NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Democratic Senate candidate Harold Ford Jr. turned up at a news conference Friday in Memphis called by his opponent, Republican Bob Corker, leading to a confrontation about Ford's large, politically active family. Ford, a Memphis congressman, and Corker are locked in a tight race that could help determine whether Democrats gain control of the Senate.
Corker, a former Chattanooga mayor, has said he wouldn't make Ford's family an issue in the race, but in recent debates said the Fords engaged in "machine-type politics."
Corker has questioned the work of Ford's father, former U.S. Rep. Harold Ford Sr., as a lobbyist for Fannie Mae while Ford Jr. sat on the House committee overseeing the mortgage giant's activities.
Ford Jr. said that no one in his family has ever lobbied him on congressional issues and that he would refuse them if they did.
Corker had scheduled the Friday morning news conference at a Memphis airport to discuss a proposal to prohibit relatives of senators and representatives from lobbying their family members. The Ford campaign had said the congressman would also be there.
The meeting between the two men was captured by WREG-TV in Memphis. It was unclear whether the confrontation happened before or after the news conference.
Ford, who was speaking with reporters, spotted Corker in the parking lot and began walking toward him. Ford told Corker that he wanted to debate him on the Iraq war, then mentioned Ford's plan to partition Iraq into three regions.
But then Corker stopped him and said he had come to talk about ethics. Corker called Ford's visit to the news conference "a true sign of desperation."
Ford replied, "I could never find you...." Corker said he was in Jackson, northeast of Memphis, on Thursday night, but Ford brought the conversation back to Iraq.
"Tell me, what do you think about this Iraq thing?" Ford asked. "I know you're here to talk about my family. I thought you made a promise right after ..."
"No, no, no. I'm here to talk about you, and this race," Corker said before walking away.
The Ford campaign issued a statement Friday afternoon.
"I fully support prohibiting family members from lobbying members of Congress," Ford said. "As Mr. Corker knows full well, I have never been lobbied by any member of my family at any time on any matter before the Congress."
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On the Net:
WREG-TV: http://www.wreg.com/
