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.
Is Ed Bryant the guy who lost for Governor? I hope not, he certainly shouldn't be allowed to run again, not for a seat this important.
Anyhow, I've heard about Mayor Corker. It just seems like we will need someone who can match Ford in the personality/biography department. How's he on these issues?
While I agree that Dems don't treat blacks well, you can't honestly say they will never have high office. At least 2 blacks have been Dem senators, Carol Mostly-Fraud and Barack Obama.
Senators are a dime a dozen. I talk real leadership rolls of authority. It ain't going to happen.
Also they were elected by the people of their state not the DNC.
Van Hilleary is the one who lost the governorship (due to the fact that Bredesen cheated and was aided and abetted by the 'Rat hack state Att'y Gen'l). Corker is likely to attract the support of the RINO establishment, and could beat Ford (but then, so can Conservative Bryant). Corker has never taken a definitive stand on a lot of issues.
Senators are elected by the people in their state not by the DNC. I am talking leadership roles with real authority. It ain't going to happen.
Now I will stay quiet since obviously I can't type my thoughts worth a damn.
"...even my rep john tanner..."
You must be in up there in the NW part of TN. His 8th district covers all of West TN north of Shelby County and stretches eastward to Clarksville. I lived in Dyersburg for 7 years and he was my rep then. I found much of west TN to be slow to move toward "Red" - except maybe in the neck:) - and John got major support from places like Union City and the Goodyear workforce there, as I remember.
Whether I agree with you or not, your revised post is a lot easier reading:-)! And sometimes even pols get a 2nd chance.
I wouldn't look for Congressman Harold Fraud to do very well in heavily Republican upper East Tennessee. Bryant, or whoever the eventual nominee is, can make a lot of hay here with Fraud's voting record and subtly bring all the Fraud family garbage out of the closet. And there's plenty of it.
Harold Fraud is a left-winger who engages in moderate-speak. Yes, he's a media darling, which is good for a lot of free publicity. But someone like Bryant can sweep the floor with him if they are prepared to take the gloves off.
BTW, Bryant was defeated in the senatorial primary won by Lamar Alexander. As so often happens, the party establishment blew the works to steamroller their man (Alexander) in. We ended up with another warmed-over, wishy-washy senator. More's the pity.
As do I.
I'll go so far as to say, had he been the Dems candidate instead of the traitorous, position switcher I'd have been very inclined to vote for him.
Now, I'm out of here. ;o)
I hear that Ed Bryant may be in for the running.
He'll win...and look more impressive than Barak Obama did in winning Illinois since Tennessee is far more likely to vote Republican in national elections than Illinois.
Dems really want to win in 2008? Go the sitting Senator/sitting Senator route again and have it be Obama/Ford (assuming Harold is old enough, which I imagine he will be by then).
The Senate ethics committee has zero testicles, nothing will come of sen john ford's illegal/immoral dealings.
I'm in Millingto, just a couple of miles from the Navy base. Tanner is a slightly moderate, I'd not call him a full moderate, he votes on the right side of gun rights, but loves those taxes. His real job keeping thing is keeping the Navy base here. IF he lost the base he'd could be beaten by a real conservative IF the Shelby Co GOP would actually field a canidate against him.
"If he teams up with Hillary I might worry a bit."
I agree and have mentioned the Hillary/Ford scenario here. I think we can all agree that Hil is a lock, assuming she announces for the nomination. Watch her pick Ford or Bayh in an attempt to pick of a Red state in '08.
JUNIOR is not only anti-gun, but pro-abortion, pro-high/more taxes
I can only sit and shake my head at how some FReepers are being FOOLED about JUNIOR's true nature. Some want to badly see him as a moderate, but that is NOT his true nature.
The media has done a great job on selling him as a moderate. Just because you speak softly and you don't lose your temper on the tube, or in public doesn't make you a moderate or a conservative.
JUNIOR is a SNAKE OIL SALESMAN, LIBERAL, SOCIALIST how many times do I and the other Tennessee FReepers have to say it before other FReepers believe us?
Uphill battle indeed .
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