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Harold Ford Jr.

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"Harold Ford" redirects here. For his father, the congressman from Tennessee from 1975 to 1997, see Harold Ford, Sr.
Harold Ford, Jr.
File:Harold Ford of Tennessee.jpg
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Tennessee's 9th district
In office
January 7, 1997 – January 3, 2007
Preceded byHarold Ford, Sr.
Succeeded bySteve Cohen
Personal details
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseSingle

Harold Eugene Ford, Jr. (born May 11, 1970) is the current chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) and is a former member of the United States House of Representatives from Tennessee. Ford represented the state's 9th congressional district, centered in Memphis, from 1997 to 2007. Ford did not seek reelection to his House seat in 2006 when he unsuccessfully sought the Senate seat being vacated by the retiring Bill Frist. He is a member of the Democratic Party and was part of the Blue Dog Coalition.

Early life

Ford is the son of former Congressman Harold Ford, Sr. and Dorothy (nee Bowles).[1] He has three brothers — Jake, Isaac, and Andrew — and one sister, Ava.[2] His family has long been prominent in Memphis' black community; the Fords' influence dates back to the mid-20th century when E.H. Crump, a prominent white Democrat, dominated city and state politics and befriended N.J. Ford by ordering that all black deceased persons not otherwise directed by the family be sent to Ford Funeral Homes.[3]

Ford was baptized at his church, Mt. Moriah-East Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee. He attended Double Tree Elementary School, a public montessori school in Memphis, and he graduated from St. Albans School for Boys, a university-preparatory school in Washington, D.C.. He received a B.A. in American history from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia in 1992.[4] Later, in 1992, he was a staff aide to the Senate Budget Committee, and in 1993 he was special assistant to the United States Department of Commerce.[5]

Ford received a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School in 1996. During his campaign for the House of Representatives, he sat for and failed the Tennessee Bar Exam. He has publicly acknowledged that he intends to try again.[6]

House of Representatives

When Harold, Sr. decided not to seek a 12th term in Congress in 1996, Harold, Jr. wasted little time entering the race and instantly became the favorite in the Democratic primary — widely regarded as the real contest in the heavily Democratic, black-majority 9th. Ford arranged his schedule for his last semester at Michigan so he would not have Monday or Friday classes.[7] He was thus able to fly home to Memphis for an extended weekend each week to continue his campaign. As expected, he easily won the Democratic primary. He breezed to election in November, and was reelected four times without substantive Republican opposition by an average of 80% of the vote.Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page).

On October 10, 2002, Harold Ford was among the 81 House Democrats who voted in favor of authorizing the invasion of Iraq.

After the 2002 elections resulted in Democrats losing Congressional seats, Ford announced his candidacy for House Democratic Leader, challenging then-House Minority Whip Nancy Pelosi, arguing that current leadership was ineffective.[8] Ford was defeated but exceeded initial expectations in terms of the amount of support he received.[9]A few pundits suggested that he might be nominated as the Democratic vice president candidate in 2004;[10]. However, he was ineligible for the office, since his age would be four months shy of thirty-five on Inauguration Day (January 20, 2005).

In November 2005, when Ohio Republican Congresswoman Jean Schmidt implied that Pennsylvania Democrat John Murtha was a "coward" in response to Murtha's proposal for a redeployment of American forces in Iraq, Ford charged across the House floor to the Republican side during the resulting uproar in the chamber, shouting "Say it to Murtha!" (or "Say Murtha's name!" depending on the source) while waving his finger at Schmidt. He had to be restrained by fellow Democrat Dave Obey of Wisconsin. Like many Democrats, Ford believed Schmidt's remarks (which she later withdrew) were an unwarranted "cheap shot" against Murtha, a veteran of the Marine Corps.[11]

In Congress, Ford had a relatively moderate voting record. He supported a ban on benefits for same-sex couples, as well as the Federal Marriage Amendment (which would ban same-sex marriage). He told Democrats they should be more supportive of the Iraq War and criticized Senate Democrats who attempted to filibuster Samuel Alito. He was one of the few Democrats who voted for the Bankruptcy Bill, and he supported some restrictions on abortion, defining himself as a "pro-life" candidate. Ford supported the Republican effort to intercede in the Terri Schiavo case.[12] However, he also opposed President George W. Bush's energy proposals (including oil drilling in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge), demonstrated support for adoption rights of same-sex couples, supports universal healthcare coverage, opposes the death penalty and indicated a willingness to reform illegal drug policy.[13][14]

While in Congress, Ford supported a ban on intact dilation and extraction, called by its opponents, partial-birth abortion. He supports federal funding of embryonic stem cell research.[15][16]In addition, Ford sat on the House Budget Committee and the House Committee on Financial Services. He also served on the Transformation Advisory Group, a group of political, military and academic leaders who worked with the Department of Defense to assess the needs of the armed forces. Ford was a member of the New Democrat Coalition, the Congressional Black Caucus and the Blue Dog Coalition.[17] His popularity among white voters in the Memphis area steadily increased during his decade in Congress; in 2000, for instance, he won 40% of the white vote.[citation needed]

