Harold Ford Jr. Weighs a Challenge to Gillibrand.

[elleng]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/06/nyregion/06ford.html?hp

[Captain Hilts]

1. WTF???

[Rhiannon12866]

3. That was my first thought!

She's my former congresswoman (NY-20); he's from Tennessee! :shrug:

[Sebastian Doyle]

9. Well, yeah but...

The previous occupant of that seat was from Arkansas. Or Illinois. Or Pennsylvania. Depending on which week you asked her.

Of course she was also from the DLC. So it's clear if they want to steal a seat, they don't care about actually representing the constituents, by electing one of them.

The DLC thought they had it made with a gun loving former tobacco lobbyist taking Hillary's place. The thought that Gillibrand might actually try to be a Democrat apparently never occurred to them. Now they want her GONE.

[Rhiannon12866]

16. That's true. Bill Clinton came to this backwater to campaign for her in 2006,

When she managed to unseat Republican John Sweeney, who had held the seat (NY-20) for years.

She is strong on the second amendment, one of the reasons she's popular among the rural folks here. But she's also in favor of gay marriage, works well with Schumer. And she's local. I can't see her losing to anybody in the primaries... Obama won big here, but her numbers were even bigger.

I worked on the Scott Murphy special election (to fill her seat in the House) and we courted what were called "Gillibrand Republicans..."

Downstate likes her because she's a Democrat and upstate likes her because she's "one of us..."

[IndianaGreen]

19. Gillibrand supports marriage equality for LGBTs. Ford is a homophobe!

I almost expect Ford to go to Uganda to watch gays being executed.

[Sebastian Doyle]

20. Gillibrand has actually surprised me to some extent.

I expected her to be far more conservative. Apparently so did the DLC. To me it's a good thing that she isn't what they wanted. So they want to move on to the next Wall Street fellating carpet bagger.

[Rhiannon12866]

21. Ford lost in Tennessee, even with the name recognition.

And both NY senators support gay marriage.

[Rhiannon12866]

4. Oops! Double post...

I guess my hand shook at this bizarre news. :crazy:

[AspenRose]

2. No way!

Shit.

"In New York, Mr. Ford took a job as vice chairman of Merrill Lynch, where he cultivated close ties to many of the Wall Street executives who are now encouraging him to run."

Well that explains everything.

[Bolo Boffin]

6. Oh, my God.

I hadn't heard the Lieberman-wanna-be was vice chairman at Merrill Lynch now.

[rwheeler31]

5. Oh no he is more consecrative than she is? This is crazy.

[Arkana]

7. He'll lose.

Gillibrand is much more liberal and a much better Senator than Ford could ever be.

[Rhiannon12866]

10. She was my congresswoman, first won in 2006.

And she was reelected by a landslide in 2008, though this is a red district (NY-20). She's very popular, even among Republicans. :shrug:

[Rhiannon12866]

17. And he lost in his home state...

:crazy:

[rockymountaindem]

8. Is there any *good* news today?

Ugh.

[elleng]

11. Wish I could say, "Yes."

[rockymountaindem]

15. Well, Dodd's retiring. Now we can hold that seat

Too bad he screwed himself with that preferential treatment on his mortgage. I liked him well enough otherwise.

[FBaggins]

12. More bad news?

That seat if probably #9-#10 on the list of most-vulnerable democratic seats this year. A primary fight could make it more competitive.

[Pirate Smile]

13. Gag.

[Stephanie]

14. Fuck him

We've had enough carpetbaggers in NY to last us a long, long time. Hllary was a special case and even that didn't work out the way we'd hoped. You are dreaming, Harold, if you think anyone outside of Wall Street will support you.

[IndianaGreen]

18. FRAK this homophobic DLC puke!

Kirsten Gillibrand is head and shoulders over dipshit Ford.

[aquart]

23. Sighing wistfully for the dream of democratic process.

Sorry. But if she doesn't need my vote in a primary, she doesn't need my vote in the general. Being appointed is just fine and dandy to get a job for life, it seems.

I was about to say I won't pull a lever for her, but remembered they've taken away my levers, too.

[burning rain]

22. He took an anti-choice position in Tennessee.

I would hope that alone would provide Gillibrand enough ammunition to defeat him in New York. He really is a shitty conservative.