Posted on 05/17/2007 7:34:45 AM PDT by SmithL
One legislator, who said he witnessed the incident, told a reporter for The Commercial Appeal that Ford was taken on a stretcher from the 24th floor lounge of the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Nashville, where she stays when the legislature is in session. The lounge, which serves drinks and appetizers, is reserved for frequent hotel guests.
The lawmaker, who asked to remain anonymous, said Ford had difficulty responding to questions from paramedics.
Two other lawmakers, both Democrats who also asked to remain anonymous because of the sensitive nature of the news, told the Associated Press that Ford was taken to the hospital Tuesday, spent the night and was released Wednesday.
Reached at the Sheraton Wednesday night by a reporter for the newspaper, Ford angrily denied going to the hospital.
"No," she said, "and don't call my room again."
Ford, 56, whose district stretches from Millington to South Memphis, said in March that she had a severe case of anemia that has caused her to miss much of the legislative session. Someone who is anemic has a low number of red blood cells; symptoms are fatigue and shortness of breath. There are many types and potential causes of anemia, but Ford hasn't given any further details.
Ford was absent from the Senate session Wednesday.
One day before going to the hospital, Ford shocked lawmakers and observers with an off-topic tirade that lasted nearly two minutes in a committee meeting that was focused on the state Department of Children's Services.
The hearing was about a performance audit that showed the Division of Child Protective Services did not complete some investigations of child deaths within the 60 days as set out in state policy.
But Ford pressed DCS officials about death certificates and other matters that seemed irrelevant to the hearing, even though they repeatedly told her the agency has nothing to do with death certificates.
"What you're talking about ain't hitting on nothing with me as a certified funeral service practitioner. What you're saying ain't hitting on nothing! And you guys need to get better and you need to get more educated," Ford said angrily.
"And so what you're saying to me is absolutely dumb! Excuse my expression, but it is. It doesn't even make sense to me with all the children we're burying. And we've got one of the largest funeral homes in Tennessee, probably in the country."
Other lawmakers have expressed concerns about Ford's health. Sen. Beverly Marrero, another Memphis Democrat, said she's noticed that Ford has lost a lot of weight.
"She's tiny, obviously she's not eating right," said Marrero, D-Memphis. "She's had major health problems with anemia and different things. We just want her to get better."
From Staff and Press Reports
Staff reporter Jody Callahan contributed to this report.
To view the hearing:
During a hearing in Nashville Monday state Sen. Ophelia Ford of Memphis blasted four witnesses, leaving others in the room speechless. It's on the Web at legislature.state.tn.us. Click on Joint Committees, then Video Archives, then Government Operations Subcommittees, Select Date, May 14, 2007, General Welfare.
Yeah, a breakfast with a proof label on it does tend to help the pounds melt away.
Fleming said she was recently hospitalized under a FAKE name for unknown reasons. Did she OD on something???
One wonders how she’d have time for a drug habit in between guzzling her favorite adult beverages. We all know what kind of coverage this would get if it were State Sen. Mae Beavers.
If you want a good laugh, go to this link: http://www.wmctv.com and click the “click here to listen to entire interview” done by Donna Davis. I could swear she was drinking during that interview. This would be laughable under other circumstances. However, we are talking about Ophelia Ford afterall.
Gail, did you see on Thaddeus Matthews’ blog http://www.thaddeusmatthews.com/ that he has the transcript of the 911 call ? She was falling down drunk in the bar. I don’t know if you’ve been to Nashville, but the legislators don’t have far to walk to get to the Sheraton, which is at the south end of Legislative Plaza.
You can't make this stuff up.
She is the perfect "face of the Democrat party".
She looks like a tweeker.
That must have been quite a rant she heard.
Oh . . .
Has any one heard that when she was taken to the hospital it was from collapsing at a bar?
Yeah, it was on news tonight. She fell off her barstool and was too drunk for them to determine whether she really needed medical help or not.
Don’t you just love those Fords?
http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070519/NEWS01/70519023
She admits to drinking wine.
The news gingerly tiptoed around the “collapsing drunk at the bar.” They made it sound like she had the vapors from not eating or “anemia” (although it’s probably technically correct that she hasn’t been eating much, what with all that Sterno in her belly).
I’m stuck in an urban Black district myself (despite not having moved anywhere, but my district has been shopped about, gerrymandered, and any and all manner and sort of rodent contortions to keep it rodent), represented by the “Mad Hatter”, Thelma Harper. While Harper doesn’t drink like Auntie, she does overdose on her own ego.
I’m in Millington, traditionally GOP, it is being split up to give the dems a toe hold.
Presuming we can retain control of the Senate, we should be able to redraw the lines next time around. The question is to what degree will they be shifted. It’s the House that is a damnable mess with disenfranching gerrymandering.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.