Harold Ford, Jr. - I'd like to make a request.

Ok, a front page piece in the Chattanooga Times Free Press today gives a surprisingly fair reading of Corker's attacks on Ford as a liberal, and Ford's actual position.  Great.  But, deep inside, where the column is continued on page A6, is a quote from Ford that has rather disquieted me in my support for him. Here it is:

Liberals in Washington think I'm too conservative because I love Jesus and I'm head of the faith-based caucus, and I like the military.  I support spending on them.

Problem One:  It is a lie.   Most liberals who think that Ford is too conservative also think that Jimmy Carter is just right, and Carter loves Jesus at least as much as Ford does.  The same group likes everybody from John Kerry to Hillary Clinton, and these guys like spending on the troops (probably more so than their conservative counterparts these days).  The people who think that Ford is too conservative absolutely love Jim Webb - and check out this ad supporting him.  Ok, so Ford's statement is a lie.

Problem Two:  It's a lie crafted by Republicans from Nixon to Atwater to Reed to Rove for no other purpose but to smear and demonize Democrats and boost their own electoral chances.

Ouch.  Why would someone who depends on Democratic support be so quick to dishonestly undermine his party in order to boost his own electoral chances?  Don't know.  Ask Joe Lieberman.  I'd like to request something of Ford... I'll e-mail this to his campaign & see what I hear back.  Here's a radical suggestion:  Boost your conservative creds in any number of legitimate ways.  For your resume, without accusing liberals of hating Jesus and the troops:

You are against so-called partial birth abortion, even when the baby is brain-dead from hydroencephaly and it is the safest option available to save the life of the woman.  So say it - "I'm against 'partial birth' abortion." (At least be honest enough to use the scare quotes.)

You are against inclusive legal institutions for gays, despite being of a race that was once itself excluded from equal access to the legal institutions.  So say it, "I voted to ban gay marriage."

You are for faith based social initiatives, even though the ultimate result is that our tax money goes to support the proselytization efforts of religious groups that we do not necessarily support.  So say it: "I'm for faith based initiatives"... Ok - you did that one already... fine.

You voted, without apology, to give Bush authorization (really, a blank check) to invade Iraq.  Say it.

And earn yourself a pro-gun voting record for next time, so you can say, "I won the endorsement of the American Hunters and Shooters association"... or even the NRA (wholly owned subsidiary of the GOP and gun manufacturers association).

But... when you talk about how much you love Jesus, tell 'em you love Jesus just like many from both sides of the political spectrum.  And when you talk about how you love the troops, tell 'em you love 'em just like many from both sides of the political spectrum.

Clean it up, please.  I want to support someone electable who will caucus with the Democrats.

•  minor minor point if you ask me

  Ford is all we got to regaining the senate majority. He's never going to be perfect to win in a deep red state like Tennessee.

  I can forgive him for trying too hard to win conservative support.

  by ten10 on Wed Sep 13, 2006 at 08:55:38 PM PDT

•  Well

  He is running in TN, not San Francisco. For TN he is probably the best Democrat you can hope for.

  by jiacinto on Wed Sep 13, 2006 at 09:02:15 PM PDT

  •  I refuse to believe that Tennessee is that bad

    The great state of Tennessee is home to the world-class Vanderbilt University, some of the most beautiful wilderness in the country, some of the greatest musicians, writers, and other creative artists in the history of the world, and many other smart, compassionate people of all races and backgrounds. Frankly, I'm tired of hearing that Tennesseans will only elect someone who wants to shred the Constitution and send this country back to the dark ages. After all, Bush's approval ratings in Tennessee are well below 50%.

    by raatz on Wed Sep 13, 2006 at 09:34:29 PM PDT

    •  Yes it is

      "that bad". It is a red-state. A Barbara Boxer-style Democrat ain't gonna win in a state like TN.

      by jiacinto on Wed Sep 13, 2006 at 09:37:07 PM PDT

      •  Isn't this a self-fulfilling prophecy?

