The Week That Was
Gore's running mate
Al Gore came to Nashville to introduce Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman as his running mate—the first Jew in American history to be a part of a national ticket. Lieberman was one of the first Democrats to criticize President Clinton for his sexual dalliance with Monica Lewinsky. Perhaps not coincidentally, another critical Democrat was Congressman Harold Ford Jr., who was picked by Gore to give the keynote address at next week’s Democratic National Convention.
Clash of Titans
In a squeaker, MTSU professor Jeff Clark managed to defeat the eccentric John Jay Hooker in the Democratic Senate primary. Democrats tried to pretend their unknown nominee will be a credible challenger to Sen. Bill Frist in November, but mainly, they were just happy to be rid of Hooker, now a seven-time loser in statewide races. Nashville’s Shannon Wood, the starry-eyed do-gooder making her first bid for public office, finished fourth in the primary behind a FedEx package handler from Memphis.
Junior's media event
Rep. Harold Ford Jr. created a flap during a news conference to denounce George W. Bush for refusing to condemn the Confederate battle flag flying at the South Carolina capitol. A reporter asked Ford whether Al Gore should condemn the 3-foot-tall bust of Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest sitting in the main hallway of the Tennessee House of Representatives. A surprised Ford said he would ask Gore to renounce the statue, but he later backed away from that remark, and Gore’s campaign said the vice president saw no reason to comment.
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