Posted on 04/14/2006 7:54:25 AM PDT by SmithL
WASHINGTON - Rep. Harold Ford Jr.'s Senate campaign is relying much more on outside consultants than his fellow candidates, particularly for fund raising.
The Memphis Democrat's campaign paid experts more than $304,000, mostly for fund-raising help, but also for research and other advice in the last half of 2005, according to Federal Election Commission records.
In the Republican primary, money leader Bob Corker, Chattanooga's former mayor, paid about $92,000 to consultants in the latter half of 2005, records show.
Carol Andrews, Ford's campaign spokeswoman, was asked about any benefits from spending much more overall last year than other major candidates. "We're winning," she said, declining to elaborate.
Corker led all in fund raising through 2005, but campaign announcements Thursday showed Ford had a big first quarter and collected $1.5 million to Corker's $770,000.
That put Ford slightly ahead of Corker in total raised to date - $5.7 million to $5.5 million. But Ford spent much more than other candidates so Corker's campaign ended the first quarter with a $2-million lead in cash on hand - $4.2 million to $2.2 million.
Ford's finance chairman, Charles Bone, said in a written statement that the campaign's increase in donations in the first quarter showed "people's confidence in Harold Ford's ability and desire to restore hope to people and get things done in the U.S. Senate."
Corker's campaign manager, Ben Mitchell, said the campaign beat all candidates for quarterly contributions with $2 million at the start of his effort in the last quarter of 2004 and "have maintained an incredible rate of fund raising" since then.
The challengers hope to win the seat of Republican Bill Frist, who is retiring after 12 years and may run for president.
Ford has no significant primary challenger since state Sen. Rosalind Kurita withdrew Wednesday.
Corker has two primary opponents: former U.S. Reps. Van Hilleary of Murfreesboro and Ed Bryant of Jackson. Hilleary and Bryant each raised about $1.4 million last year and ended the year with about $1 million in the bank.
The Hilleary and Bryant campaigns on Thursday said they were not releasing their first-quarter totals yet.
Mitchell said Corker is the money leader in the GOP primary because "People are already making a choice and they are choosing Bob Corker. Bob travels the state sharing his record of using conservative principles to achieve positive results."
Hilleary believes he is the GOP frontrunner based on his high name recognition from running for governor four years ago and his service in Congress for eight years, campaign spokeswoman Jennifer Coxe (CQ) said.
Hilleary and Bryant have been touting themselves as more conservative and attractive to GOP voters than Corker.
Coxe said the Hilleary campaign is not discouraged by Corker raising $4.7 million to Hilleary's $1.3 million through 2005.
"Bob Corker is going to have to have quadruple the money that a Van Hilleary would need to have because he is running away from his record - not on his record," Coxe said. "He's going to try (in TV commercials) to fool Republican voters into thinking that he's a conservative."
Bryant spokesman Andrew Shulman predicted that a majority of Tennessee Republicans will choose Bryant, "the real conservative" in the Aug. 3 primary.
Shulman called Corker a "Wizard of Oz" who will "spend millions" on TV commercials "pretending to be something he is not." Republicans know that Ford would be able to "make mincemeat" out of Corker's record if he becomes the nominee, he said, so that is why Bryant will win.
Among Ford's consultants in the last half of 2005 were Global Strategy Group, $105,000, and Straus/Baker, , $25,000, both of New York City; Beth P. Alpert, $46,500, Lebanon, Tenn.; Capital Strategies, $36,000, Beverly Hills, Calif.; Greg Talmage, $25,000, Advanced Network Strategies, $17,600, and The Ashmead Group, $10,000, all of Washington, D.C.; Coletta & Co., $12,500, Memphis; Dan Burrell, $9,000, New Haven, Conn.; and Nancy Kohn Consulting, $8,200, Chicago.
There are two conservatives in the GOP primary against sone Howard Baker-style "moderate." That is a recipe for a "moderate" nomination. That's just what happened in the IL gubernatorial race last month and in the San Diego special House election this week. Two C = 1 Moderate nominee. (2C=1M)
And, yes, all of these Republicans may be too timid to take on Ford for being accused of "racism."
They need to run adds that connect Ford to the ever popular Al Gore.
HilPac,Moveon, Soros, the usual.
Just not the people from Tennessee.
He has already spent a wad on decrying the ports deal, which, I am sure is an Upchuck Schmuck directive. Show him getting his marching orders from Schmucky, and, his tantrum on the House floor against Jean Schmidt.
I hope Van Hilleary and Bryant don't beat each other up so bad that the Ford Family steals another election.
Why is Hileary even running?
Any polls out showing the status of the GOP primary?
Well, that might be perceived as mean-spirited and racist.
I'd run ads saying why do liberals from Massachusetts, New York and California want Ford to win?
Harold Ford, Jr., is calling for Rumsfeld to resign and for Colin Powell to become the new Secretary of Defense. What bold positions to take while running in the Democratic primary!
Whitey ford can raise all the money he wants, but he aint winning this race.
Oh please. Memphis is a s--thole, period.
Now ban me.
>>Oh please. Memphis is a s--thole, period.<<
Yes, it is, and a lot of the s--tholism has been brought on by family members of Harold, Jr., and folks just like them. The city is currently run by a totally corrupt cartel of INEPT leaders. Not to say that it hasn't always been corrupt, but at least former administrations were fairly efficient.
Every major office in Memphis and Shelby County is held by a black politician, and every one of them is consumed with the "It's our turn" mentality. They are lining their pockets while driving a larger white flight bus than similarly ran way back in the late fifties.
The "leadership" is too friggin' stoopid to realize that as soon as the tax base is safely ensconced in surrounding counties, the entire house of cards is doomed to crash. I can't wait to sit here in the foothills of the Ozarks, and watch it.
Did I forget... {sarcasm}
Sorry 'bout that. Didn't mean to impune your reputation.
Don't be silly, girl. I have not only a pot, but a window as well. I use them both. And all of that is fine.
The problem is I'm stuck with the Fords.
The concept of being drowned in a toilet should convey what it's like on the ground down here ---ggg---.
Corker is no Howard Baker, he is a Don Scumquist RINO apostate with mostly 'Rat positions (in fact, he was so popular with the Democrats during Donnie's 1st term that they tried to get him to run as a 'Rat against DS in '98).
I've seen nothing reliable, aside from the claims from all 3 camps that they're leading. What is confirmed is that they do ALL lead Junior, regardless.
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