The father of a U.S. Senate candidate on Tuesday tried to dissuade a Tennessee news station from filming a news conference critical of his son, according to the pro-life event's organizers. Brian Johnston, an organizer with Tennessee Right to Life, called a news conference outside the Memphis campaign offices for U.S. Rep. Harold Ford Jr., a Democrat running for U.S. Senate. Johnston told Cybercast News Service he called the conference to expose Ford's real position on abortion. During the campaign Ford has portrayed himself as moderate on abortion and other issues. But before the planned new conference began, Ford's father, former U.S. Rep. Harold Ford Sr., came out and phoned a local television station to ask that they remove their cameraman who was beginning to roll tape. Amateur video shows Ford Sr. speaking on his cell phone, apparently to Fox 13 News, criticizing the station for sending a cameraman to tape the event. "I just don't think that's right," Ford is heard saying on the phone. "You got your camera people rolling on this, like this, and it's just making a mockery of the whole thing out here," Ford said. "I wish you'd have your camera people to cut this off." See Video "Clearly he was trying to shut us down, trying to keep us from talking about his son's record," Johnston said. "Apparently he's a bit of a godfather in Memphis."
Yeah I bet this is the first time you've heard of this. However it seems that this is kind of par for the course for Ford who apparently tried to crash his opponents press conference last week. Talk about desparate. This race had tightened up but at this point is pretty much sewn up for the Republicans.
NBR=Not Being Reported
