Karl Rove: Harold Ford Wanted To Run For Senate As A Republican

When Harold Ford announced he would not run for a Senate seat in New York, he gave this as his reason:

I’ve examined this race in every possible way, and I keep returning to the same fundamental conclusion: If I run, the likely result would be a brutal and highly negative Democratic primary — a primary where the winner emerges weakened and the Republican strengthened.

I refuse to do anything that would help Republicans win a Senate seat in New York, and give the Senate majority to the Republicans.

That bit of self-serving jive is interesting given that Lloyd Grove reports Ford asked Karl Rove to meet with him about running for Senate in Tennessee in 2006 - as a Republican:

Such was his reputation as a kingmaker that shortly after the 2004 election, no less a Democrat than Rep. Harold Ford Jr.—back then a four-term congressman from Memphis—requested a meeting to discuss his political future in Tennessee. According to a knowledgeable source, Rove sat for three hours with the young congressman at the Washington home of mutual friends, where Ford floated the idea of switching parties to run for the Senate in 2006 as a Republican—that is, if President Bush could “clear the field” and prevent a contested primary. According to my source, Rove responded encouragingly, but nothing came of the secret session, and Ford ended up running—and losing—as a Dem.

Harold Ford is exactly what is wrong with politics - no core beliefs, no core values. Just pure naked blind ambition and ego.

Hmm, who else seems like that?

Oh, yes, the guy who was pushing Ford to run because he hates Kirsten Gillibrand and thought it would help his 2012 presidential bid if he could knock her off and have an ally in the Senate:

NEW YORK — New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg says he thinks Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (KUR'-stehn JIHL'-uh-brand) could have been defeated by either one of the people who are no longer considering running this year.

Bloomberg also said New Yorkers would have been "better off" with more choices.

Both Harold Ford Jr. and Mortimer Zuckerman said this week they had decided not to run. Ford was considering challenging Gillibrand in the Democratic primary and Zuckerman was looking at running on the Republican line.

The billionaire mayor is friends with Zuckerman, a real estate mogul and newspaper publisher. And a few of aides were helping former Tennesee Congressman Ford in his exploratory effort.

Yeah, that guy is the worst of what modern politics offers these days too.

Pure ego, billions of dollars he can use to buy office and use to get what he wants for himself and his cronies.

Only he looks like he hasn't gotten the ally in the Senate he wants.

But I'm sure he'll keep trying.

There must be many other Harold Fords out there, ready to be bought at a moment's notice to do Bloomberg's (or Karl Rove's) bidding.