October 05, 2005

Ford, Jr.'s Disturbing Absence(s)

Via Adam Groves comes this strange story from KnoxNews regarding Senate candidate Harold Ford, Jr...

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Harold Ford Jr. of Memphis missed two Knoxville fund-raisers last weekend because of a family matter.

"I had a family situation I had to attend to, and I did, and fortunately everything is fine," said Ford, reached after a campaign event in DeKalb County on Tuesday afternoon. "What would you have me do?"

Ford would not confirm that he was with his father, former Congressman Harold Sr., but did say he was in New York.

Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Robert Tuke said that he had heard an "apocryphal reference" to the fact that Ford's father had undergone a medical procedure and that "Harold needed to be by his side."

Tuke added: "Guess what? If my father were real sick - and I'm not saying that's what it is because I don't know that - but if my father were real sick, I'd be willing to inconvenience a lot of people."

Guess what? Junior has actually been in New York appearing on CNBC's Kudlow & Company for the last several days, and last weekend he was seen in New York having a fun night on the town.

It sounds like Tuke just made something up while making excuses for Junior's absence. And doing a TV show in New York isn't really what I'd call "family matters." Why wouldn't Junior admit to Bob Tuke's strange "apocryphal reference" to his father being sick?

We've discussed Junior's "family matters" before. Just last month, in fact, a similar situation occured:

Liberal blogger Sharon Cobb is scolding Harold Ford, Jr. today for blowing her off over the weekend ...and rightly so. He was supposed to have a quick phone interview with her, but his press secretary said he couldn't make the time due to "family issues" and never got back with her on Sunday. Interestingly enough, she notes that he apparently left an event on Saturday using that same excuse but kept showing up at other events throughout the middle Tennessee area.

Even the Tennessee Guerilla Women have had to take him to task for skipping out on events.

More? The Memphis Flyer has also had to call him out for missing votes in Congress (something that seems to also be a regular occurence).

Notice any patterns? If he can't be dependable enough in showing up for the people of Tennessee as a Congressman, how can we expect him to show up for the people of Tennessee as a Senator?

As the Memphis Flyer editorial said, "By such action -- and inaction -- is history made."

Indeed it is.

Update: If anyone can show me that Harold Ford, Sr. was indeed undergoing some type of "medical procedure" in New York, please send it my way. I'd really like to have something a little more concrete than an "apocryphal reference."

Update II: Chris Jackson notes that Ford was in Nashville when he appeared on Kudlow and Company last night. The correction is so noted, but the questions still remain...where was he this weekend and why is Bob Tuke making excuses that Ford himself can't even confirm. It's continued situations like this and what Sharon Cobb and Egalia reported that would make anyone raise their eyebrows and wonder just where Ford's motives are.

Comments:

Please Note! Failure to abide by the following may result in your comments being edited or deleted: Remain on topic. Foul language and/or personal attacks are not permitted. Excessive links (more than three per thread) must be approved first. If you do include a link in your comment, make sure it is a short link (go to tinyurl.com if it is too long). Try to keep comments to 125 words or less. Thank you.

Blake, you know you are something else.

You know good and well Congressman Ford was in Nashville yesterday while appearing on Kudlow and Company. And the New York Post peice you reference to was from September 25th, not this past weekend.

Also, why do you defame a man who puts his family over politics? Where are your priorities?

Will you lie about anything to try to score political points?

http://haroldfordjr2006.blogspot.com/

Posted by: Chris D. Jackson at October 5, 2005 12:39 PM

I just do it because I missed you coming over to comment on my blog. :)

I would like to find out if Harold Ford, Sr. was indeed in New York having a medical procedure done. I think that's a pretty fair question, and it is a question that needs to be asked considering this pattern of behavior from Congressman Ford. Why wouldn't he confirm Tuke's remarks?

Secondly, I did note that the Post piece was from last weekend. However, I did not know that Junior was in Nashville for the Kudlow appearance yesterday. I will make the correction even thought it really doesn't make a difference in the pattern at hand.

By the way, wasn't he supposed to be guest-hosting at some point? When does that take place?

Posted by: B at October 5, 2005 01:12 PM

Hey Chris...did you not read my last comment toward you the other day on posting long links? Read my comment notice (in red) up above, then you can repost your last comment as is without the long link.

It's nothing against your comment, it's just that long links screw up the spacing of the columns on my page here.

Thanks! :)

Posted by: B at October 5, 2005 02:14 PM

I thought Sr. lived in Miami, which has a pretty strong medical community?

why would he be in NY getting something done?

and why is Ford's excuse for every skipped event "family matters" -- like Tennesseans know he has a crazy family and they'll just accept that? hmm..

Posted by: miami ford at October 5, 2005 04:37 PM

Well Ford told the Sullivan County D's he was with his dad.

"Ford said he was with his father, former U.S. Rep. Harold Ford Sr., who had what was described as "a surprise procedure." Harold Ford Jr. did not elaborate. "I'm thankful it went well, and he is well, and unfortunately I had to be with him tonight and could not be there," Harold Ford Jr. said of his father"
http://www.timesnews.net/article.dna?_StoryID=3553082

Posted by: rd at October 6, 2005 10:37 AM

Ford didn't go to Knoxville because he didn't want a picture showing up on a mail piece with derslickmeister Greg Isaacs.

Isaac's record of defending admittedly guilty criminals such as pedophiles, rapists, child porn viewers and crack dealers seemed a little too risky.

Poor Greg Isaacs---all fixed up and no Ford to show.

Posted by: at October 6, 2005 09:48 PM

does that mean he's going to start avoiding family reunions as well?

Posted by: at October 6, 2005 10:38 PM