Former Tennessee Congressman Harold Ford announced Monday evening that he will not challenge incumbent Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York) in the upcoming Democratic primary. Just six weeks ago, the former Tennessee Congressman was putting together his campaign team and warning top Democrats that he couldn't be bullied. Evidently he could be.

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After Mr. Ford showed interest in the race in early January, White House officials signaled they did not want him to run, Senator Charles Schumer (D-New York) met personally with the would-be candidate to argue against his candidacy and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) called New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to ask him not to back Mr. Ford's challenge.

"What are they afraid of?" asked Mr. Ford's spokesman Davidson Goldin as the Democratic leadership came out in force against his boss. "Harold is not going to be bullied or intimidated," Mr. Goldin said, "It's good for New York to have a dialogue. It's good to have credible candidates exploring this race." (source)

But now what's good for New York is not as important as what's good for the Democratic Party and the thugs who decide who can and can't run for public office. In his announcement, Mr. Ford acknowledged that the people who bullied him out of the race had done the same to Representatives Carolyn Maloney, Steve Israel and others yet evidently he's ok with that. He claims that he understands why the party bosses felt the need to use such heavy-handed tactics, "They're nervous. New Yorkers are clamoring for change. Our political system - so bogged down in partisan fighting - is sapping the morale of New Yorkers and preventing government at every level from fulfilling its duty." (source)

Then after asserting all the good he could have done for his state and his country, Mr. Ford says that if he were to run, "the likely result would be a brutal and highly negative Democratic primary - a primary where the winner emerges weakened and the Republican strengthened." He then declares, "I refuse to do anything that would help Republicans win a Senate seat in New York, and give the Senate majority to the Republicans." (source) Makes one wonder what he would say if he wasn't so opposed to partisan fighting.

And so the Obama machine rolls over another would-be candidate, takes away a choice from the voters and leaves us to wonder if Harold Ford is an intimidated victim, a pragmatist who realizes this is not the year for Democrats or a willing accomplice to the far-left agenda of the Obama/Reid/Pelosi triad.