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.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
Freepers, Jr. is well to the left of Friedrich Engels. The very idea that he's conservative on any issue is as dumb as a tissue paper roof.
While he has a lock on the 9th District (blue-county-red-state-nepotism), I don't think he has much of a chance at winning a statewide election. Too many people here in Tennessee know him for the extreme left-winger he is; and his family for their astonishing political corruption.
I also like your tag-line
In Memphis anybody named Ford
But I suspect that Jimmy Carter got 70 percent of the Memphis vote against another Ford in 1976.
The Senate is not on the path to the WH. It's a dead end road.
"You do know he is the Guinness World record holder for most handshakes in a day right?"
You are joking, aren't you? I would be shocked and frankly impressed if that was true. I just don't see how he could outshake Teddy Roosevelt though.
Unless you are EDINMEMPHIS, you do not know what you are talking about.
"Condi is a social and cultural Conservative. Where did you ever get the idea that she is not pro-life?"
There is an article in National REview which quotes her to that effect as well as one in one of the big liberal weekly periodicals. It is pretty well documented on the countless threads on Secy Rice's possible Prez run at FR. I'm sure you could pick it up with a search.
I would assume that if she ran for Prez she would have some sort of conversion. But conversion's this late in life for a political purpose don't really mean that they will act on those beliefs. That is how you end up with people like David Souter on the USSC.
I would be first in line for Rice if she 1) demonstrated that she was an across the board Reagan conservative and 2) If she had at least run for something - something even city council. Campaigning is a strange animal and if you don't have experience the first try is going to be flawed. Especially if the first thing you run for is President in a country this size.
"Unless you are EDINMEMPHIS, you do not know what you are talking about"
Then why don't you educate us since you are so well informed? Or was it just a pure coincidence that young Ford succeeded his father in the Congressional seat?
Junior's immediate goal is the US Senate, followed by the governorship of Tennessee, then on to the WH.
Junior, was bequethed/inherited his daddy's seat. He's got a lock on it for life just like the Kennedy's do theirs.
well, ole Mariabush seems to think there's more to it, and I'm sure interested in finding out just how a 26 year old "merited" his seat that just happened to belong to daddy.
"He is super-polite and does appear moderate, based on what I've seen of him on Fox."
What a mature, logical, and reasonable response. I see you took time to read my other posts about the topic as well.
(note the sarcastic tone of the above.)
No, that's his uncle who has the problems here in Tennessee. John Ford. The whole family has problems. I would rather see Van Hillery take Frist's spot (any Republican for that matter).
Frist campaigned for Thune. This is about payback. They spent 10-20 million trying to get Jeb Bush in Florida. They failed there. They will fail here.
It is also the same reason we want Guiliani to take out Hillary in 06.
Also their base is terrribly demoralized and they desperately need a high profile win. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Also to Kristinn: I think think the Clintonistas are behind this. They revel in revenge and beating frist would help hillary enourmously.
If he's got an uphill battle to win, as this article says, why would the Dems risk running him? Why not "push him aside" in favor of another Democratic congresscritter like Jim Cooper or Lincoln Davis? (Granted, I don't want to give them advice, I'm just very curious)
Fee:
Because he's Tennessee's Barak Obama. Young, smart, an up and coming democrat. I still don't trust him though.
Because he'll probably win and it really isn't an uphill battle. He's charismatic, he's popular, he has a huge donor pool, and he's conservative for a Democrat.
Fee:
Well, he's not liberal, but he has come out against Pres. Bush on occasion. I have my reasons for being wary of him.
His uncle is as corrupt as the winter night is long. Harold Ford Sr. is no doubt just as corrupt as his brother, just smarter about it. Jr. has benefited from their corruption without having to personally get his hands dirty. Outside of Memphis, the Fords are not liked or trusted.
Fee:
Yep, you're right about that!!!!
If you listen to Hillary's recent speeches (lies), I think a Hillary Clinton/David Duke ticket is more likely. Hillary is trying to get to the right of Pat Buchanan, I don't think she will pick Ford. She might pick Pat though.
This is common knowledge in Memphis. I doubt he'll win a senate seat because he's FROM Memphis. Middle and east tenneseeans generally don't like Memphians.
Fee:
I live near the Memphis area and really hate the leadership there. The mayor is on a power trip, and so are most of the leaders. It's a mess.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.