Ford Family Connections Motivate Pro-Israel Fundraiser
Rep. Harold Ford Jr., the Democratic nominee in Tennessee for the Senate seat being vacated by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, heads to Englewood, N.J. this Sunday for a fundraiser hosted by the pro-Israel political action committee NORPAC.
NORPAC’s boosterism is interesting because while Ford Jr. has built up a staunchly pro-Israel record in Congress, the PAC tends to throw its weight behind incumbents, and the Republican candidate, Bob Corker, is also expected to be a friend of Israel.
According to NORPAC member Dr. Ben Chouake, tight personal bonds helped set the fundraiser in motion: event chair Drew Parker, an Englewood resident, grew up in Memphis, where his father had Harold Ford, Sr. in his wedding party.
This fundraiser “happens to be with [someone who has] a long-standing relationship with one of our members,” Chouake told the Forward. “So when he called up and asked Drew if he could put together an event .. [although] we mostly concentrate on incumbents, … [we thought] this is a case of having a stong candidate with a history of being good on our issues.”
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