Harold Ford Jr. on the struggle for the Democrats' soul
Comment: Mr Ford like his big brother Obama need to go somewhere and get an identity of their own. Here are two educated guys who think things should be handed to them because they can speak well, please. You have to earn the right to be a congressmen or president but these two guy don't seem to think so. I guess they are both from the same cloth and that cloth needs to be thrown away before someone gets hurt.
Comment: I liked how Jeffrey Bartholet caught Mr Ford in an obvious cover up. While Mr Ford might read this and convince others of a misunderstanding, I think we can all read this in good conscience and decipher what Mrs Clinton really means to the DLC vice that of what Mr Ford claims. It was a nice piece of journalism to follow up like Mr Bartholet did and to keep it in the final edit of this interview.
If anything, this interview sort of depicts Mr ford as the consummate moderate who neither leans left nor right. For that reason, he inevitably doesn't stand for anything. Perhaps if he did, he may have faired better in his campaign in Tennessee. I think the voters there saw that despite all of the sizzle in his campaigns, in the end when push came to shove he was indeed transparant.
Comment: the DLC needs to be destroyed. the clintons and the DLC almost destroyed this party. They are republican lite. If Hillary is our nominee we get another DLC rule and Dr. Dean, who saved this party from oblivion and made us viable again, will be replaced and the progressives destroyed. that is what they are looking for. They are threatened by the progressives and want us to be republicans. Most democrats hate the DLC.
Comment: Whatever Mr. Ford said is his opinion. I am a registered Democrat and here's what I think.
Government doesn't owe every living breathing person health care - particularly when you all want to keep the freedom to smoke, drink, drug and eat yourselves into obesity, diabetes, hypertension, cancer, alcoholism, drug addiction and the like. I support universal healthcare for MINORS only - birth to 18. Children cannot control the actions of their parents.
I do not want my hard earned money taxed at exorbitant rates to pay for slackers and weird art projects sponsored by the national arts council. Unless it starts doing research related to the people on earth - all funding for NASA should be eliminated.
The war in IRAQ is stupid. Troops need to come home now. All US citizens who wish to attend college - particularly those out of high school should be able to obtain grants and loans on a sliding income scale. The lowest income students should get grants over loans whenever possible and the grant caps should be raised at half the average rate of increase in public university tuition.
Being a Democrat should not mean we cater to the LOUD and UNRULY leftists. We should craft plans and programs that benefit the MAJORITY of the tax paying citizens - even the republicans.
Comment: Harold Ford is one of those "in name only" Democrats. In fact, he's probably a Democrat because if he wasn't, his former constituency in Memphis wouldn't have elected him to the House. Ford is a major ass-kisser to the Right and his words give him away every time. In fact, I remember a Bush state of the union speech early in the Bush presidency, where Ford appeared on "Hardball," I believe, and said that "the president hit a 'home run' with his speech." He was gushing in his praise.
His Newsweek interview was about what you would expect from this guy -- and of course he his ilk in the DLC were "pro-war," hey, they went along with Bush all the way.
We shouldn't "overtax" people? You KNOW what Ford's talking about here -- he's talking about the richest Americans who've been skating by under the Bush administration and they're the same one Ford's in bed with at Merrill Lynch. You've got to wonder what this guy does at Merrill, anyway....
I'm glad Ford lost his Senate race, we do not need a Democrat who runs to the right of the Republican position on most issues.
Harold Ford can go to hell.
Comment: It may be worth remembering that the only Democrat elected President in the last 23 years was Bill Clinton, a former Chairman and founder of the DLC.
Comment: It maybe worth remembering that the only Democrat elected President in the last 24years was Bill Clinton, a former Chairman and organizer of the DLC.
Comment: Concerning your interview about the Democratic Losers Council....,I would appreciate it if white people stopped dumping every dark skin white person onto the Black race.Stop giving us the garbage that you do not want>>>>Harold Ford nor the DLC truly supports the true values of Democracy.They are nothing but Republican enablers.
Comment: Concerning your interview about the Democratic Losers Council....,I would appreciate it if white people stopped to lump every dark skin white person with the Black race.Stop giving us the garbage that you do not want>>>>Harold Ford nor the DLC truly supports the true values of Democracy
Comment: I totally disagree with the notion that the DLC represents the preponderance of Democratic Party thought.
