Posted on 05/29/2005 7:23:11 AM PDT by Theodore R.
Rep. Harold Ford Jr. Files for Frist's Senate Seat NewsMax.com Wires
Thursday, May 26, 2005 NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Democratic Rep. Harold Ford Jr. filed the federal paperwork Wednesday to run for the Senate seat being vacated by Republican Majority Leader Bill Frist.
The five-term congressman from Memphis is the second Democrat to enter the 2006 race. Frist has said he does not plan to seek a third term.
"I'm excited. I'm ready to go," Ford said in telephone interview from Washington. He said his top issues will be energy reform, national security and education. Ford, 35, is a member of a Memphis political dynasty. He delivered the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in 2000, unsuccessfully challenged Rep. Nancy Pelosi for the post of House minority leader in 2002 and served as a national campaign co-chairman for John Kerry's presidential run in 2004.
Ford's father represented Memphis in Congress for 22 years. An uncle is a state senator now under investigation {He has since resigned.} for his consulting deals with companies doing business with the state. Other uncles and cousins hold local offices.
State Sen. Rosalind Kurita is the only other declared candidate for the Democratic nomination. Republicans running for Frist's seat former Reps. Ed Bryant and Van Hilleary and former Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker. © 2005 The Associated Press
after what just happened to his uncle? No way....
Reassuring news...that Tenn. as a whole knows Ford and family and wants no part of them.
Bresden will try to prove himself worthy of being Hillary's Veep by pulling all the stops for Ford, Jr.
> [Ford] could not be elected dog catcher outside the 9th District.
Unless he has been chosen to run by the clinton machine. He's a 5 term rep, southern, and old enough to be president (Article 1, section ii). My theory is that Hillary Rodham is grooming either Jr. or Obama to be her VP.
Right now I'm watching two Rep Senators arguing about Stem Cell Research (Brownback - Anti and Spector - Pro). This is emblematic of the disarray I mentioned and it exists on Immigration, Taxes, Spending and a host of other issues that will likely keep the fervor (And turnout) low on the part of many Rep voters.
I will be very amenable to a bet on the outcome of this race once Ford's opponents are revealed.
Maybe he can get his "influential" uncle to appear in a TV campaign commercial with him.
Another possible scenario is for Ford to scream racism in Tennessee and get all of the rats scurrying to his support and carry that support to Hillary's ticket as the poster boy who could deflect criticism from her.
Spector = Specter
I agree. He couldn't win in the suburbs in Shelby Co. either. Is he giving up his House seat to run, or is he pulling a Kerry so if/when he loses he can maintain his seat?
If he runs as a Democrat, he just wants to be a Senator.
If he runs as a Republican, he wants to a Senator and a leader in his party. That's something the Democrats denied him back in 2000 when they decided a rich white bug eyed hysterical white woman was better as their leader in the House than Harold.
I wonder if Democrats will ever be smart enough to recognize what a disaster that was?
Why would the Dems want a corrupt opportunist like Ford as their leader?
After living in Tennessee for 30 years it still beats the heck out me. It is the ignorant masses. Pay my utility bill and I will vote for you no matter what you stand for.
Tennesseans won't vote against Harold Ford, Jr for racist reasons. They woll vote against him because of what he stands for or should I say, what he doesn't stand for.
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