They didnยt exactly jump through burning hoops or shout ยHallelelujah!ย
to do so, but three prominent politicians who had been regarded in some quarters
as possible holdouts made their election-day preferences known on Friday in the
cases of senatorial candidate Harold Ford Jr., and dcongressional candidate Steve Cohen.
Ford got a boost from a longtime rival of the larger Ford
political clan, Memphis mayor Willie Herenton, who was one of the
attendees at a Ford-sponsored prayer breakfast held at The Peabody. The mayor
afterward said that in the interests of Democratic Party unity he would support
Rep. Fordยs bid for the U.S. Senate, ending speculation that he would sit out
the Senate race or even support the congressmanยs Republican opponent, Bob
Corker.
Meanwhile, Cohen, the Democratic state senator from
Midtown and Democratic nominee for the 9th Congressional District, got a stamp of approval from Governor Phil Bredesen, who
confirmed his support for Cohen, and from former
interim state senator and current Shelby County Commissioner Sidney Chism. (For the complete story, go to “Political Beat”.)