This guys looking to run in NYS, and he was one of yours originally. Opinions please
I'm not a big fan of carpetbagging politicians. It was bad enough that Hillary got away with it.

WASHINGTON –– Former Tennessee Rep. Harold Ford Jr., who's considering running in the New York Senate primary against Democratic incumbent Kirsten Gillibrand, would enter the race with a well-documented voting record that's more conservative than Gillibrand's on hot-button social issues such as gay rights, gun ownership and abortion.
Ford served in Congress from 1997 to 2006 during Republican majority rule, when divisive social issues such as gun ownership were regularly brought up for votes. He spent the last of his five terms in office as an unsuccessful Senate candidate trying to appeal to voters around the Volunteer State who were more socially conservative than those in his Memphis-based congressional district.
Now, he's talking to New York City media outlets, testing the waters for a September battle in which he would have to appeal to 5.3 million registered Democrats, 2.8 million of whom live outside the five boroughs of New York.
Ford told The New York Times last week he still has a Tennessee driver's license and plans to make his first visit to Rochester in a few weeks.
Even so, he could be welcomed by voters.
A poll released Friday by Marist College found 48 percent of the state's registered Democrats were unconcerned whether a candidate is from New York, while 43 percent indicated they would be less likely to vote for someone not from the state.
"You don't have to be a native to the state to be accepted,'' said James Campbell, chairman of political science at SUNY Buffalo, pointing to successful Senate bids by former first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and the late Robert F. Kennedy.
However, many of those Democratic primary voters tend to be liberal.
Ford, who is apparently trying to appeal to those voters, told the Times his position on abortion has been distorted or completely misrepresented.
"To say that I am pro-life is just wrong,'' he said in the interview. "I am personally pro-choice and legislatively pro-choice.''
But shortly before the November 2006 Tennessee Senate election in which he lost to Republican Bob Corker, Ford told Fox cable and MSNBC he was pro-life.
Ford's spokesman, Davidson Goldin, said the 2006 comment was not in reference to abortion. "He was using the term pro-life to refer to other policies such as veterans funding, education funding, low-income housing and making the argument that the anti-abortion crowd did not have a monopoly,'' the spokesman said.
His congressional voting record shows he has supported abortion rights and also has supported restrictions on them. In May 2006, Ford supported an unsuccessful effort to allow privately financed abortions at overseas military facilities. But 13 months earlier, in April 2005, he voted for the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act barring the transportation of minor girls across state lines for the purpose of obtaining an abortion without parental notification.
Douglas Johnson, legislative director for National Right to Life Committee, said Ford also voted for an amendment that would have gutted the effectiveness of the 2005 bill. Ford tried to be on both sides of that issue, he said.
"I guess he's not pro-choice,'' Johnson said. "He's multiple-choice. He's a carpet-bagging, political chameleon.''
Elizabeth Shipp, political director at NARAL Pro-Choice America, which has endorsed Gillibrand for Senate, said Ford "has always been mixed choice.''
"When it's not easy, like supporting Rose v. Wade, Mr. Ford has left us,'' she said.
Ford says his position on gay marriage has evolved over the years, as have the positions of many public officials who formerly opposed the idea.
As a member of Congress, Ford voted for a proposal to amend the Constitution to define marriage as the union between a man and a woman. Ford's spokesman said Ford consistently favored civil unions as a member of Congress, but more recently decided to support gay marriage, as has Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.
Guns are a delicate issue for Gillibrand. As a House member who supported the rights of sportsmen and hunters in her former Hudson Valley congressional district, she was backed by the National Rifle Association. But since her appointment to the Senate a year ago, she has emphasized gun safety measures important to urban areas such as New York City, because of the prevalence of violent crime.
That change in emphasis has not required her to renounce her earlier House votes. Gillibrand began serving in the House as a part of the new Democratic majority in January 2007. During her one full term there, her party's leaders chose to steer clear of issues that might divide liberals from socially conservative party members.
Ford may not have as easy a time on gun issues if he runs for the Senate in New York. In September 2004, for example, he was among 52 Democrats who contributed to the 250-171 vote to repeal the District of Columbia's restrictions on the sale and possession of firearms.
His spokesman said Ford has never owned a gun, but declined to discuss his votes. "He is committed to work with Mayors (Michael) Bloomberg and (Newark Mayor Corey) Booker and the national coalition they have created to fight and prevent handgun violence,'' Goldin said on Ford's behalf.
http://www.theithacajournal.com/article/201001171850/NEWS01/1170372

Keep him in NY, just don't elect him.

Harold Ford is pro-Harold Ford.  I'm sure that you can find better folks locally.  I know that you DO have conservatives up there in NY State.

I cannot imagine what possible reason I would have for voting for him.

He's a typical politition: He will say whatever he thinks will help him get elected. There's a good reason the Ford family name is a four letter word around here!!!

