The following excerpts come from the Hill Newspaper:Ultimately, incumbents’ money advantage appear to reinforce the long-held view in Washington that open seats are where the real action takes place on Election Day. This year, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey and Tennessee have senators who are retiring.
Rep. Harold Ford (D-Tenn.), running for Senate in the only state where a Republican, Majority Leader Bill Frist, is stepping down, raised more than $1 million in the fourth quarter, more than was raised by former Rep. Van Hilleary and Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker, both Republicans seeking the Senate seat. Figures for former Rep. Ed Bryant (R), also in the race, were unavailable. Corker has $4.7 million in the bank, compared to Ford’s almost $4.3 million.
Many would-be senators have said money is simply the vehicle that enables candidates to make their ideas known to voters. What really matters, these candidates insist, is convincing people that their proposals, about everything from national security to the National Park Service, are better than those of their rivals.
Ford said he has been running relentlessly on his platform, a carefully calibrated mix of old-style populism and mainstream Democratic politics. He opposed the filibuster of Alito, backed by more liberal Democrats, but also said he would have voted against the nominee had he been in the Senate.
Asked how he plans to win in a state that twice backed George W. Bush, even against Tennessean Al Gore, Ford said simply: “I’m going to get more votes than my opponent.”
