Tennessee

CBS NEWS PROJECTS BOB CORKERWINNER

Democrat Harold Ford
vs.
Republican Bob Corker (Open Seat)

CBS News Race Outlook: Republican Bill Frist is retiring. This seat was widely recognized as one of the six Democrats must win if they hope to take control of the Senate. Tennessee has not elected a Democratic senator since Al Gore was re-elected to a second term 16 years ago. Ford, an African-American, won his House seat out of Memphis, which has the largest black population in the state. There hasn’t been a black U.S. senator in the South since Reconstruction. Ford voted more conservatively than most members of the Black Caucus. He is a member of the New Democrat Coalition and voted against needle exchanges, for prayer in school and for anti-flag burning constitutional amendments. He is for the balanced-budget amendment, the capital gains tax cut, the repeal of the estate tax, normal trade relations with China, and the use of force in Iraq. He said on Imus in the Morning that there is "No clear plan in Iraq. … We can’t leave right now; I think everyone knows that, but what are we doing to ensure troops will come home?" Ford backed the concept of private accounts in Social Security, and has sided with conservatives on national education testing and trade promotion authority. He has taken more liberal stands on affirmative action and against cutting tax rates. He has the most liberal voting record of anyone from the Tennessee delegation. Corker was attacked by his primary opponents as being a "flip-flopper" on abortion, but he says he has always been anti-abortion rights. During an unsuccessful Senate campaign in 1994, Corker said he was personally opposed to abortion, but did not believe it was a government issue. Corker is against gun regulation, is for the Bush tax cuts, believes U.S. troops should stay in Iraq until "we complete our mission," he wrote on his Web site. He is for an increase in defense spending, is pro-business and against eminent domain. Corker, a wealthy man, contributed millions to his own campaign. The Jackson Sun reported: "Ford told supporters, 'The Republicans won’t talk about issues. They’ll tell you I’m black, I’m liberal and I’m from Memphis. Two out of the three are true. I am black, and I am from Memphis.'"