Posted on 01/05/2010 6:56:09 PM PST by Free ThinkerNY
Encouraged by a group of influential New York Democrats, Harold Ford Jr., the former congressman from Tennessee, is weighing a bid to unseat Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand in this falls Democratic primary, according to three people who have spoken with him.
Mr. Ford, 39, who moved to New York three years ago, has told friends that he will decide whether to run in the next 45 days. The discussions between Mr. Ford and top Democratic donors reflect the dissatisfaction of some prominent party members with Ms. Gillibrand, who has yet to win over key constituencies, especially in New York City.
About a dozen high-profile Democrats have expressed interest in backing a candidacy by Mr. Ford, including the financier Steven Rattner, who, along with his wife, Maureen White, has been among the countrys most prolific Democratic fund-raisers.
Maureen and I worked hard for Harold in his last race because we think the world of him, Mr. Rattner said, referring to Mr. Fords run for the Senate in Tennessee in 2006. He has extraordinary drive and intelligence and will excel at anything that he chooses to do.
Among those who have encouraged Mr. Ford to consider a run are Merryl H. Tisch, the chancellor of the New York State Board of Regents, whose husband, James, is the chief executive of the Loews Corporation, and Richard Plepler, the co-president of HBO, according to people who have spoken with them.
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, who has publicly tangled with Ms. Gillibrand, is open to the possibility of supporting a challenger of Mr. Fords stature, according to those familiar with his thinking.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
ping
DANGEROUS.
A Christian version of Obama with warmth and personality. He is VERY dangerous.
At least we got the head of the criminal Ford family out of Memphis.
New York can have him.
A man with eyes like a hooded snake. Glib, slick, dishonest to the core. Comes from a family that ranges from dishonest to insane. Will do anything for power.
Hs ancestors were thieves sold into slavery to get them out of Africa
Only problem was, he lost.
For those of you who don’t remember or didn’t read that far down in the article, this is Harold Ford of “I met Harold Ford at the Playboy party!” fame.
Anyway, a fight in the Dem primary can only be a good thing.
Oh my. Hillary, the Kennedy imports, Mariokart and the Accidental Gov. are not bad enough for our currently rather wretched state. Apparently, we have to import even more RAT politicians from even more states to help send us even further down the toilet?
I did not know that Harold Ford Jr. had moved to our state. I am not sure I really want to know who else has moved here as well (while most of our actual taxpayers like Rush have moved out).
Wow, get a load of this ! Junior Ford to consider running for the NY Senate seat !?!
New York seems partial to Southern carpetbaggers.
In Tennessee, against Corker, he seemed reasonable. In New York, I expect we see a full blown Fascist loon.
Memphis could have sent us some decent BBQ instead of multigenerational riff raff.
NY is the go-to place for Dems who can’t get elected back home.
Remember what Bubba Clinton said to Ms. Flowers about our Mario.
With Baby Ford and Baby Cuomo in the same city, Mafia Wars will not be just your average Facebook game.
Like that senile Socialist East KY trash Louise Slaughter.
Are there ANY residency requirements in New York? WTF?
Is he serious?
First I heard of it. Funny thing is, if he votes like he did as Congressman, he’d be to the right of a lot of Eastern Republicans. I doubt he would vote similarly as a NY Senator, especially if the claim that he’ll run to the left of Gillibrand, who is quite leftist already, is to be believed.
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