In 2006, Ford did not run for re-election to the House of Representatives, due to his campaign for the United States Senate in Tennessee, which he lost. Instead, his younger brother, Jake Ford, ran for the 9th district seat as an independent, but lost to Democrat Steve Cohen.[18]

2006 Senate campaign

Harold Ford Jr. On The Campaign Trail
Main article: Tennessee United States Senate election, 2006

On April 6, 2005, during an interview on C-SPAN's call-in show Washington Journal, Ford confirmed that he would be running for the Senate.[19] He filed the papers necessary to officially begin his Senate campaign on May 25, 2005.

Democratic State Senator Rosalind Kurita briefly challenged Ford for the nomination but dropped out of the primary because of inadequate fundraising, effectively handing Ford the nomination.[20] On August 3, 2006, Ford overwhelmingly won the Democratic primary. After the primary, Ford's supporters held a large victory celebration at Nashville's LP Field. Among the speakers was former U.S. President Bill Clinton.[21]

Ford faced Republican Bob Corker,in the November 2006 election. Not long after Corker's primary victory was assured, Ford challenged Corker to seven televised debates across the state. In response, Corker said he would debate Ford, though he did not agree to seven debates.[22]

Corker and Ford participated in a televised debate in Memphis on October 7[23], in Corker's hometown of Chattanooga on October 10[24], and in Nashville on October 28.[25] In January 2006, NBC's Meet the Press extended an open invitation for the candidates to debate on the nationally-televised show. Ford accepted the invitation, stating that "any weekend would work for him." The Corker campaign did not agree.[26]

On October 20, Ford confronted Corker while Corker was preparing for a press conference.[27]

On November 8, Ford conceded the election to Corker, who defeated Ford by less than three percentage points.[28]

Post House of Representatives career

Possible 2008 Senate Run

In December 2006, the Los Angeles Times reported that Ford told students at an L.A.-area school that he will likely run again in 2008 for the Senate seat currently held by Lamar Alexander. Later, Ford refused to either confirm or deny that he was planning to run in 2008, but in January 2007 said that he had no plans to challenge the incumbent.[29][30]

Ford has said that he "hopes to spend a lot of time at home, perhaps do some teaching and work with Governor Bredesen on some issues in Tennessee."[31] In January 2007, at the governor’s Martin Luther King Jr. celebration, Ford joined Bredesen and Department of Children’s Services Commissioner Viola Miller in announcing the Governor’s Mentoring Initiative, which would provide adult mentors to all children in state custody.[32]

Chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council

On January 25, 2007, Ford was named chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council.[33] Ford has also been appointed visiting professor of public policy at Vanderbilt University and teaches a class on American political leadership.[34] Later the same year, on February 14th, Merrill Lynch & Co. announced that Ford will join the financial services firm as a vice chairman and senior policy advisor on March 5.[35]

Fox News Contributor

In early March of 2007, Fox News Channel hired Ford as a "political contributor".[36] Ford has been criticized by the netroots for saying, "I don't associate with Harry Reid" on Fox News as a response to Sean Hannity accusing Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of undermining the troops in Iraq.

Controversies

Privately Funded Travel Disclosure

File:Haroldcallme.png
"Harold, call me," says a blond woman in Republican National Committee's controversial attack ad against Ford.

A June 7, 2005 article in The Washington Times reported that from 1998 to 2003, Ford took 61 privately funded trips but did not file travel-disclosure forms with the House clerk for the trips as required by the chamber's ethics rules until August 2003. Ford's office called the late filing of the reports a "mere oversight," since Ford had filed the required financial-disclosure statements for the trips as they were taken.

It is amazing how wikapedia REFUSES to acknowledge any of the Ford family's long history of criminal activity, especially now that "Uncle John" is finally and RIGHTFULLY on his way to a WELL DESERVED jail sentence. Is wikapedia an on-line encylopedia or a sounding board for the democratic party?!?!?



[37]

Racist Attack Ad

In October 2006, as polls indicated that Ford maintained a slight lead[citation needed] in the Senate race against Bob Corker, the Republican Party ran a television advertisement[38] wherein a blonde white woman, played by Johanna Goldsmith, talks about meeting Ford, who is unmarried, at "the Playboy party."[39] The ad was denounced by many people, including former Republican Senator and Secretary of Defense under Bill Clinton William Cohen, who called it “a very serious appeal to a racist sentiment.” Corker himself asked the Republican leadership to pull the ad, which it refused to do. Corker subsequently pulled ahead in the polls and went on to defeat Ford in the November election.[40][41]

