Rep. (Harold) Ford will run for Frist's seat

[Freddie Stubbs]

By Bob Cusack and Hans Nichols

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.

more: http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Campaign/021605_ford.html

[Goldmund]

1. Whooptie-doo

I don't like Ford at all.

[GCP]

2. He'd be a hell of an improvement over cat-killer

Let's not screw up our noses just because he's not quiet good enough in your opinion.
Frist needs to go, and Ford could just do it.

[Goldmund]

6. Really, would he?

You're right if that would somehow tip the balance of power in the Senate. Otherwise, I'd rather keep Republicans in the Republican Party, not posing as Democratic Senators.

[Pirate Smile]

15. Repub's voting for a Repub Majority Leader instead of Dem's voting for

Reid for Majority Leader? We need blue Senators from red states to take back control. If we control we can investigate, subpoena, etc. We could actually be a check on the WH - right now, they are free to do whatever the hell they want with no consequences.

Every seat counts.

[SoCalDem]

58. Investigations and subpoaenas originate in the house

so if he loses, and a repub replaces him, we gained little :(

[Pirate Smile]

60. Senate Committee's can initiate investigations and hearings - not

impeachment but investigations nonetheless.

[tx_dem41]

19. I agree with you. I would much rather see the Democratic Party...

remain a permanent minority party. Heck, we need to weed out a few more so we can get down to less than 40 seats. Then, we can truly celebrate our ideological purity. :eyes:

[Goldmund]

20. I agree with you. It's down to two choices:

ideological purity or Republican assimilation. :eyes:

[tx_dem41]

23. I'll opt for the third choice....

majority status.

[Goldmund]

25. It's only a nominal majority status...

...if any ISSUE that can get a majority vote is still from the neocon agenda playbook.

[tx_dem41]

26. I doubt the Democratic party has EVER had the pure majority status...

that you seek. Surely not in the heydays of the 30's thru 60s. The party was deeply divided.

[Goldmund]

27. Sure, but traditional Republican positions are one thing...

...neocon positions are a totally different thing.

[tx_dem41]

28. Can you be specific about which neocon positions you are speaking ..

...about when considering Rep. Ford?

[Goldmund]

31. No specific issues

what I'm saying is that during the 50s or 60s, being a Repub-lite meant a totally different thing in the end from what it means now. And in addition, you're not entirely correct: the Civil Rights movement DID split the Democrats (remember Dixie-crats?) in pursuit of something akin to what you call "ideological purity". Ford is an explicit Iraq war supporter, and to my knowledge never expressed vocal opposition to any popular Bush program, from the tax cuts to the PATRIOT act. If we believe that these policies are not only wrong, but radical and deadly -- then it must follow that an acquiescence to these policies isn't just regular politics, but is equally deadly, because it enables them to be implemented.

[tx_dem41]

34. Well, for one, Ford has recently expressed strong opposition...

to Bush's Social Security plan. Can you define what you mean by an "explicit Iraq war supporter"? I'm afraid you are going to call for the expulsion of 3/4's of current Democrats in the Congress.

[Goldmund]

35. I'm not calling for his expulsion

I'm just saying that I'm not excited about him running for Senate.

[tx_dem41]

36. Fair enough....I doubt there is another Democrat in Tenn that could

possibly win statewide AND is available to run (I think I have heard that the present Governor won't run...BTW, I doubt you would like him either).

So, he is probably the only horse you have to run with.

[w4rma]

61. Isn't Ford the cosponsor for Bush's Social Security destruction proposal?

in the house?

[Pirate Smile]

29. I'll take nominal majority status and Majority Leader Reid. Let the

investigations begin. Come on, control is huge.

[Goldmund]

32. That's why in post # 6 I said...

..."You're right if that would somehow tip the balance of power in the Senate."

[Freddie Stubbs]

8. Frist is retiring--It will be an open seat

[kanrok]

22. You seem to be the only one to address this

Frist is retiring? Holy shit! That's great news. Does this mean the cat killer will attempt to run for president?

[Freddie Stubbs]

33. It's in the first sentence of the article

[CottonBear]

18. Why do we call him a "cat-killer"? n/t

[KamaAina]

21. Because he killed cats, back in med school.

He would adopt* them from the Humane Society, and then proceed to perform research on them (in flagrant disregard of the adoption agreement, but then, he's a repuke, so it's OK </sarcasm> ). Hisssssssssssssss!

