Both Paul Wellstone and Harold Ford voted for the Defense of Marriage Act. You know, the law that does the exact same thing as the constitutional amendment that Ford supports now?
When I worked for Paul, back in 1999, I asked him about his vote. At first, he joked that he was more conservative than I thought he was. But then he got more serious, and tried to convince me that he voted for DOMA because he had been married for a very long time and was a traditionalist when it came to marriage. That's what he told the public at that time too.
I didn't believe him. I knew he was in the middle of a reelection fight, and probably just made the vote he needed to make to get reelected. Later he acknowledged that his vote was a mistake in his book, Conscience of a Liberal.
I admired Paul back then, in 1999, despite his vote for DOMA. And I still admire him today. He had a profound impact on my life.
Paul voted against his deeply-held beliefs because he needed to win a tight election. I still wish he hadn't done that, but I know that America was better off with Paul Wellstone in the Senate. I also know his vote wouldn't have made a lick of difference for gay rights, but it would have made a difference for a lot of us if he lost his bid for re-election.
That's why I don't disrespect Harold Ford for his recent comments on the constitutional amendment. By all accounts, Ford has always been anti-gay marriage. He voted for DOMA and for a constitutional amendment twice. Whether he's voting his beliefs or voting out of expediency, I know he can't be pro-gay marriage and win in Tennessee. It just can't be done right now. Sad, but true.
Do I disagree with Ford? Sure. Almost all of us do. But I'm practical enough to know that sometimes politicians can't always vote my way if they want to win. Paul Wellstone couldn't, and Harold Ford definitely can't if he wants to win in Tennessee. You know, the same place that elects Bill Frist?
Right now, Ford is in a tossup race against Bob Corker for Frist's seat. He's been the target of a disgusting, racist campaign by the GOP. And he's fighting hard. He's a good candidate and he might just pull out a win.
A vote for Harold Ford is a vote for Harry Reid as Majority Leader, for Ted Kennedy as Chair of the Immigration Committee, and so on. We should not be holding Ford to a higher standard than we hold Paul Wellstone and nearly every other Dem politician (from Clinton to Kerry to Edwards) who casts votes we hate.
We should be thanking our lucky stars we have a candidate as strong as Ford running in Tennessee. His campaign is our hope for winning the Senate. Now instead of tearing him down, get off your ass and contribute.