Imus Hearts Jr.

For the umpteenth time, Memphis congressman Harold Ford Jr. appeared Monday on MSNBC’s “Imus in the Morning” show. Ford, who has been under fire in some quarters for his out-of-state contributions, explained to his host that he was in New York for “a series of political events and some fund-raisings.”

Ford also discussed his Tennessee Senate race, claiming to be “leading in all the polls” and to have “out-raised everybody.” He showed his new TV ad attacking big oil profits (but sounded accommodating toward new drilling in Alaska), took issue with President Bush’s appointment of General Michael Hayden to head the CIA, defended his “dear friend … almost like a cousin or brother,” Rhode Island congressman Patrick Kennedy, and – piece de resistance – touted FedEx founder Fred Smith as a possible successor to current Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, whose resignation Ford has called for.

It was enough to once again win Imus’ adoration. The host said at one point, Ford would be elected to the Senate “if there’s a God in Heaven.”