We can all stop holding our breaths and wondering what Harold Ford Jr. will do now that he is out of office.

He is going to start teaching at Vanderbilt - offering a seminar on "Foundations of American Political Leadership". I think this will be a good fit for him. Ten years' experience in the US Congress should certainly give him insight, and the fact is that he's a gifted speaker. His students are in for a treat.

But I'd hoped that he would run for mayor of Memphis next. With all the crime, trash along the streets, rundown abandoned buildings, and everything else Memphis offers as opportunities for improvement, our dear mayor decides that our quality of life requires ... a new football stadium. Unbelievable. Does he see the same city I do? I won't ask if he lives in the same one I do - I know he doesn't.