A new poll released today by Zogby Interactive shows U.S. Senate candidate Harold Ford Jr. opening a lead over Republican Bob Corker, despite Corker having spent $6 million in unchallenged television advertising during the past two months.Ford leads Corker 43.6% to 42.5% in the poll results, published today on the Wall Street Journal website,
"Voters are responding to Harold Ford Jr.'s call for a new generation of leadership to reach across party lines and get things done," said Ford campaign senior advisor Michael Powell. “On the other hand, the more Tennessee voters see of Bob Corker's untruthful advertising, the more they realize he is more of the same. And you can’t have change with more of the same.”
Knoxville News-Sentinel editor-in-chief Jack McElroy wrote Sunday that Corker's latest ad was a "lie" and a "twisted manipulation of the facts." Corker's ads have claimed credit for effective government as mayor of Chattanooga, when, in fact, he allowed 31,000 911 calls to go unanswered; lowering taxes, when, in fact, he raised property taxes 24 percent; cutting spending, when, in fact, he raised spending in Chattanooga by 18 percent; and cutting violent crime, when, in fact, murders and rapes rose during his tenure.
The new Zogby Interactive numbers show Rep. Ford has pulled to a dead heat in matchups with Republicans Ed Bryant and Van Hilleary, representing a 17-point gain on Bryant and a 10-point gain on Hilleary since Zogby Interactive began polling Tennessee in September 2005.
The more voters hear Congressman Ford's message of change, the more support he gains.
While he talks about solutions to high gas prices, the situation in Iraq, securing our nation, advancing scientific technology, fighting global warming, balancing the budget, and other pressing issues, the Republicans just continue to sit back and attack each other and Congressman Ford.
As this poll shows, people are ready for a new generation of leadership.
203 Days
Days of Congressional Inaction on Ethics
Above is the number of days that have passed since Jack Abramoff pleaded guilty to bribing Congressman.
It is also the number of days in which Congress has failed to pass an ethics reform bill that would limit private travel, ski and golf junkets, and would call for a full disclosure of expenses by lobbyists on members of Congress.
It is time for Congress to step up and pass an ethics reform bill that would do all of the above. In addition, it is time to end the pork barrel spending system as we know it and establish an independent ethics commission that would review ethics complaints against members of Congress.
I am proud Congressman Harold Ford Jr. is fighting for that reform!
Read Congressman Ford's call for reform of the House rules here!
