From ‘stooges’ to ‘good men’?

Democrat U.S. Rep. Harold Ford, a candidate for the Senate, is trying to have it both ways. Back in June, he insultingly called the Republican contenders for their party’s nomination “the three stooges.”

Now, he is running a TV ad in which he calls two of those contenders — former U.S. Reps. Ed Bryant and Van Hilleary — “good men” about whom the ultimate winner of the nomination, former Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker, supposedly told falsehoods during the primary campaign.

We agree that Reps. Bryant and Hilleary are — and were — very good men, as is Mr. Corker.

But no one should view Rep. Ford’s magical turnaround in his opinion of Mr. Bryant and Mr. Hilleary as anything other than raw political calculation. It has one purpose only: to anger and discourage Republicans who voted for Mr. Bryant or Mr. Hilleary in the primary so that they will stay home on Election Day rather than cast a ballot for Mr. Corker.

The ad certainly is no sincere attempt by Rep. Ford to uphold the honor of the two former members of Congress — both of whom showed their good character by promptly endorsing fellow conservative Mr. Corker’s candidacy after he won the primary.

Voters should see through liberal Rep. Ford’s smokescreen and select soundly conservative Bob Corker.