[CottonBear]

24. OMG. That's awful. I hate him even more now.

I love cats. I would never do that to an animal adopted as a pet.
:cry: :scared:

[DistantWind88]

3. Go Ford! YEAH!!

[ElsewheresDaughter]

4. i loathe the DLCers and Ford is one....i hope a real Dem emerges before

for the state of Tennesee

[Freddie Stubbs]

12. If by 'real Dem' you mean a liberal, that is a recipe for sure defeat

We're talking about TN, not New York. This state will either elect a moderate Democrat of a Republican. Even Al Gore couldn't carry his TN (his home state) when he ran for President in 2000.

[Wind Dancer]

39. We need to talk issues, do you dislike liberals?

[Freddie Stubbs]

41. Not at all

But liberals need to come to terms with the fact that there are a lot of moderates in the party, and that there are areas of this country where the only candidates who are going to get elected are Republicans and moderate Democrats.

[SharonAnn]

63. I'm not so sure ford is a moderate. He's pretty conservative and

seems to be an opportunist.

He's a great speaker and is really quick on his feet during talk shows (like Crossfire) and interviews.

Nonetheless, I have an uneasy feeling that he'd sell out to whoever whatever made it worth his while.

And I started out being a very strong supporter of his but the more I investigated him, his votes, and the policies he supports, the harder it is to stay enthusiastic.

[dbackjon]

5. Bredesen has shown a Democrat can win Statewide

Ford doesn't excite me, but better than anything the Republicans would run.

[charlottelouise]

55. Bredesen and Democratic wins

Except Bredesen is from Nashville -- I still don't think a Memphis Democrat (black, white or purple) can win statewide.

Plus, there's going to be serious competition:

Competition

Yes, Harold Ford would be better than a conservative Republican (which is the other option). But it's not going to happen.

Not to go National Enquirer on this, but earlier posters are correct, I think, in pointing out Jr.'s baggage. The scandals on Jr.'s Uncle John have only gotten juicier -- it's been noticed that neither of those 2 households he resides in is actually in his district. During the child support hearings, details of his income came out, in particular a lucrative "consulting" arrangement with a company linked to TennCare. Then, there's the unspent (and, worse, spent) campaign funds.....

Consulting Income

Campaign Funds

Tamara Mitchell-Ford Interview

What will end up happening, I think, is that Ford will lose. He'll be out his Congressional seat; it is safely Democratic, but it's not likely that anyone more liberal than Ford would be elected (I can envision some strange scenarios where a true progressive is elected, but it's just wishful fantasy).

edit: added and cleaned up links

[Old and In the Way]

7. Good news!

I wonder if this is a sign that Frist is beatable....seems like Ford wouldn't risk his seat at the Rep. table unless he felt he had a damn good chance of beating Frist.

Sure, Ford might not be the ideal DU Democrat....but if he can win in Tenn., it's all good for us.

[Goldmund]

11. Frist is retiring...

He won't be running against Frist.

[JI7]

9. great news

i would love to see him in the Senate.

[w13rd0]

10. I'm not Ford's biggest fan...

...though I do like to remind people that he was the first Washington politician to support McKinney's statements back in 2002. But it would be poetic justice to have Ford unseat the Senate Majority leader. If he can manage to do that, we'll be grateful.

[Freddie Stubbs]

13. He can't unseat Frist becasue Frist is retiring

[JI7]

14. Frist is going to run for President

he will leave the Senate just in time to start the Primary campaign

[Pirate Smile]

16. I'm betting Frist wants Rove or Rove's minions because he will need to

take out some Vietnam vets - McCain and Hagel - and no one does it better they Bush's boy, Rove.

[surfermaw]

47. You got it Bill

Moderates in many places, especially the red south, Dr. Dean had to convince them to vote their pocketbooks, not for some one that claims morals, and he will do that I think.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

17. Ford is one DLCer I like!

:kick:

[Teaser]

30. He's better than many.

Still a DNC drone. But not a total drone.

[yellowcanine]

37. Hopefully the Pubs will run Alan Keyes against him.

Heh.

[Jamel]

38. Why can't we get some TRUE democrats!

Again, we'll have to use "the lesser of two evils" application to accept these candidates. IMHO, Harold Ford is a moderate repug. I don't like him, and I don't trust him.

[Nashvilliberal]

42. Ford is the MOST LIBERAL Congressman in Tennessee...

according to ratings by the American Conservative Union, and Americans for Democratic Action. Maybe Charlie Rangel will decide to move here and run, but barring that I'll be damned happy if Ford replaces Frist. Which more liberal Democrat do you think can run AND WIN?

[tx_dem41]

44. Possibly....

you need to find a more ideologically pure party, then. It might be hard to find because it will be VERY small.