Ford family is the Memphis Mafia, Google Ophelia Ford, John Ford, Harold Ford Sr. Best politicians money can buy, and some have been bought cheap! Keep him just don't elect him!

He ran for office here, we soundly didn't elect him.

Basically imagine a pre-Obama Obama if that makes sense.

Whole family are a bunch of extortionist, kickback taking, criminals, drunks, and race baiters out of Mogadishu on the Mississippi (Memphis for those that don't know).

this sums things up pretty well!

You'll keep him.

His last name is Ford.   ( From the infamous Memphis Ford Family)

They have a political reputation built on kickbacks, crime, empty promises, pimping poverty, and general douchebaggery.

Ya'll can keep him. We do not want him back in Tennessee.

Socialist in sheeps whatever clothing it takes to get elected.

The Ford Family he hails from in the Memphis area is one of the most crooked political families ever.

Running joke is the only Ford not in jail is the one on Parole.

To his credit, Harold Ford, Jr. has kept his nose clean... but I remember some saying about apples and trees.

He is a real piece of shit. His whole family are scum sucking liberal thieves.

Oh, he would be good for you to elect, so he doen's run here again.





Everyone above has pretty much stated the same.

Be sure and check the actual identity of the 'persons' voting.  Ford family own Funeral Parlors also and EVERY client votes!

'Junior' would like to think he is another Obama and is VERY similar in attitude and beliefs.  Dad voted AGAINST every gun law, but was known to shoot at folks and 18 wheelers on I-40 between Nashville and Memphis.

I've seen Jr. on a bunch of op-ed cable news channels, wondered when he'd work up another campaign.

Glad he's moved. Please keep him.

I believe when he was in Tennessee he was supposedly "pro-gun" and "pro-life," however in a recent interview now that he lives in New York he's in favor of increased gun controls as well as abortion.  Typical politician ... Will say what he thinks will get him elected.

I would like to see him run (in NY), if nothing else because it sticks in the craw of the current White House.

Keep him but don't vote for him

Family made their money back in the day in funeral homes and selling 'burial policies'.

His family led the black political machine as it came to power during and after civll rights, MLK stuff in Memphis.

Jr. tries to distance himself from his crooked family.  Few here bought it.

He is cut from the same cloth.

Crook.

How many years did John Ford get in the federal pen?        Ophillllia is known for falling off bar stools, drunk on her azz and on pills.   Didn't she disappear, or was she just committed?    LOL

Harold Ford is for Harold Ford. Whilst he was running for the TN Senate seat against Bob Corker he frequently called in to the Don Imus radio show at WFAN in NYC. Imus tried every way in the world to help Ford get elected. Imus thought the sun rose and set with Ford. Imus had Ford on air so many times it was almost a nuisance. Ford lost the Senate race, but it was not for lack of trying by Don Imus. Fast forward to I think some of the women's college basketball playoffs. While the sports news were broadcast Don Imus referred to the Rutger's womens team as "nappy-headed hos". Don Imus and crew were promptly fired. This caused a news storm with Sharpton, Jackson, et.al jumping on the band wagon to have Imus taken off the airwaves permanently. Not one to miss a good opportunity, Zero jumped in with his 2 cents criticizing Imus. Then Harold Ford had a negative rant to offer the guy that tried shamelessly to get him elected. Backstabber is way to mild a word for Harold Ford.  I hope he goes to NY and finds a very good reason to stay, we don't want or need him in Tennessee.

Ford...LOL

Apparently he like da white womins...J/K...Corker is teh ghey too!

It's ironic.  The dems say that they are the populist party and the republicans are in Wall Street's pocket (most recently seen in discussion on some Croakley ads).  Where's little Harry Jr been working?







Anyone?




Wall Street!

The Ford family is a large part of the reason Memphis is compared to Chicago politically.

the entire Ford family be nutz.


nutz I say!!!

Probably no worse of an import than the Hildebeast was.

You could do worse, but you would have to REALLY work at it.

Ford was being groomed for the White House simila to Obama was.  Ford Jr. was was the keynote speaker for the 2000 Democratic National Convention.  Then there was a BIG stink over his uncle, John Ford got busted on video taking bribes and threatening others.  John Ford has also threatened city workers and fellow commuters around Memphis with various firearms.

All these, plus Harold Ford Jr's liberal in conservative clothing becoming more apparent kept him from winning the election to US Senator here in Tennessee.

I wondered where he went off to....

Just like Hillary who would not get elected in Arkansas is she ran for office ( but was sucessful in NYS) I guess he thought his chances are better someplace
where nobody knows him.

Like someone else said previously, keep him in NYS just don't elect him to anything.

LB

this

Have you ever seen turkey droppings in the woods? There's a little white part - it looks cleaner and sits higher than the rest of the dropping, but it's still turkey crap.

Harold Ford Jr. is the 'white part' of the Ford family.

This guy is making a  serious run for the office, so I guess we'll be stuck with another useless politician in NYS.