It's a day for comeback rumors in the political news world. The Washington Post reports that Terry McAuliffe is not letting go of his quest to
terrorize
serve the good people of Virginia.
Terry McAuliffe, the millionaire businessman who ran unsuccessfully for Virginia governor this year, is negotiating with investors and a U.S. automaker to lure a factory to southern Virginia -- raising speculation that the ambitious Democrat is not done with state politics. McAuliffe has talked with Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) to brief him about his plans, which are focused on luring thousands of jobs to a part of Virginia where unemployment is high. McAuliffe declined through a spokeswoman to comment on his efforts, but Kaine confirmed the meeting and said McAuliffe is in the "very preliminary" stages of trying to put together a deal involving a "green" automotive manufacturing plant.
In New York, two big blasts from the political past are pondering throwing their hats into the ring. Harold Ford, a promising young Democrat who lost a senate race in Tennessee to Bob Corker in 2006 and went on to run the DLC, may be polling a primary match-up with vulnerable Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. Democratic sources say that former Tennessee Rep. Harold Ford Jr. -- who relocated to New York City after his unsuccessful Senate bid in 2006 -- has been talking about the possibility of running against vulnerable rookie New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.
Ford, who was mentioned as a possible appointee to replace Hillary Clinton in late 2007, has reportedly told associates that he's skeptical about the idea. But he may have commissioned a poll to test his popularity, according to a Tuesday night post on DemocraticUnderground.com. "I live in NY and was just polled about a possible primary between Kirsten Gillibrand and Harold Ford Jr. for the Senate seat. I was wondering if anyone had heard if he was considering to run," wrote the poster, who identified himself as "JamesA1102." The poll wasn't conducted by Gillibrand's campaign, according to people familiar with the situation. It might have been part of a public survey but Ford's hasn't been in the mix lately -- and hasn't been included in any recent public surveys.
Once that's decided, rumor has it Rudy Giuliani might have his eye on the Republican nomination. On Thursday, a Rudy source told the N.Y. Daily News he'd decided not to run for governor, but would announce a run for senate within 48 hours. That deadline has come and gone and been retracted, prompting some to wonder if Giuliani is just flirting. The most recent Rasmussen poll results may encourage him:
A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of voters in the state finds Giuliani, the former Republican mayor of New York City, leading Gillibrand by 13 points - 53% to 40%. Four percent (4%) like some other candidate, and just two percent (2%) are undecided.