GOP furor: ‘Stooges’ or ‘Statesmen’

AP ^ | 6/27/6

[SmithL]

NASHVILLE — The state Republican Party on Monday demanded that Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Harold Ford Jr. apologize for calling the three main GOP candidates "the three stooges" at a rally last weekend.

"Last time I checked, name-calling didn’t win too many elections in Tennessee," state GOP chairman Bob Davis said. "Maybe Ford’s immaturity and insulting character assassination works in Washington, D.C., but in Tennessee it doesn’t fly."

The main candidates in the Republican primary are former Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker and former U.S. Reps. Ed Bryant and Van Hilleary.

"All three of the Republicans in the race for U.S. Senate are highly respected and accomplished individuals who all have what it takes to represent our conservative Tennessee values in Washington," Davis said.

The campaign of Ford, a congressman, deferred comment to the state Democratic Party, which declined to step back from the characterization of GOP candidates.

"Just as the Three Stooges comically abuse one another with nonsense, the three Republican Stooges have failed to address serious issues affecting all Tennesseans," said Bob Tuke, chairman of the state Democratic Party.

Tuke also couldn’t resist escalating the spat.

"No one will ever call these Republican candidates ’The Three Statesmen,"’ he said.

[GeorgiaDawg32]

but if a republican had called 3 dems "the three stooges", it'd be front page at the NYT..

[beyond the sea]

Van Hilleary

Can't vote for him ...... too close.

;-)

[dfwgator]

Ridicule Ford's comments, fine. But leave the asking for apologies to the Rats. Asking for an apology just makes you look weak.

[Southside_Chicago_Republican]

If this had been directed at me, I would have embraced it as an unintentional compliment. Considering a lot of the people who are actually holders of public office, I'd take The Three Stooges any day. With the possible exception of Joe.

[Coldwater Creek]

And, coming from Ford, would not be sincere.

As for the Statesman comments. two could be the other no!!!!

[dfwgator]

Joe always seemed a little too "happy", if you know what I mean.

[jmaroneps37]

Whitey can get away with stuff like that because he is Black. - kind of -

[Southside_Chicago_Republican]

Yes.

[Southside_Chicago_Republican]

Yes.

[Sir Gawain]

This just makes the GOP candidates look like whiny babies.

[pabianice]

Leftists... can't help showing their true inner ugliness...

[APRPEH]

Send in those three new candidates.... /sarc

i thought the three stooges really were Jr's father, uncle and aunt....

[APRPEH]

someone with some song writing skill ought to put together
"doing the Junior shuffle" ala "curly shuffle" song...

[Rhetorical pi2]

The Ford family has a history of name calling. Harold's father once furiously yelled into the TV cameras after he WON! a very close race for Congress, "You white devils in East Memphis, we know who you are and where you live! We will make you pay!"

And from that point, he never even visited a school in the Eastern part of his district.

But lets acknowledge one thing that makes the Fords formidable. They do customer service like nobody else.

Someone from their district has a Social Security problem?, problem with a judge? welfare check didn't arrive? A staff member hangs up the phone and immediately goes to work.

Constituents have an answer and a solution promptly. Even their most intense opponents admit this, and his constituents are supporters for life.

Surely he will lose. (I pray) But this family eats, drinks, sleeps and breaths politics. And they are good at it.