        Tennessee is incapable of electing anybody other than anti-liberals?

        Once a state is branded as red by supporting a Republican presidential candidate, it can never elect progressive (or even moderate) officials?

        That's apparently the conventional wisdom. But I'm not giving up on Tennessee for eternity just because it's currently branded "red."

        by raatz on Wed Sep 13, 2006 at 10:31:27 PM PDT

        •  But

          For the time being it is red. And frankly, today in 2006, it's not going to elect a Barbara-Boxer style Democrat. Maybe eventually it might be more friendly to the types of candidates that people here like, but this year isn't that that point.

          by jiacinto on Wed Sep 13, 2006 at 11:09:09 PM PDT

      •  I live here

        Don't dismiss us as "a red-state." That's the kind of thinking that lost the state to Bush in 2000. As long as you keep repeating that GOP BS, it will remain true.

        Some of us bust our asses here in Tennessee every damn day of the week to dump as much blue ink over the Tennessee portion of that electoral map as we can. Statements like that are self-fufilling, because they make it harder for us to raise money and run campaigns.

        Please don't do that, okay?

        by autoegocrat on Fri Sep 15, 2006 at 04:45:04 PM PDT

    •  uh...

      okay, let's do this point by point.

      1. Vanderbilt, the wilderness, musicians and artists have nothing to do with the state's general political ideology. Tennessee may be a lot of things, but politically, it ain't Massachusetts.

      2. Harold Ford is "someone who wants to shred the Constitution and send this country back to the dark ages"? Hyperbolic much? Jiacinto's point was that we're not going to get a hardcore liberal coming out of this state. It's just a fact. We will get a moderate like Lincoln or Pryor, and we'll be thankful to at least get 60% of his votes rather than the 0% Corker would provide.

      If attacking phantom strawmen "liberals" gets nods of approval from Tennesseeans and gets him elected, then so be it. At this point, I'd certainly sacrifice some of my dignity for a shiny new majority.

      by Johnny Gentle Famous Crooner on Wed Sep 13, 2006 at 09:39:19 PM PDT

      •  Yes, that's Ford

        Have you read his statements?

        He hates the First Amendment (separation of church and state) and loves the USA PATRIOT Act.

        If that's not shredding the Constitution, I don't know what is.

        by raatz on Wed Sep 13, 2006 at 09:57:19 PM PDT

      •  I would hate

        to see what Tennessee's general political idealogy would look like without Vanderbilt, the wilderness, it's writers, musicians and artists. Education, wilderness, and creativity "have nothing to do with" politics? How bleak.

        by palachia on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 12:24:23 AM PDT

        •  Then maybe

          you should tell that to the voters who've elected one Republican after another despite their hostility to higher education, the wilderness and the arts.

          I think you know exactly what I meant; mentioning other attractive aspects of a state doesn't necessarily explain or define how its people select their politicians. I'm sure Alabama, Oklahoma, Idaho, etc., all have their fair share of wilderness, universities, and artists, as well.

          by Johnny Gentle Famous Crooner on Mon Sep 18, 2006 at 11:17:58 AM PDT

    •  You are right

      It's not that bad... it's worse.

      I go home to Memphis a few times a year and once I get there I can't WAIT to leave.

      by angst on the outskirts on Wed Sep 13, 2006 at 10:28:04 PM PDT

    •  Well,

      I don't see Ford, Jr. shredding the Constitution and sending the country back to the dark ages.  And Tennessee, unfortunately, did choose someone who would over our own native son (although one of Gore's mistakes was taking Tennessee for granted).  And it may just be that some of what Ford, Jr. is saying is done to avoid Gore's mistake.  Fact is, Ford, Jr. wasn't raised in Tennessee, and didn't go to Vandy.  He was raised in Washington, and went to law school at the University of Michigan.  So he needs to make a special effort to be a Tennessean.  If he doesn't get it pitch-perfect--well, he is, after all, working hard at being a first, and all beginnings are hard.

      by Tenn Wisc Dem on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 06:45:29 PM PDT

•  I Am All For Conservative Democrats...

