I don’t think he has a chance, but if somehow Wall Street is able to buy him this seat, it’s time to move.

saw yesterday NARAL was out with video(s) of Ford proclaiming to be “pro life”

found it odd that they couldn’t ‘see’ Stupak-Pitts coming, but are Janey on the spot when ol Chuck Schumer is against a particular candidacy

There is also the possiblity that Ford is being recruited to “bloody” or soften-up KG so she either moves to the right on issues or is more vulnerable in the general.

sadly, no. Ford is defined by his opportunism

Stupid question here. Wasn’t Ford a Congressman from Tenn.? And now he wants to run for the New York Senate? Should I assume he has been working on Wall Street?

I’m not crazy about either one of them. If people weren’t so uptight about s-e-x, I’d like to see Elliot run.

There is a difference here. NARAL/NY is a feisty and very formidable organization, maybe the best chapter in America. National NARAL, not so much. None of NY’s Democratic members, not even the moderates, voted for Stupak, and NARAL/NY is the reason.

Yes, Ford was a Congressman from Memphis who gave up his seat to run for Bill Frist’s senate seat where he lost to Bob corker.

So he’s now living in NY and intends to run to the right of Gillibrand in the Dem primary. Lotsa luck with that one Harold.

Ford what a joke – isn’t he the ‘I love women, football, and Jesus’ guy? lol..

A couple other facts:

Ford’s Memphis-area seat is DEEP BLUE. Steve Cohen, who now holds the seat, is in the Progressive Caucus. He compiled that voting record in one of the most Democratic seats in the nation.

And oldhippiejan is right, Ford moved to New York to work for Merrill Lynch.

DLC, the Republican wing of the Democratic Party. What losers, well except they run the White House.

Ford v. Gillibrand in a state like NY really illustrates the pathetic condition of the contemporary Democrat Party.

Ford would sell in upstate NY about as well as Trent Lott.

I hope he runs, spends a whole lot of Wall Street money, and gets his butt kicked on election nite. Ford is the characterization of the type of democrat that is killing the middle class in this country, he does not stand for anything except getting elected. He reminds me of Obama and that alone is reason not to support him.

Is there a difference between Ron Christie and Harold Ford? Ever seen them together on TV? They both sound exactly the same, IMHO.

Geez, what a choice.

ford dosent have a real chance in NY but we should help make sure of it.

Please remember, New York Democrats, that there’s a fine pro-labor anti-war candidate challenging Gillibrand in the primary. His name is Jonathan Tasini, and he’s visited and written at FDL several times.

The media may not view him as credible, but this is his second primary challenge in New York to a sitting Democratic Senator. He knows the state, knows Democratic voters’ needs in New York, and can win in the general.

Democrats in New York should take a look at Jonathan Tasini.

hes a carpett bagger. does that sell in NY?

It is too bad Caroline Kennedy wasn’t appointed to this Senate seat.

hard to believe that gillibrand is going to become the candidate favored by the left.

But harold ford is one of the most callow democrats ever to come up for election. ever.

a fool for gooper bread crumbs. He is in the lieberman league.

It has in the past.

Thanks. I must have had a brain fart not to remember Tasini. Here’s his ActBlue page.

and maybe gildebrand and ford split the right and the far right?.. if it comes down to a choice between a liberal democrat and a republican, in NY who wins?

Hillary was a carpetbagger.

LOL right!

The sad thing is that the NY Times hates Gillibrand so much since she represents upstate interests and was appointed over their candidate Caroline Kennedy that they are covering this unrelentingly from their own particular pov.

But she sucked up to the upstaters. Remember her “listening tour?” Can’t say Ford’s accent would play as well, even if he followed Hillary’s tactic.

…Ron Christie and Harold Ford? Ever seen them together on TV?

whoa – that’s cold.

It’s too bad that Elliot Spitzer wasn’t appointed to this Senate seat.

Elliots problem was not SEX, it was ethics.

Well, there was this little problem………….

the conventional “wisdom” is spitzer can forget the womens vote, unfortunately. and the womens vote is importatn to dems. they must be trying to figure out where he stands. he was a good democrat ( good in the literal not fraternal sense of the word)

My first smile today.

Fords strengths are his running dog of the wal st establishment cred, behind the scenes, and his unfamiliarity with voters. he TRULY is a carpetbagger. moving around to where folks dont know him.

I promise you that you don’t a Ford from that family anywhere near the Congress. They are toxic.

I’m a New Yorker. We are pretty smart here. No, harold Ford will from “Tenn will not impress us. When the facts come out, Kristine Gillibrand will win. he needs the Black community. Fool us once, shame on you. Fool us twice, shame on us. Obama is enough!!!!!

I watched Ford make the morning rounds the other day and I don’t think I have ever seen a politician that seemed so greasy and sleazy at first blush. Ny’ers would vote against him out of spite just for his attitude.