Notwithstanding the overblown opinion of Rahm Emanuel, the Dems took control of the house because the we want out of Iraq, because we are tired of lies and half truths, because we are ready for single payer national health care. Because the vast majority of democratic party members know that the DLC is nothing more than republicans posing as democrats. This writer had the honor of serving as Chief of Staff to a member of congress (now deceased) who knew what it meant to be a Democrat. At least with a republican you know what you are getting. The Clinton years were nothing more than the republicans with cream and sugar.
Comment: Gminor
Comment: I agree. Far left netroots groups make a lot of noise and drum up a lot of negative attention. Idiotic headlines like General Betray Us make us Democrats look anti-military. I personally served in the military for 6 years and was appalled when that article appeared in the New York Times. My wife, whom just returned from Afghanistan and also a Democrat, was offended as well. We need a win, and far left idealists stand to ruin putting a Democrat in office. The majority of this country tends to be very moderate, which is why I support Hillary Clinton's move to the center. Whether it's political strategy and manuvering or not, who cares? We need a win! With this country is disarray financially and socially, and a foreign policy that has alienated us from the rest of the world, I ask you, do we go with the new kid on the block? Is it worth the risk? Or do we go with business as usual, someone who know's the inner workings of both Congress and the White House? MoveOn.org, Daily Kos and the like need to ease up a little. Would they rather another 4 years of Republican leadership? I know I don't want that. We need a win, period!
Comment: More words of wisdom from inside the beltway bubble. Mr. Ford has spent too much time in a small room discussing the state of the world with Fox News analysts and non-existent presidential candidate debaters. Another Faustian presidential tale? I hope the American public has learned that lesson, kowtowing to interest groups and financial concerns is what has gotten us into this mess.
Comment: Mr. Ford makes a lot of common sense. The three things any new governement has to do is right on target. Let's get over the right and left wing of the party and do what is right for the country and for our future generations
Comment: I DON'T FEEL THAT THERE ARE NOT ANY ELECTABLE CANDIDATES THERE, ANY THAT HAS A CLEAR PICTURE. FOR THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY TO BECOME VICTORIOUS THERE HAS TO BE A CANDIDATE WHO WILL APPEAL TO THE "GOOD OLD BOYS". HILLARY, OBAMA WILL NOT CUT IT.....THIS IS REALITY.....I WAS HOPING THAT SAM NUNN OF GEORGIA WOULD THROW HIS HAT IN THE RING....
Comment: Asked the good ole boys out here in the Big west who'd they vote for first. We may not be 100% reb' but we sure do look the same. And after the Bush Republicans exposed themselves as elitist, some of dem boys down south might just have had enough of that plutocracy like we did out here in the west.
Comment: I'm curious, "elitist"? I am a mid westerner, never thought of them as elitist, bought and paid for, yes. I guess my elitist nerve only twinges when I hear a big vocabulary. No danger there.
Comment: Bush,"Some people may call you the HAVES and the HAVE MORES, I call you my base." Pay more attention soberbar to what is being said, instead of how its being said.
Comment: I DON'T FEEL THAT THERE ARE NOT ANY ELECTABLE CANDIDATES THERE, ANY THAT HAS A CLEAR PICTURE. FOR THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY TO BECOME VICTORIOUS THERE HAS TO BE A CANDIDATE WHO WILL APPEAL TO THE "GOOD OLD BOYS". HILLARY, OBAMA WILL NOT CUT IT.....THIS IS REALITY.....I WAS HOPING THAT SAM NUNN OF GEORGIA WOULD THROW HIS HAT IN THE RING....
Comment: I DON'T FEEL THAT THERE ARE NOT ANY ELECTABLE CANDIDATES THERE, ANY THAT HAS A CLEAR PICTURE. FOR THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY TO BECOME VICTORIOUS THERE HAS TO BE A CANDIDATE WHO WILL APPEAL TO THE "GOOD OLD BOYS". HILLARY, OBAMA WILL NOT CUT IT.....THIS IS REALITY.....I WAS HOPING THAT SAM NUNN OF GEORGIA WOULD THROW HIS HAT IN THE RING....
Comment: Sam Nunn is actually someone I could support. A Nunn/Ford ticket would have the Moveon folks flopping all over themselves, but would be a formidable force in the south and elsewhere.
Draft Sam!