  Hell, in my district I would probably be considered one of them.

  That having been said, he can sound conservative themes without shitting all over "the liberals." I have seen a number of ads from candidates around the country (Brad Ellsworth comes to mind) manage to do it.

  I like Ford a great deal, but this ingratiating himself by crapping in his own party has got to stop.

  Christ, didn't we run Joementia out on a rail for basically the same thing???

  by Steve Singiser on Wed Sep 13, 2006 at 09:18:16 PM PDT

  •  Ford strikes me as Joementum of the South

    That said, I hope he wins because he'll vote for Harry Reid as Senate Majority Leader. And I'm hoping he'll grow in office.

    by raatz on Wed Sep 13, 2006 at 09:20:29 PM PDT

•  I'm a big Ford

  fan, but what does he gain by bashing Democrats in other parts of the country? If he's more conservative then most Democrats then fine, he's allowed to believe whatever he wants. Although I agree with most of his positions, I just don't see how it helps a Democrat, no matter where he's running, to bash other Democrats.

  by zoso553 on Wed Sep 13, 2006 at 10:16:11 PM PDT

•  I grew up in Memphis

  and outside of Memphis and Nashville... this is the best we can hope for.

  He has two big things against him... he's not a Republican and he's not white.

  An uphill battle in TN to say the least.

  It's a baby step in the right direction, and it's better than nothing.

  by angst on the outskirts on Wed Sep 13, 2006 at 10:27:08 PM PDT

•  Tennessee Bill of Rights Celebration

  http://www.aclu-tn.org/...

  November 4, 2006 (Nashville)

  by raatz on Wed Sep 13, 2006 at 10:43:19 PM PDT

  •  Keynote Speaker: Rev. James Lowson

    But according to Ford, liberals hate Christians or think that all Christians are conservatives (or something).

    by raatz on Wed Sep 13, 2006 at 10:52:16 PM PDT

•  Cut the crap, Ford

  I hope you win.

  But stop parroting the RNC-Fox News talking points.

  You can win without them.  It takes courage, intelligence, imagination, and integrity. I'm sure you have plenty of all these qualities.  So stop being lazy and selling out your political allies with cheap inside-the-Beltway "conventional wisdom."

  If you keep up the GOP-talk, you're never going to get a dime of support from me.  

  In any race.  Ever.

  If you really love Jesus, stop bragging about it and act like Him.

  Cut the crap, and win with some dignity.  

  by chumley on Wed Sep 13, 2006 at 11:28:59 PM PDT

  •  Thanks, I needed that!

    I appreciate the boost!

    by raatz on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 01:33:12 AM PDT

  •  That was awesome

    I'm late in arriving to this diary, but I still have to say that was an excellent comment.

    by autoegocrat on Fri Sep 15, 2006 at 04:50:36 PM PDT

•  Stop bad mouthing us, Harold

  We used to go to Tennessee for a few days a year to the casinos.  The people who work there have a sullen unhappy attitude.  I have seen the white manager yelling at the black woman at the cashier’s desk. It is 1950 there.  

  I am liberal and have a son in law in the military as his career.  I love the military .There are fine people in the military that would die for this country.  I am glad they are on our side, but I am not happy with the military being sent to Iraq.  Some fantastic soldiers have died over there.  That is a shame they have been put in that position.  

  I am religious, too.  I am more concerned about the wasted lives and killing of innocents, especially the children in Iraq, Lebanon and Afghanistan than anything else. Jesus said, “What you have done to the least among us you have also done to me.”

