Harold Ford jr.'s run for Senate is dead...

"A penny for the old guy"

Hillary Clinton, the very accomplished, brilliant wife of a very popular President, moved to New York to run for the Senate. She was widely criticized initially as a "carpetbagger," but in the end won our confidence and won her Senate seat. Hillary is an exceptional person and NY State appreciates exceptional people even if they come from elsewhere. Even though it didn't pass Congress (due to the exact same Democratic divisions and Republican obstructionism we are seeing now), I think many appreciated her efforts and recognized her Healthcare plan as something America sure could have used.

Harold Ford, jr., the failed Senate candidate from Tennessee and Wall Street fat cat, somehow convinced himself he was as exceptional a person and Hillary Clinton and thought he could follow in her footsteps. Moving from Tennessee he thought he could waltz into the Senate, banking on dissatisfaction with so-far only appointed Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.  read more »

I missed this earlier. One more blow against the Wall Street and Corruption candidate Harold Ford, jr:

Harold Ford's intrusion into New York politics initially sparked some reactions from some black politicians I talked to that basically indicated to me that Ford would not be doing well among black politicians in NYC. Even the Caribbean community, who might to some degree side with Ford's more conservative social views, seems wary of him (see, for example, Rock Hackshaw's piece). So far Harold Ford's main supporters have been Michael Bloomberg and Vito Lopez, two people I particularly do not respect.

Now NY State's LGBT politicians are officially siding with Senator Kirstin Gillibrand of New York over failed Senate candidate from Tennessee, Harold Ford. From their press release:  read more »

From where I come in politics there is something called “paying dues”; it’s the reason I didn’t vote for Hilary Clinton in the general election of 2000. Although I endorsed her (and voted for her) in the primary that year, when the general election came I found her wanting. To me, the idea of moving into the state and immediately running for senate was revolting: so yes, I went with Rick Lazio (one of the few times I have voted Republican in my life).

Hilary ran all around the state on a “listening tour”, which I thought was an insult to my intelligence. Plus, I saw her candidacy as purely a stepping stone to a presidential run; and that was a turn off. So if I couldn’t vote for Hilary Clinton (a brilliant woman on many many levels), where the bleep is Harold Ford going with this trial balloon he has been floating for months now? Can you simply pack up a U-HAUL truck one morning, drive a thousand or so miles to New York, and immediately announce that you are contemplating a run for federal office from this sate? Gimme a break! There are at least a million people better qualified to represent New York in the senate than this carpetbagger.  read more »

Yet another reason to dislike the Brooklyn Machine, that corrupt wing of the local Democratic Party that the Working Families Party decided to ally with in 2009. Wonder what WFP and Steve Levin think about this little inside rumor. Source is the Post, so take with a grain of salt. But then again, Vito Lopez has a record of backing conservatives like Noach Dear and Pataki.

B'klyn Dems eye Ford in drive vs. Gilly
January 18, 2010, Fredric U. Dicker, INSIDE ALBANY - NY Post

The powerful Brooklyn Demo cratic organization may be about to throw open the door for Harold Ford Jr.'s challenge to US Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, The Post has learned...

"I just think that somehow, Gillibrand doesn't connect to the voters, and I believe that's what's making her as vulnerable as she is. Harold Ford seems very gracious, he's a very nice talker, and is an impressive personality," Lopez said.

"I want to meet with him and begin a dialogue. He called me last week and asked if we could talk. If he decides he is running, and if the dialogue we have with him is a good one, we're going to move ahead," Lopez continued.  read more »