[TheWraith]

49. Put it this way, then.

Would you rather have an arch-right conservative Repug like Cat-killer Frist, or a centerist Democrat? Because those are your only choices. Somebody who would meet your definition of a 'real Democrat' would be shot down in a second if they ran in TN, and you'd get the arch-wingnut.

[Freddie Stubbs]

50. Would you prefer a conservative Republican?

Because it is either going to be a moderate Democrat or a full-blown conservative Republican. Take your pick.

[David__77]

40. If he aims his fire at the right, I'm fine.

He should reserve any criticism for the right. He must maintain discipline. If he does so, he deserves victory and certainly all our support.

[Bethany Rockafella]

43. Tennessee elect a black Senator?

This I gotta see!

[tx_dem41]

45. Ummm....why couldn't they?

Virginia has elected a black governor....NC almost (by a percentage point I think) elected a black Senator with Harvey Gantt.

[Tweed]

46. Some people don't even realize that Ford is black

[seasat]

48. I like Ford.

He gave one of the Democratic responses to one of Duhbya's state of the union addresses a few years back. He was very well spoken. I've been wondering when he was going to make his move to a higher office. Here's a link to all the ratings by different groups of Ford.

(LINK)

Some people need to take a look at these before they start condemning him as being too conservative.

[420inTN]

53. I really like Ford.

I've met him a few times (he is my congressman), and he is really personable and seems like a great guy. He is one of the few politicians I know that gives really great constituent service. He really does listen to the concerns of his constituents, and works to help them. That's why the repugs really don't run anyone against him. However, he wants to run for the Senate (and eventually President).

Ford faces a few core challenges:
1) He's a democrat.
2) He's from West Tennessee.

There is a huge east/west political rivalry in TN. It's hard for anyone from W. TN to be elected to statewide office. Most statewide offices go to people from east or central TN. East and central TN are heavily red areas. While he is very well known, and won't have a problem in getting votes in W. TN, I'm not sure how much name recognition or political weight he carries in east TN.

The repug candidate will most likly be Van Hilleary or Bob Corker. Hilleary is probably the front runner at the moment and has the most name recognition as he has previously run for governor.

adit: Another challenge for Ford is his uncle, John Ford. John Ford is a state senator, and is the one mentioned on Jay Leno's show a few weeks back for living part time with his ex-wife(and their kids) and part-time with his girlfriend (and their kids), while being sued for child support by a third woman.

[SharonAnn]

65. LOL, Hilleary is as right-wing as Frist but much, much more stupid!

Hilleary hasn't had a real job in his entire life.

And when he was Representative, he just followed "the boss" and did what he was told.

It's really depressing that people with the knowledge and experience of okra can even be considered for high office.

[hippiechick]

51. Frist can't go to the SCOTUS can he ?

:scared:

[420inTN]

54. Technically, yes he can.

I don't know of anything that could preclude his nomination. However, getting approved is another matter.

However, it's not much of a secret that he is planning on running for President in '08.

[hippiechick]

56. But, he's not a lawyer ...

:shrug:

[420inTN]

57. He doesn't have to be...

It's not a requirement in the Constitution.

adit: A lot of former Supreme Court Justices weren't lawyers.

[hippiechick]

Oh. Dear. Goddess.

:scared:

[hippiechick]

59. Oh. Dear. Goddess.

:scared:

[Califooyah Operative]

52. even thuough some people will never be satisfied, i am .

good luck in your fight against the right mr ford.

[justin899]

62. I sure as hell WON'T be supporting him

He voted for the FMA last year in the House.

For people who keep claiming he's moderate I will point out that there is NOTHING MODERATE about adding discrimination to the U.S. Constitution and he will face strong opposition from the gay communities in both Nashville and Memphis because of this.

I don't support bigots regardless of whether they have an 'R' or a 'D' after their name. If you do support bigots in the Democratic party, I hope to hell he turns on you if he is elected to the Senate, because he's shown himself to be a Zell Miller lite politician.

[DemoTex]

66. Vote for Frist then. He will help your cause, eh?

Jeeze. Let's move out of this nightmare one step at a time. I would even support moderate Republican candidates with decent chances of beating wing-nuts like Frist and Delay. The Democratic Party must get some viable candidates on the slate quickly. Fuck the FMA. It was a wedge issue for the 2004 campaign. It is dead now. Forgetaboutit!

[alarimer]

64. Good

I am glad someone with name recognition wants that seat. We need all the Senate seats we can get. It isn't about ideological ourity at this point but sheer pragmatism.