  Just because some go to church every time the door is open doesn’t mean they are decent people. Some thump their bibles, then rob you at the point of a pen. The cruelest acts have been committed by people who did them for religious reasons.  Some administrations raid the people’s treasury while spouting their religious superiority.  

  My best friend was an atheist and you couldn’t meet a finer person.  Very honest and compassionate.  

  It isn’t what you say, it is what you do that counts.

  Ford did the same bad handling of Joe momentum.  He kept saying he wasn’t going to take sides, but kept taking Joe’s side even after Lamont was the Democrat.  

  I would rather see Ford win, than the republican,  but he should clean up his act. Then when he wins we need to put pressure on him and the other dlc New Democrats.

  by relentless on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 02:06:38 AM PDT

  •  Casinos in TN?

    There are no casinos in Tennessee, Mississippi maybe-just across the border but not in TN. So your characterization of it being 1950 here are off base.

    by biscuithead on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 05:25:34 AM PDT

    •  You are right

      I didn't make that clear. The casinoes are in Missisippi. We spent a lot of time in Memphis and saw bars on store windows. We saw Elvis's home. The workers in the restaurants in the casinoes were very sullen and unhappy.  But it was bad in Memphis too.

      My daughter had to go to Little Rock a lot due to a serious health problem. Rather than sit at the hospital, we would go everywhere that sounded interesting in between testing. Fortunately, she got to go with us. We would spend nights in the Casinoes in Mississippi and sometimes we stayed in Memphis.  We usually had to get up early to make it to Little Rock.

      by relentless on Fri Sep 15, 2006 at 12:21:57 PM PDT

•  Is Tennessee "That Bad"?

  Yeah, in some ways it is.  There are a lot of people here who vote, and who buy into the GOP narrative so strongly that they cannot imagine any other reality.

  Part of the reason is that they have been electing GOP and conservative politicians since Reagan. All of the politicians they like and all of the fundamentalist preachers they respect are on-message all the time.  In fact, conservatism is near about a religion unto itself down here - not just Tennessee but through most of the south.

  Good Democratic politicans that are well liked is part of the solution, but only if they are willing to offer a narrative that can be seen by the people as a non-heretical alternative to the Church of Republican.  I would like to think that Harold Ford, Jr. can be one of those people.  He's certainly smart enough.  He's certainly popular enough. The question is whether he is intereseted in leading Tennessee out of the wilderness, or only interested in getting himself a seat in the Senate.

  It's true that no one to the right of Ford will get elected statewide in Tennessee - and I do like him.  I was just very disappointed in his rhetoric.

  It's also true that Tennessee is not "that bad".  You can find a whole lot of good people here.  Even a lot of the acolytes in the church of Republican are good people with a skewed world-view.  Hell, some of them are my family members.

  There is quite a bit of natural beauty here, and a strong community spirit.  There are still footholds where a nice progressive community can begin building.  Don't count us out of the game yet.

  by smijer on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 04:02:51 AM PDT

  •  This part is good

    Good Democratic politicans that are well liked is part of the solution, but only if they are willing to offer a narrative that can be seen by the people as a non-heretical alternative to the Church of Republican.

    But you've lost me after that. Steve Cohen is to the left of everyone, and he's likely to win in TN-09. Bill Morrison is nipping at the heels of "Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!" in TN-07. Tennessee is not red or blue, it's purple if it's anything at all, and if it's effing red, then we can change that in time with sincere effort and hard work.

    Come on! If you don't believe in your party, your values, and your home state, who else will?

    by autoegocrat on Fri Sep 15, 2006 at 04:57:24 PM PDT

•  I've got a lot of problems with this

  For starters, if he had said "Liberals in Memphis think..." instead  of "Washington" I think you'd all agree, based on numerous comments here.
  After that I'd like to refute most of your points.