I’m amazed at how effectively this kind of move takes progressives attention away from Tasini’s senate run.

http://firedoglake.com/2009/12/05/blue-america-welcomes-jonathan-tasini/

He is sleazy and his older brother is worse but I can’t remember his name. The whole family is tainted.

Thank goodness for Tasini. Finally a candidate I can vote FOR (as opposed to most of my votes, which are against the other guy).

you kind of go near an issue that looks like a huge problem for dems but also for any progressive movement. the black community and the white liberal community look at two different things and think they are seeing the same thing. “justice” in terms of the civil rights struggle in America has by now been almost completely defined by how many rich people you have, how many coporate wal st slugs came from your neighborhood. the “left” is going to REALLY REALLY examine itself, and maybe start being, think and acting left from now on. I dont support the NAACP anymore, my support will go to the black panther party if stokley carmichale and frantz fanon are still listened to there, or whoever is preaching and practicing TRUE liberation

I didn’t read Elliot Spitzer’s articles in Slate when he started there because he seemed such a do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do hypocrite–we just got another in the NJ gov election–but after trying out a piece with an intriguing title, I have to say, his articles are really good. The problem with him, as I see it, is that he’s compulsively combative. That’s a lousy trait in an executive and not much better in a setting that requires a good instinct for when to fight and when to shake hands.

Though it would be nice to have ONE compulsive combatant in the U.S. senate.

Could you link to an article you liked?

so am I. Gillibrand=Hillary, Ford=Obama, Tasini=progressive.

Gillibrand is no prize either.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=3&ved=0CBMQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fseminal.firedoglake.com%2Fdiary%2F22744&ei=z9ZIS6DmIIj-M6DwhJAJ&usg=AFQjCNEqjejpMN3HzZYx_6Us_ufTn1cKjA&sig2=kjzViC6mhF3EDZPhje90EA

She isn’t but better the devil you know than the one you don’t. Ford is always available to the highest bidder.

The point being that you don’t have to vote for either in the primary. There’s actually a good choice.

We don’t have to vote lessor evil in a primary. I want to vote for the candidate I like best. If we vote lessor evil we will just end up with another Obummer. Progressives keep supporting centrist then bitch when they get centrist policies and lose all the time.

I wasn’t saying you should vote for Gillibrand. I’m not a New Yorker so I don’t have a vote. All I was saying is she is a million times better than Ford. Don’t have skin in this game except I would like NY to have someone who is reasonably good – that’s about all we can expect these days.

If that is all we can expect than there is no point in voting.

Do you know something about Tasini that makes you prefer Gillibrand to him?

Oh, I think at this perilous point in the nation’s history we need a compulsive fighter. The last thing I want in the United States Senate is another conciliatory backslapper. We need someone who is not afraid to define and attack the enemy. Spitzer, I think would do that.

I don’t prefer Gillibrand to Tasini. I know very little about either one. My point was that Ford would be much worse than either of them could possibly be.
I think Tasini sounds very interesting. The main thing I know about Gillibrand is that she is pro-gun.

She comes from a county that has a lot of hunters. She softened it when she spoke in NYC.

I was here for one of the Tasini chats. He seems like the real thing. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Well, we certainly don’t want any ethics violators in government do we?

Only Treasury Sec job is allocated to them.

I hope you get your wish. Ford really scares me because he is pro-life (for one thing). He and his family just about destroyed Memphis and few people have anything good to say about them – in fact, no anyone I know.

HAROLD FORD ALSO WORKS AT MERRILL LYNCH! WHY HASN’T HE OR HIS BACKERS MENTIONED THAT? BY THE WAY, IF YOU’VE EVER SEEN HAROLD GETTING HIS ASS HANDED TO HIM BY JOE SCARBOROUGH, YOU’D KNOW HE’S NOT WHAT THE PARTY NEEDS. HE’S WHAT WE’RE TRYING TO RID THE PARTY OF. HE’S WEAK ON DEFENSE WITH HIS “MY REPUBLICAN FRIEND THIS AND MY REPUBLICAN FRIEND THAT. HAROLD, THEY’RE NOT YOUR FRIENDS. THEY’D JUST AS SOON SEE YOU SWING!

No need to shout.

Actualy, it’s called the Democratic Party. Only teabaggers call it the Democrat party.

Actually, I worked a Merrill Lynch when he came. Believe me, there’s every reason to shout! Once they were bought by Bank of American, many of us were laid off!

Sorry, that’s Bank of America!

Sorry to hear that.

One wonders where Schumer truly stands in all of this? Is Chuck Schumer (NY-Wall Street), really capable of turning his back on his old friends and backers, where he’s going to be prepared to defy Wall Street’s wishes [after some of his two-faced grandstanding of course]?

