Let’s talk about a “family” of corruption
Today, the Tennessee Senate has voted to oust Sen. Ophelia Ford (D — Memphis) — something to do with her winning her seat by a slim margin of votes — mostly from dead people or felons (any dead felons, I wonder?)
But it seems that Ophelia Ford isn’t the first member of her family to resign or be ousted from office in Tennessee because of corruption. Hell, she’s not even the second child in her family to cheat-for-a-seat:
Ford belongs to a notable Tennessee political family. Her seat was held by her brother John until last May, when he resigned after his indictment in a public corruption investigation.
With Wednesday’s action, Ophelia Ford became the third sibling of her immediate family to leave a seat in the General Assembly — Emmett Ford gave up his House seat after he was convicted of insurance fraud in 1981.
Culture of Corruption, indeed.
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Any guesses as to which card ex-Senator is playing? That’s right, she’s playing the race card:
“It’s about racism. It’s about ‘Jim Crow’-ism,” Ford said after the vote. “I’m black. It is 85% black vote in that district, District 29. They want this seat.”
It must be race-based — I mean, it couldn’t have anything to do with the fact that dead felons voted for her.
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UPDATE: In addition to the dead felons (it’s easier and more fun to lump them together as a single group) who voted for Ford, the Memphis Commercial Appeal keeps turning up other voters who used vacant lots as their addresses.
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If you want a political soap opera, keep up with the Ford family. They have been the shame of Memphis since the crook they are related to, Crump.
Here’s the newest:
Embattled former senator Ophelia Ford is the chief plaintiff in a new lawsuit filed Tuesday. Her brother Joe Ford is one of more than a dozen defendants.
“I’m named as one of the defendants–as a county commissioner, yes,” says Ford.
In fact, every Shelby County Commissioner is named in the suit. Ophelia Ford hopes to keep them from filling the senate seat from which she was removed last week.
http://www.wmctv.com/Global/story.asp?S=4818963