Yes, Ford and Bredesen gave a wonderful talk on politics and the future. Bredesen said he gave his first political contribution in many years today and he gave it to HFJ. Bredesen says he usually stays out of races, but felt this was too important to pass. Congressman Lincoln Davis is the unsung hero of this race. He is working very hard to introduce HFJ to East Tennessee voters.

The overflow crowd of over 300 people was a great cross-section of the community.

As the only Southern Democratic Governor, Bredesen will be on many short list for VP candidate in 2008. With sky high approvals, some would urge him to run for Pres.

HFJ always appears as a stateman. He gave several compliments to Sen. Howard Baker and Tennessee's long history of moderate Senators. He welcomed Republicans. He spoke about putting "hope over fear" and that the RNC ads are not just "promoting fear, but driven by fear."

Now is time to help the campaign . . . make a donation (of any size) online, volunteer to canvass or phonebank. Wear HFJ buttons/sticker and talk to folk every day (grocery store, mall, friends).

Keep up w/ the latest at (link...)

WhitesCreek,

Geez, wish I would have known about the event. I would have come over and welcomed Junior and you to my neighborhood. It's not as Republican as the stereotypes would have it. Both Gore and Kerry were within single digits of carrying the 24th ward. There are a lot of Ford signs on Cherokee, which is giving Repubs some heartburn.

(This is a letter from a friend who attended the same event that Steve did last night. She was inspired to get up early and fire off this email)

Dear Friends:

I’m writing to you about because I’m extremely passionate about the need for change. I hope you’ll feel free to share some of my thoughts with your friends and family and neighbors.

Thursday I had a unique opportunity to see both Tennessee senatorial candidates speak at two separate times to the same small group of women. Bob Corker had some good ideas, though they did not appear to be studied or original. When I left the room after Harold Ford, Jr.’s talk, I knew that I had been in the presence of greatness. At the end of the day, there was only one way to sum things up. In this race, one candidate is great, the other good. One is inspiring, the other ordinary. One is clearly a leader. The other, whose message was peppered with phrases that have grown far too familiar over the past six years, could only be described as a follower.

Last week, a friend of mine said he was skeptical about charismatic political figures. Well, there’s no doubt, Harold Ford, Jr. is charismatic. Bob Corker isn’t. But I’m willing to take my chances on charismatic. We’ve had uninspired leadership for too long now and today we have an opportunity to do something about it.

Tennessee appears to be the eye of a huge political storm. The forces of fate have placed you and me where the battle for the balance of power will be decided. We’re caught up in a moment of history where, as voters, we alone have the power to reverse the reckless course we’ve been on for the past six years. Or, we can let it continue out of control carrying all of us, Democrats and Republicans alike, to a place where none of us want to go. A place where children may grow up like many of us did, facing the possibility of military draft to fight an unpopular, unnecessary war. A place where the gulf between rich and poor continues to grow at an alarming rate. A place where half of our citizens don’t have access to decent healthcare. A place where our government continues to grow ever larger and only a fortunate few of us seem to realize any benefit. A place where the liberties our fathers and grandfathers fought to preserve are being taken from us. A place where we all breathe polluted air because our leaders don’t have the guts to do what it takes to make it clean again. A place where the money and power of the oil industry and those who control it are more important than the safety of our citizens. The list is long and you all know it too well. Let’s not go there!

I had the opportunity to listen to Harold Ford, Jr. again last night. I sincerely believed him when he promised to do everything in his power to reverse the course we’re on. He is young and he is hopeful. He is positive and purposeful, not ready to point the finger of blame, but eager to start finding bipartisan solutions to problems that must be solved now. In so many ways, I believe he is wise beyond his years, the result of living in a world where people like him weren’t always given the same opportunities afforded others. Last night, I experienced the same feelings I had the first time I heard him speak. I felt hopeful.

Right now, we Tennesseans are potentially the most powerful people in the world. The whole world is looking at us, wondering if we’ve got the guts to do what it takes to change the course of history. This election is important. Your vote is important. If you elect Harold Ford, Jr., the whole world is going to breathe a sigh of relief because this shift in power will be what it takes to put America back where she belongs---the centerpiece of hope for the rest of the world.

Please go out and vote today with an open mind and with the courage and conviction it takes to change the world. The choice is yours and the stakes have never been higher.

Yours in hope,

(Name redacted because I haven't asked her about putting it on an open Web site)