Posted on 02/16/2005 9:57:44 AM PST by dead
Rep. Harold Ford Jr. (D-Tenn.) is expected to announce next week that he will run for the Senate, seeking to replace Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) when he retires in 2006.
Ford’s office declined to comment on his senatorial plans, but three sources close to Ford said that he has decided to run and that an announcement will be made soon. One informed source said, “He will absolutely, 100 percent, run for the Senate. He wants that seat.”
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Ford will be traveling in the Middle East later this week, according to those sources, and is scheduled to be back in Tennessee, with some major appearances planned, on Feb. 25.
President Bush won Tennessee 57 to 43 percent, and Ford would face an uphill battle to win statewide. The fifth-term congressman, whose father held the same seat for 22 years, has recently seen his statewide prospects hindered by his family name. His uncle, state Sen. John Ford, is embroiled in a child payment scandal and recently testified in juvenile court that he keeps two homes and lives with two different women whose children he fathered. The scandal has received considerable attention in Tennessee and has dominated political conversation among Democrats speculating about Ford’s plans.
The source said business leaders in Memphis are lining up behind Ford and noted that the congressman is conservative on fiscal matters. Ford last year indicated support for Sen. Lindsey Graham’s (R-S.C.) Social Security reform bill.
While the odds are against Ford’s winning the seat, the source said Ford will raise a lot of money: “He will raise money from California to New York to Florida and everywhere in between.”
State Sen. Rosalind Kurita is the only other Democrat who has entered the race. Three Republicans have launched their campaigns, including former Rep. Ed Bryant, state Rep. Beth Harwell and Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker. Former Rep. Van Hilleary (R) is also considering jumping into the race.
JR is presiding over a seat that was given to him by his dad, and it is his for life, basically based on his race and name.
Alot of blacks in Memphis would vote for Satan before they would vote for a white man. That why JR's uncle and King Willie is there.
My question is will he run for both seats? i.e, Joe Lieberman in 2000.
I live in Chattanooga, TN. This town(pop. 500,000) will vote for him, I can see it now. the Chatt. Free Times (owned by the N. Y. Times) will give him all the good press he needs. Be afraid.
I DO live in Memphis and can't stand the Ford Family. They are corrupt and will do anything for power. His uncle, John, is in hot water now by his own actions. Something I was reminded of was that the Tennessee statehouse is now Republican controlled. Therefore, John's cover is not there. He could be kicked out of Nashville if the Pubs see to it. And I hope they do. Harold Ford, Jr. is a Ford and a Ford in Memphis is NOT to be trusted. Period.
Rep. Beth Harwell, Ph.D., represents Nashville’s House District 56 and is chair of the Tennessee Republican Party. She concentrates her legislative efforts on children’s and family issues and serves on Tennessee’s Families First Advisory Committee. She works to improve economic opportunities for displaced homemakers, is a member of Luton Mental Health Board and the David Lipscomb University Business Advisory Council and a Leadership Nashville graduate.Hamilton County has just a smidge over 300,000, and will definitely go for the GOP nominee (if Corker gets the nod, heavily so). No need to go into full scale panic mode.
"Ford is a master of the kind of ambiguous phrasing that, said on the stump, sounds impassioned to fellow Democrats but, couched in congressional-speak in the House itself, appears conciliatory -- and sometimes more -- to Republicans, many of whom continue to solicit the congressman for a switch of his allegiance."
I wouldn't be too shocked if King Willie Herenton endorses the Republican nominee. This guy is a mortal enemy of the Ford Machine (even if they all are liberal 'Rats, Herenton is more a pragmatist and no dummy).
Our local GOP won't put up a canidate to run against him as it is a waste of time and money. Ditto for his uncle john's state senate seat.
Plus he can talk church with the best of politicians and that will pull votes in certain communities.
You nailed it, this bumps Ford up in the Veep sweepstakes with Gov. Richarson. (and true, Howard Dean will not mistake him for the wait staff now--lmao!)
Hmm, she sounds interesting. Might she run?
I read somewhere where Harold Ford was really whooping it up at the Playboy Party the night before the SuperBowl. I'm sure a few pictures of him surrounded by Hefner's bunnies would do wonders for him across Tennessee's Bible Belt.
In the Memphis area (voting information to follow) there is ID required to vote, and the voting commission is reasonably balanced. The issue of "Chicago style voting practices" might come to light in a couple of years, if the political machine needs the vetting.
"I'd rather vote for a RINO than a Dem."
The real Republican would have won the senate seat in PA handily if he had gotten any support in the primary. Instead we all have to put up with Spector.
Ford missed by 4 months..being too young to be Kerry's VP niminee...however, what has NOT been said here is the real reason Ford is willing to give up a lock House seat and try for the Senate, is that being in the minority in the House sucks.. Ford has NEVER served in the majority..along with 60% of present Dems in the House..and he sees no prospect of the dems taking the House for at least 10 years..Majette in GA did the same thing last year..she wanted OUT of the House..and this is the way ..an honorable defeat..Ford and Pelosi don't get along..remember, he talked about challenging her in 2002..this way, win or lose..no more Dem House caucus luncheons..
Oh, yah, sure. Bush lost the state, but Toomey would have won it 'easily'.
While we are dreaming, I'd like Ted Kennedy to lose in '06.
I'm no fan of Specter's either, but keep this in mind: He votes with us half the time, and kept a nut like Hoffel out of the Senate with 0 national money.
In the meantime:
Murkowski 49, Knowls 47
Burr 52, Bowls 48
Thune 51, Dashle 49
Martinez 49, Castor 48
Vitter 51, Others 49
All 2pts or less, all of which required federal money and time that would have had to be split with Pennsylvania. Keep that in mind. I'm not certain what I would have done if I were a primary voter in Pennsylvania, but I think it's very possible, even likely, that keeping Specter actually did more good for conservative causes, even ones Specter opposes, then Toomey would have, seeming as how we won 4 very conservative, pro-life Senate seats by slim margins.
It is very possible could have lost us one or two had we dumped money into Pennsylvania, and even then, we might have lost that Senate seat too. Especially Martinez, which was in a big battleground state, and thus meant more then just his seat, not only that, but Castor was the worst of the worst terrorist appeasing dem, and that was the closest race, percentagewise, of the year.
From the article posted above...
Three Republicans have launched their campaigns, including former Rep. Ed Bryant, state Rep. Beth Harwell and Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker.
I agree. Looks promising. Bob Corker is an interesting guy too.
What the man has to understand is this. He is a black male and will never serve any high office in the Democrat Party. If he wants any chance of achieving, he must leave the plantation, and switch to the Republican Party. That is the truth and until blacks understand this, they will always be at the back of the democrat bus. Blacks and hispanics need not apply when it comes down to any real leadership roles in the democrat party.
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