  1. The following Democrats voted to reauthorize the Patriot Act:

  Bud Cramer, Artur Davis, Marion Berry, Victor Snyder, Mike Ross, Dennis Cardoza, Brad Sherman, Adam Schiff, Jane Harmon, Mark Udall, John Salazar, Sandford Biship, Jim Marshall, John Borrow, David Scott, Ed Case, Leonard Boswell, Daniel Lipinski, Rahm Emmanual, Melissa Bean, Dennis Moore, Ben Chandler, Charlie Melancon, C.A. Ruppersburger, Ben Cardin, Albert Wynn, Steny Hoyer, Chris van Hollen, Sander Levin, Russ Carnahan, Ike Skelton, Gene Taylor, Bob Etheridge, Mike McIntyre, Brad Miller, Rob Andrews, Bill Pascrell, Steven Rothman, Steve Israel, Carolyn McCarthy, Brian Higgens, Ted Strickland, Marcy Kaptur, Dan Boren, Paul Kanjorski, Jack Murtha, Allyson Schwartz, Tim Holden, Jim Langevin, John Spratt, Stephanie Herseth, Bill Jenkins, Lincoln Davis, Harold Ford, Chet Edwards, Solomon Ortiz, Gene Green, Jim Matheson, Rick Larsen, Brian Baird, Norm Dicks, Adam Smith, Ron Kind.

  Constitution shredders, all of em!

  That was really raatz's point, but you seem to be right behind him.
  Kick the bums out!
  I can make a similar list of those who voted to ban gay marriage, if you want.  And a really big list of Democrats who authorized military force in Iraq.  I think that was a pretty overwhelming vote.
  I'm just saying, if you want to lynch attack people for voting like this, attack all of them.  Why single out this guy?

  After that, I'd also like to point out that Ford has supported legislation favoring civil rights for gays, favoring a woman's right to an abortion (and in fact the legislation he voted that would ban partial-birth abortion would allow for such an abortion to save the mother's life), and has strongly opposed school vouchers.

  After that, I'd like to admit that I read that quote a dozen times and still didn't read

  Ford says, "Democrats hate Jesus and the military.  Vote for me, I am like Lieberman, I am not a Democrat, either."

  Fighting lies with more lies? Who's the Republican here?

  by Sidof79 on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 03:21:19 PM PDT

  •  Liberals in WA

    ... it's still wrong, it just narrows the group of people about whom it is wrong.

    I'm not attacking him for his votes.  I'm attacking him for his lying rhetoric, which comes straight out of the Universal Smearing of Democrats playbook, co-authored by all the sleazy slimeballs from the GOP you're likely to be able to remember.

    With his votes, I support him.  With his lies about liberals for his own gain, when there is a better and smarter way to shore up his conservative creds - not so much.

    by smijer on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 05:23:17 PM PDT

    •  I'm not supporing his comment

      but it was just that.  A comment.  One of many.  If it hadn't been diaried here, it probably would have been largely ignored.  Which I think is an appropriate fate.

      I understand that people can be upset with Harold Ford, Jr., for any one of a handful of reasons.  I personally would love to see a day when there were no Jesus Lovers in congress whatsoever, but I know I'll never see that day.  In the meantime, I'll support the Democratic candidate to the Senate from the state of Tennessee.  Because we have bigger fish to fry, and we need as many D's as we can find.

      by Sidof79 on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 05:30:38 PM PDT

  •  In other words,

    "let the one who is without sin cast the first stone."  

    by Tenn Wisc Dem on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 06:51:00 PM PDT

•  I love Jesus

  My dad is a Minister and he loves Jesus too but he calls me a liberal (I think Jesus is a liberal too)(My dad doesn't know it but he is a liberal, he believe injustice is immoral, we are immigrants an he is very unhappy with what the Republicans are pulling, lack of opportunity is immoral, dishonesty is immoral, I still have hope for my dad, sadly Republicans have been playing Christians for fools)

  by Abraham Running For Congress When I Turn 25 on Thu Sep 14, 2006 at 06:10:28 PM PDT