Electoral History

1996 General Election for U.S. House of Representatives (TN-09)

  • Harold Ford, Jr. (D), 61%
  • Roderick DeBerry (R), 37%

1998 General Election for U.S. House of Representatives (TN-09)

  • Harold Ford, Jr. (D) (inc.), 79%
  • Claude Burdikoff (R), 19%
  • Gwendolyn L. Moore (I), 1%

2000 General Election for U.S. House of Representatives (TN-09)

  • Harold Ford, Jr. (D) (inc.) 100%
  • No Opposition

2002 General Election for U.S. House of Representatives (TN-09)

  • Harold Ford, Jr. (D) (inc.), 84%
  • Tony Rush (I), 16%

2004 General Election for U.S. House of Representatives (TN-09)

  • Harold Ford, Jr. (D) (inc.), 82%
  • Ruben M. Fort (R), 18%

2006 Democratic Primary for U.S. Senate (TN)

2006 General Election for U.S. Senate (TN)

Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Tennessee's 9th congressional district
1997-2007 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Tom Vilsack
Governor of Iowa
 Chairman of Democratic Leadership Council
2007-Present 		Succeeded by
Incumbent

See also

"30 Something" Working Group

References

  1. ^ Reitwiesner, William Addams. "Ancestry of Harold Ford". Retrieved 2007-05-18.
  2. ^ http://www.house.gov/ford/about/index.shtml
  3. ^ de la Cruz, Bonna (2005-08-01). "Political future of Fords hinges on constituents". The Tennessean. Retrieved 2007-05-18. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ http://www.house.gov/ford/about/index.shtml
  5. ^ "Ford, Harold Jr". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved 2007-05-18.
  6. ^ Abramson, Roger (2004-06-03). "Harold Ford Jr., Prince of Memphis". Nashville Scene. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |acceessdate= ignored (help)
  7. ^ "Harold Ford's Rising Star Heads Toward the Senate". Democratic Party. August 2006. Retrieved 2007-05-18.
  8. ^ http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=20021125&s=lizza112502
  9. ^ http://archives.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/11/14/democrats.leadership/
  10. ^ http://www.nationalreview.com/miller/miller200402120825.asp
  11. ^ http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10118733/site/newsweek/
  12. ^ http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/f000262/key-votes/
  13. ^ http://www.ontheissues.org/House/Harold_Ford.htm
  14. ^ http://www.fordfortennessee.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=34
  15. ^ http://www.ontheissues.org/House/Harold_Ford.htm
  16. ^ http://www.fordfortennessee.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=34
  17. ^ http://www.house.gov/ford/about/index.shtml
  18. ^ http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/politics/article/0,1426,MCA_1496_4892409,00.html
  19. ^ http://www.c-span.org/search/basic.asp?ResultStart=1&ResultCount=10&BasicQueryText=harold+ford+senate&image1.x=0&image1.y=0&image1=Submit
  20. ^ http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_83648.asp
  21. ^ http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/politics/article/0,1426,MCA_1496_4892535,00.html
  22. ^ http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/politics/article/0,1426,MCA_1496_4892535,00.html
  23. ^ http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/politics/article/0,1426,MCA_1496_5051668,00.html
  24. ^ http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/politics/article/0,1426,MCA_1496_5057333,00.html
  25. ^ http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/politics/article/0,1426,MCA_1496_4973610,00.html
  26. ^ http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/politics/article/0,1426,MCA_1496_4973610,00.html
  27. ^ http://www.newschannel5.com/Global/story.asp?S=5568609
  28. ^ http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2006/pages/results/states/TN/S/01/index.html
  29. ^ Richard Locker, Another Senate seat might tempt Ford, The Commercial Appeal, December 11, 2006
  30. ^ "Ford says he has no plans of a Senate bid against Alexander". WMCTV.com. Associated Press. 2007-01-23. Retrieved 2007-02-06.
  31. ^ "Corker sworn in as U.S. Senator". Associated Press. Jan 4, 2007 04:11 PM CST. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help) Retrieved on Jan. 7, 2007
  32. ^ http://my.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070116/MICRO021301/70116029
  33. ^ DLC bio on Ford, retrieved January 25, 2007.
  34. ^ http://www.vanderbilt.edu/news/releases/2007/1/15/harold-ford-jr-to-be-visiting-professor-of-public-policy-at-vanderbilt-congressional-veteran-to-teach-class-on-political-leadership
  35. ^ Keoun, Bradley,Merrill Hires Former U.S. Congressman Ford as Adviser, Bloomberg.com, February 14, 2007.
  36. ^ http://www.memphisflyer.com/memphis/Content?oid=oid%3A25473
  37. ^ http://www.washtimes.com/national/20050607-121908-6262r.htm
  38. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWkrwENN5CQ
  39. ^ http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15403071
  40. ^ http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/local_news/article/0,1426,MCA_437_4328413,00.html
  41. ^ Emery, Theo (March 10, 2006). "Family ties could bind a political advancement". Boston Globe. Retrieved 2007-04-25. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
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