Comment: I wish Harold Ford Jr. would of fleshed out the DLC's iraq position more. Especially, with chatter from the con pundits thinking the suprression of violence is somehow indictative of a pyrrhic victory. I only have two questions for them: Have we won yet? and what do we do now? I was for the war and then the sheer mismanagement cause me to turn against it. I believed in 2004 and 2006 that Bush did not deserve a redo, after 400 billion dollars and 2800 dead, no redo. Yes, I still believe that Iraq is far from a Pyrrhic victory being that we can't reinforce the lid suppressing violence unless we extend our troops to 21 months and start a draft and the US becomes energy independent. .
Comment: hey now
Comment: Ford lost his race here in TN because of his catering to the illegals in this country.
Comment: Wasn't ford against Bush's legalization bill?
Comment: I LOVED Harold Ford, Jr., until he showed himself to be a smarmy little turncoat weasel during the Don Imus debacle. He'd go on the Imus show, act all self-deprecating, end the segment with "I love you" to Don, and then callously turned his back on his so-called friend the moment the chips were down. I wouldn't trust him to walk my dog. Don't know how he stands so straight without a spine.
Comment: This is exactly why I'm caucusing for Joe Biden in Iowa. All the other D candidates can easily be taken to task concerning terrorism and support for the military.
Comment: I hear you stunt donkey, I love biden in New Mexico.
Comment: This is exactly why we need to nominate Joe Biden. Hillary, Obama and Edwards are too polarizing to win the general election. All the other D candidates can easily be taken to task when it comes to terrorism and the military.
Comment: I'm and African-American women in her 40's and I have always liked Joe Biden. I don't live in a state where the primaries matter, but my vote would be for him. He is practical, experienced and makes more sense then all of them. I didn't use to think so, but now I beleive that Barak needs more experiencs and too much is at stake for him to learn as you go. And Hillary seems like she will keep everything as a status quo. The Republicans would'nt help her pick money from a tree if it was all going to them. Nothing will be done because of this.
Comment: Harold Ford Jr., has the forthright and vision for the Democratic party. He certainly knows what he is talking about. According to his conversation, he has laid out the winning strategies for the Democrat. Now the Democrats has to come together and believe in the values that the majority of the American people believes in that is to Govern from the middle as President Clinton successfully done so. The Democrats do not need to confront each other but facilitate a winning policy that can appeal to the American people. I think Mr. Ford may himself along with President Clinton formulate a policy that it not only gives the American people confidence to vote for them but will look for their leadership for generations to come.
As Mr. Ford so rightfully asserted that if we do not have a strategy how to fight a war globally like the war we are fighting in Iraq, we will be bound to make similar mistake that Bush Administration has done. We have to engage the world in doing so than only we can win the hearts and minds of the people around the world and can defeat terrorism. Therefore, all of us has to work on such strategies in order to uproot terrorism from the face of this world. E=Therefore, we need to have a strtegy that will carry both carrott and sticks at the same time as in the case with countries like North Korea, Iran or any other rogue states that sponsors terrorism.
So, readers must look to the leadership that Harold Ford and President Clinton are trying to do. We need a country with strong Defense, strong economy and above all strong political base. I believe these are the winning combination to winning the hearts and minds of American people. Mr. Ford, keep up the good work!
Comment: If you're a Democrat it's got to be disheartening to see the extreme left steering the party onto the rocks of political disaster. It's way too easy for them to gather in their "progressive" conclaves and believe their out-of-mainstream thinking is suddenly mainstream.
If they dismiss the DLC, it will be at their own peril.
As a Republican, I could care less whether they wake up and realize that their myopic view of the world will ultimately result in their demise.
As long as they keep sipping the Kool-Aid Republicans still have a chance to be revelant in the current political climate.
Who would have thought that possible given the state of things in recent years? Not me...
Thanks, Kos.
Comment: "Kool- Aid Republicans", I like that term. It's very appropriate.
Comment: And there are more than a few Kool-Aid Democrats too. KoolAid provided by the failures known as Terry McAuliffe, Harold Ford, Al From, the DLC and K Street.
The DLC is but one PAC within the Democratic Party. They had their day. We got Bushco twice as a result.
Comment: And of course that is exactly what I was trying to say. You are very clever to pick up on that. Your parents must be very proud.
Comment: If you're a Democrat it's got to be disheartening to see the extreme left steering the party onto the rocks of political disaster. It's way too easy for them to gather in their "progressive" conclaves and believe their out-of-mainstream thinking is suddenly mainstream.
If they dismiss the DLC, it will be at their own peril.
