Tense Tennessee Senate Race

By David Brody

CBN News

CBNNews.com- Tennessee is as Bible Belt as it gets ,where love of God and country reign supreme. Speaking of love, meet Democrat Harold Ford Jr.

He likes to hug, and hug, and hug some more. But it's not all love.

The race between Ford and Republican Bob Corker has turned nasty, just ask Tennessee voters.

"You don't have to be negative, you don't have to disparage the other person," said Karen Tankersley, Nashville resident.

Corker thinks Ford is not as moderate as he claims. Ford says he is.

Ford said, "No Democrat is going to tell me what to do. No Republican is going to tell me what to do."

He even talks highly about Ronald Reagan. "I'm a Democrat, but I'm a big fan of Ronald Reagan" he said.

He likes to talk about his faith and the Bible.

"You ought to be concerned about others," Ford said. "The Bible instructs us to."

Ford came out with this commercial inside his church: "Here I learned the difference between right and wrong."

CBN News Capitol Hill Correspondent David Brody reports from Tennessee. Watch this report and interview about the Tennessee Senate race now.

Corker won't judge the church commercial but is skeptical.

Corker said, "I know he's not portraying himself as he is on his commercials."

He questions his voting record too. "I do not think Harold Ford's voting record indicates that he is in step with voters of this state,"he said.

So what is Ford exactly? His lifetime American conservative union rating is 19. That's pretty low, but not as low as noted liberals like John Kerry and Ted Kennedy.

His liberal ACLU rating is middle of the road, 55 percent. Although he voted against banning partial birth abortion years ago, recently he's changed his mind and now favors a ban. He's also for a constitutional marriage amendment.

"My opponent criticizes me for politicizing religion and what can you do?" Ford said. "He calls me a liberal one day and says I'm too religious the next?"

Corker is pitching himself as the candidate who embodies the real values of Tennessee voters, someone who as mayor of Chattanooga solved real problems and will preserve traditions of faith and family.

But Corker may have a problem. Republican strategists here tell CBN News that conservatives aren't excited about him, especially on the pro-life issue. Although the National Right to Life organization has endorsed him, Tennessee Right for Life won't. CBN News asked him why.

"I don't know. You'll have to ask them," Corker said.

So we did. They point to 1994 when Corker ran as a pro-choice Senate candidate. And as a local politician, he didn't try to stop tax dollars from going to pay for abortions. Right now, the polls show a close race. If Democrats can win in this southern conservative state, it would be a big step toward winning back the Senate.

Corker said, "It truly can affect the direction of our country when the stakes are that high. Obviously things get a little tense."

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