Schumer in the past has been more than capable of quickly ‘snuffing’ out previous low-ranking contenders — such as Carolyn Maloney and uber Israel Firster Steve Israel [apparently with the help from the WH and Emanuel.)

http://www.observer.com/4777/charles-schumer-hegemon

But what’s new this time. Well for one, we have a heavy political hitter, and Democratic party financier, and friend of Schumer, — STEVEN RATTNER on the scene supporting Ford. Rattner the guy that has just completed his role as Obama’s Auto Czar, and is known for his success at financing pro-war, pro-Israel Democratic(?) candidates (e.g. Lieberman). His wife MAUREEN WHITE, also supporting Ford is another huge fundraiser in the Democratic party, and in the past having a highly influential position in the DNC no less, as well as being the finance co-chair for Hillary’s play for the WH! Get the picture?

Remains to be seen whether Schumer will have the political will to knock Ford aside like he did with the others… Or maybe Schumer has been even offered a little sweetener of his own — Sen. Majority Leader maybe? — Nothing would surprise me?

For Ford’s name to come up now — something smells funny. All I can think of is that the neocon/neolibs and Wall Street crowd must truly believe they are in control, and that democracy has finally been pronounced dead? I mean how can any serious, rational democrat vote for a guy person like Ford, and no I don’t think it will come down to the old guilt trip that democrats will have no place to go.

Yes, it sucks. But, with Wall Street’s reputation now, I’m not that upset. My office was facing what I call the “Pitt of Despair”. Stolen from the Princess Bride but, a perfect description of looking into that whole where the Trade Center once stood.

Hey everybody. How about in 2010 we use the networking power of FDL to identify those candidates of any party that are 100% anti-corporatist, like Tasini in NY? Then let’s concentrate our donation firepower on those few candidates and see if we can shove the political dialogue to the left. From what I am hearing across the blogosphere and in the street, a campaign of “Damn Wall Street. Damn the Banks. Damn the Health insurance co’s, Damn the Mandates and Damn Big Pharma would gather an instantaneous constituency. Would’nt it be crazy good if “outside” candidates with an unassailable anti corporate message were suddenly getting pretty good funding? If we could get the funding ball rolling by concentrating on a few good candidates it might well attract more well-heeled donors who can smell a potential winner.

The effort would be worth it. We wouldn’t dissipate our donation energy on a bunch of “least-worst” sell-outs and who knows? A few may win and we might establish a beachhead to start bellowing and fist pounding about the swallowing of America by the Corporate State.

The key to this is finding candidates who are not afraid to be loud, and be willing to say NO. Hell NO! WE need a Ben Nelson or Lieberman for OUR side. Not just another caving Progressive. We already have plenty of those.

All we needed were 1 or 2 intransigent Progressive Senators and this HCR battle would have had a completely different flavor from this sh** sandwich we are munching on now.

Here’s a bunch

http://www.slate.com/?id=3944&qp=49481

And either he writes well or he has a very good editor. Whatever, the articles are notable, I think, for coherence.

I live in upstate NY, and can report that there is absolutely no chance that Jonathan Tasini would win that Senate seat. Zero, nada, none. Gillibrand is our best candidate by a longshot. She’s reasonably progressive, and already has a significant campaign fund in place.

Strategic and calculated temper is very useful, compulsive bellicosity is counter productive. You’re either in control and able to seize opportunity or you’re out of control and destructive. Spitzer, by the article I read, unnecessarily, repeatedly antagonized state legislators, who may be jerks but have to be dealt with. Governors can’t fire legislators nor subpoena them. Spitzer didn’t have the wits to recognize his circumstances and leverage had changed.

Ford’s been working for Merrill Lynch(which is now part of Bank of America).

whenever i see someone type in all caps like that i dont “hear” shouting, i hear Eddie Deezan! he was that actor in the 80′s who always played the most severe kind of nerd, he was one of mathew brodericks hacker buddies in “war games” remember that guy?

And so was RFK(he was actually a NY Senator), for today’s history lesson.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0214430/

And Ford is going to get the womens vote?

no. i doubt it. thats also, not what i said. speaking directly to a vague conjecture about eliot spitzer, i mentioned that, among other things, the womens vote would probably elude spitzer if he ever chose to run for something again. something he has not made any indication of doing.

I don’t know. But figure, if Schumer gets them to back off, then Gillibrand owes him. So if they don’t back off, that doesn’t bode well for Schumer because he loses any leverage over her. And it makes me wonder why guys like Rattner are Democrats. Probably for the same reasons Ben Nelson and “Mad” Max Baucus are.

Here’s a bit more on Ford from Air America last night:

http://airamerica.com/politics/01-08-2010/ford-no-hillary-apparently-hes-going-try/

He seems to be a clear disaster for we serfs.

Here in upstate NY (Buffalo/Niagara area), Tasini is pretty much unknown and not being talked about (except by lefty blog-rats). Gillibrand was not a popular choice initially, but she’s been voting correctly and most folks have come to accept her as Senator.

It’s an odd fight and ought to be one of the more interesting ones in the country and that’s just the primary.

Then support the Progressive in that senate primary. Who is it?

and this sort of thinking is how we ended up with obummer.