October 17, 2006
Doin' The Nasty: NRSC Slams Ford For Dating
An occasional post about the lower order pleasures in politics; or, just the nastiest stuff that's out there.
Today's subject: The National Republican Senatorial Committee blasts TN SEN candidate Harold Ford junior for ... well, we're not entirely sure. It has something to do with his dating life. Here's the release in full:
For Immediate Release:
Monday, October 16, 2006 Contact: Dan Ronayne
(202) 675-6004
More Details Of Ford's Fancy Fling
WASHINGTON--The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) issued the following release after The Commercial Appeal reported more details of Congressman Harold Ford, Jr.'s previous "nonexclusive courtship" with a Georgetown University sophomore:
"It's good to hear Congressman Ford's Georgetown University girlfriend's spring break planning didn't get in the way of his meetings with the President," said Dan Ronayne, NRSC Spokesman. "But the least Fancy Ford could have done was call her back after news broke of their relationship. Not providing closure is distinctly un-fancy."
The Commercial Appeal Reports "The Younger Ford's Dating Life Is An Active, But Quieter Affair. 'He Met Julia Baugher, A Georgetown University Sophmore [sic] And Sex Columnist While Celebrating His 31st Birthday At Paolo's, A Restaurant In Washington." (Halimah Abdullah, "Growing Up In The Political Spotlight, Ford Learned The Ropes As A Youngster," The Commercial Appeal, October 15, 2006)
Julia Baugher Said She "Struggled To Understand Exactly What It Was That He Saw In Me When He Could Have Had Any Woman In D.C. . . . I Mean When I'm Talking About Spring Break, He's Talking About Meeting With The President." "Baugher, who once kept a copy of Ford's '50 Most Beautiful People' photo on her desk, was soon involved in a whirlwind romance with the congressman. 'It was a bit surreal,' she said. 'I struggled to understand exactly what it was that he saw in me when he could have had any woman in D.C. . . . . I mean when I'm talking about spring break, he's talking about meeting with the President.'" (Halimah Abdullah, "Growing Up In The Political Spotlight, Ford Learned The Ropes As A Youngster," The Commercial Appeal, October 15, 2006)
The Relationship Ended After The Washington Post Reported On Their Relationship And Ford "Never Called" Again. "Baugher and Ford's nonexclusive courtship ended abruptly when a 2003 Washington Post article mentioned their relationship. 'He never called me after that article,' said Baugher, who wrote about their relationship in Cosmo and went on to pen a popular sex and dating column for a New York daily after graduating." (Halimah Abdullah, "Growing Up In The Political Spotlight, Ford Learned The Ropes As A Youngster," The Commercial Appeal, October 15, 2006)
"Ford Also Finds Time To Party," Reports The Commercial Appeal, Traveling To Florida To Attend A Playboy Super Bowl Party As Well As A Christmas Party For One Of His Father's Lobbyist Clients. "Ford also finds time to party. According to the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call, Ford attended last year's Playboy Super Bowl Party in Jacksonville, Fla., and took several trips paid for by corporate interests, including jaunts to Las Vegas, Vail, the Virgin Islands, Orlando and Miami. In all, more than 60 trips between 1998 and 2003. In December 2000, Pegasus Airwave, a medical supply company in Boca Raton, Fla., paid $1,978 so that Ford could attend a company Christmas party. In 2000 and 2001, Pegasus paid Ford's father's company $1.1 million to lobby on its behalf." (Halimah Abdullah, "Growing Up In The Political Spotlight, Ford Learned The Ropes As A Youngster," The Commercial Appeal, October 15, 2006)
What's It Like To Date Harold Ford, Jr? Why, It's Just Fancy!
In September, The Memphis Flyer On-line reported that former-Ford girlfriend Julia Allison, AKA Julia Baugher, posted a transcript of an interview she gave regarding Washington social life in which she discussed dating Harold Ford, Jr. while she was a student at Georgetown. In the interview, Allison called the experience "overrated," except for the "fancy dinners" and "fabulous weekend ski vacation."
"In It [The Interview], She [Allison] Says She Downplayed Her Involvement With Harold Ford Jr. While She Was A Student At Georgetown University, Not Wanting To Be Known As 'That Girl Who Dated Harold Ford.'" ("Ford Ex Thinks Dating A Politician 'Overrated,'" The Memphis Flyer, September 27, 2006)
Allison: "All Harold Gave Me Was The Certainty That Dating A [Politician] Is Overrated." "From her blog: [reporter] -- A few years back, you were publicly linked to Rep. Harold Ford, has that element of celebrity benefited your career at all or opened any doors that may have been closed? [Allison] -- Being publicly linked to Harold has neither helped nor hurt my career. Perhaps if I had gone public with more information, it might have had more of an impact, but as it was, I downplayed my involvement with Harold as much as I could. ... Other than a fabulous weekend ski vacation and a few fancy dinners, all Harold gave me was the certainty that dating a [politician] is overrated." ("Ford Ex Thinks Dating A Politician 'Overrated,'" The Memphis Flyer, September 27, 2006)
For More Of Ford's Fanciness, Visit www.FancyFord.com
Paid for by the National Republican Senatorial Committee and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. www.gopsenators.com
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Posted at 09:42 AM
Comments
Paging Doctor Frist.
We need 50 cc's of hypocrisy and 10 miligrams of moral indignation stat.
Tom B. | 10.17.06 09:52 AM
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Wow. Hard-hitting stuff. No wonder the NRSC is up shit creek.
Scott | 10.17.06 10:14 AM
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Unbelievable. That's all I can say at this point.
Shaun | 10.17.06 10:52 AM
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The salient detail that has been the undercurrent of the entire NRSC attack of "Fancy Ford" is that Ford is a black man that spends time with white women. This young woman is white, and Ford is black. Let's be honest, here: this entire line of attack is race-baiting at its worst.
Bob | 10.17.06 11:11 AM
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