and comments the mayor made during his turbulent four-year term.

Rob Ford was responding to criticism stemming from a candidates debate on Sunday.

At that event, fringe candidate Air Goldkind asked Doug Ford to respond to a racist and apparently drunken rant Rob Ford delivered in March.

“I would start on the issue of anti-Semitism by not having a mayor who refers to us — the Jewish people in this room — with a derogatory name that starts with ‘K,’” said Goldkind, referencing a Jewish slur. “We cannot have a mayor like that because that is where it starts.”

Doug Ford responded by saying: “Ari, I’m not going to address your comment. But you know something? My doctor — my Jewish doctor, my Jewish dentist, my Jewish lawyer, accountant...”

That defence didn't endear Doug Ford to the 600 people in the crowd at the debate, which was held at the Anne and Max Tanenbaum Community Hebrew Academy of Toronto and sponsored by the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto and the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs.

Both John Tory and Olivia Chow chided Doug Ford on how he responded to Goldkind. On Monday Doug Ford cited his family's ties with the Jewish community, saying that his wife is Jewish.

Rob Ford, who attended Sunday's debate, said he was "blindsided" by Goldkind's comments. Doug Ford told reporters he would not attend any future debates where Goldkind is invited.

Rob Ford also says he may offer a fulsome apology for his comments, which came in March after an alleged night of drinking and were part of a series of events that prompted him to go to rehab for two months.

"I think maybe I should apologize again but I don't think it should be blamed on Doug, " he said in the Sun. It's not his fault. It was my fault."

Rob Ford had to drop out of the mayor's race last month after he was diagnosed with cancer. Doug Ford entered the mayor's race and Rob will run for a council seat in Ward 2.