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. inherited his seat from his father. The 9th district is made up of mostly people on welfare and uneducated.
We used to live in Ford's district, but moved to get away from Memphis politics.
I was at a talk he gave a year ago. He came off as smart and reasonable and said nothing I could really disagree with. He could win in Tennessee, but it is going to come down to who the Republicans run. Don't write this Ford off too quickly.
With all due respect, the DUmmies are inconsequential, in their own party. They critize everybody for not being liberal enough, including Ted Kennedy at times, and even Hillary Clinton, not to mention Robert Byrd from time to time.
I think the only lefty they never ever knocked, was Paul Wellstone (and they think he was assainated).
I stopped taking them seriousley when they though they could push Dennis Kunich up in the polls, and were whining about why they weren't in charge of the democratic party.
I always got the impression that only thing Harold Ford ever cared about, was himself.
He cares more about his career then, his party, country, ideology, family, friends, decency, religion, etc.
This guy made a name, when he went for the democratic minority leadership in the house, was rebuffed, sulked and then almost crossed the aisle.
It took bribery to keep him. If he is a committed liberal/socialist, it will mean he actually cares about something more then himself, and he actually has beliefs. I don't even think he has character, let alone true beliefs.
Ford's entire political life has been based in Memphis. He'd be done in the eastern part and wouldn't do much better in the central.
Lamar is a great Senator, and in my opinion, he may well have beaten Clinton in 96 had we run him.
The NRCC and the RNC better have the floor tyride from him last year on tape for campaign ads. It will finish his candidacy before it starts.
Wow, you are a lot more optimistic about the Republican machine than I am. The last time I saw the Republican machine eat someone it was Van Hilleary.
Well we will have just agree to disagree. If I never
hear Rocky Top or Alexander's rag time band it will be to soon.
What has he ever done? He never stands up for President Bush.
Okkkkk, yah, I think we have very different ideas of what makes a good Senator.
Lamar! is anything but a great Senator. Mediocre is more descriptive. He has been unresponsive to my concerns as a constituent. His record as Governor was scarcely better, and the state GOP was deader than Elvis by the time he left office (taking nearly a decade to recover), and even now, he has shown zilch interest in party-building in this state. Lamar! most certainly would not have beaten Clinton in '96 any more so than Dole did.
My impression is that Ford is a southern Obama. The media gushes all around him... just as we here on some posts here. Charismatic, moderate to conservative, mixed race... But there is nothing in his extensive liberal lineage that makes me think he will ever act as a conservative.
Just remember: Albert Gore, Jr., another legacy politician from Tennessee, was also considered a charismatic conservative democrat congressman. Be afraid of Ford.
Given that Lamar! owes his current career to Dubya & Karl Rove, he certainly isn't showing a whole lot of gratitude. Most informed TN GOP primary voters were happy to keep Lamar! in retirement.
And for the second part, 86, when Lamar left the Governor's office, was a horrible year for R's nationwide, and it stayed horrible till 94. Bush Sr. only won because the Dems nominated a moron, we lost seats in Congress in 88, 90, and 92. It's stupid to blame Lamar for bad republican fortunes during those times, it was bad republican fortunes all over the country.
I think I remember you, arn't you the world's biggest McClintock supporter?
Yes, he will run. And yes, he will lose.
He won't get too many votes out of Germantown.
I was behind Ed Bryant in the primaries. I hope Ed decides to run for Frist's seat.
Not exactly, but that's the least of my concerns.
"And for the second part, 86, when Lamar left the Governor's office, was a horrible year for R's nationwide, and it stayed horrible till 94."
You're addressing the national scene, I'm talking about Tennessee specifically. Lamar ! did bubkas to grow the state party on his watch, he steadfastly REFUSED to run against Gore, Jr. for the Senate in '84 (which would've stopped him dead in his tracks). The state party went on life support for those 8 years between 1987-95, during which time Lamar! was nowhere to be seen in our state lifting a finger for the party.
"Bush Sr. only won because the Dems nominated a moron, we lost seats in Congress in 88, 90, and 92."
Lost Senate seats in '86 through '92, but we gained seats in the House in '92.
"It's stupid to blame Lamar for bad republican fortunes during those times, it was bad republican fortunes all over the country."
I'm blaming Lamar! for what HE was responsible for, that being the TN situation. It was not bad everywhere in the '86 cycle, with the GOP doing quite well in holding or flipping many Governorships (even as we lost the Senate). I'd be more than happy to review ANY state during that cycle or during the period between '84 to '94.
"I think I remember you, arn't you the world's biggest McClintock supporter?"
Maybe outside California. And I wear that as a badge of honor, sir. :-)
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