As a Republican, I could care less whether they wake up and realize that their myopic view of the world will ultimately result in their demise.
As long as they keep sipping the Kool-Aid Republicans still have a chance to be revelant in the current political climate.
Who would have thought that possible given the state of things in recent years? Not me...
Thanks, Kos.
Comment: Mr. Ford is a man who supported the war (still does), the bankruptcy bill, gay marriage amendment to the constitution, Bush, etc. He told a group at the University of Memphis that he loves this president. He is a republican calling himself a Democrat. I voted for him against Corker because he was the lesser of two evils, in order to give Dems a larger number in the senate. He cares about money above all like the rest of his family. In my oppinion he is irrelevant as is the DLC.
Comment: Harold Ford's DLC is extremely close to irrelevance. its policies have failed. It was once ascendant, but now is stuck in the mud due to its history of complete acquiescence to the Republicans and Bush. Democrats can't continue to knuckle under to what Ford calls centrist and what we know to be right-wing. Ford continues to attempt to quash the people-powered politics of DailyKos and Howard Dean for one purpose: keep K street lobbyists paying the bills. Yawn. We're done with you Harold. Get out of the way or you'll get run over.
Comment: Remind me; who's the DLC again? Aren't they that group that...how can I put this....Oh I know;what if they had a Democrat Presidential debate and nobody came? I remember now. All the Dems were at the Daily Kos shindig. Or was it Moveontothelooneyleft.org? That's quite the gig you've got there, Harold. You're running a group that nobody listens to. If I were young Mr. Ford, I'd find a better use for my time. He'd be better off using his time to try and keep his relatives ouy of jail. If you ask me.
Comment: The DLC? Isn't that the group...How can I say this? What if they had a debate and nobody came? Yeah. Nobody came because they were all at the Daily Kos shindig. Or was it Moveontotheleft.org? One of those lunatic groups. It must be nice to head up a group that,basically,sits around a table and talks to nobody. If I were to advize young Mr.Ford, I'd say his time would be better spent trying to keep his relatives outta jail instead of peeing in the wind to no audience.
Comment: "I caution anybody who continues to talk about the past on this issue?" Mr. Ford, are you out of your freaking mind? Surely you cannot believe that the way we got into our current predicament is of no relevance to figuring out how to get out of it...?
Comment: "I caution anybody who continues to talk about the past on this issue?" Mr. Ford, are you out of your freaking mind?
Comment: Ford is spot on. The majority of Americans are in the center and actually make fun of the fringeys. The goals he cites for national security, healthcare, entitlement reforms, and taxes really are the ticket for victory in '08 -- if the Demo-lefties will listen. Why else do you suppose Hillary has a 2:1 lead over Obama? The longer the party refuses to unite around the next nominee, the greater the Republicans' chances will be. After all, Democratic in-fighting has happened before, hasn't it.
Comment: Ford is right on. The vast majority of Americans are in the center. The goals he is setting regarding national security, health care, entitlement reforms, and taxes -- if listened to by the Demo-lefties -- may very well be enough to win the next election. But then again, the fringeys on both the left and right do tend to "eat their young."
Comment: During the last 7 years, the Republican neo-cons, with the help of the religious right have taken us into an unecessary, disastious war, squandered our national treasure, desimated our armys, shredded our rights under the constitution and made us the most hated and/or laughed at country in the world. They have sold our government to the highest bidder. They have allowed cheap labor into this country to fuel the profits of these bidders. These bidders have, in turn, shipped millions of jobs out of this country, looted pension funds and made sure that the top 1% of the richest people in this country control 90% of the wealth. All this with the blessing of the congress, both Republicans and Democrats, whom they bought and put in office. Now Mr. Ford is trying to tell us that if we (Democrats) want to win,
we must court and compromise with the very people who have nearly distroyed this country in the first place. I for one am tired of compromise. If you want to cure a cancer it must be cut out completely or it will grow back. So it is with the political structure that now runs our government. And, we will never get rid of the cancer of corruption that now runs Washington unless we refuse to nominate or elect politicians who accept money from and pass laws for the corporate elite. Compromise is just another word for more of the same.
Comment: The heart and soul of the Democratic Party cannot allowed to be derailed by by Ford or Hillary who sell out the truth for electability--if the American people are so easily positioned to accept lies and loss of freedoms so cherished and founded in the Constitution, then they can have Bush Chenney--Rudi Mitt or God fearin Huckabee. Pretending to value freedom and protecting it through vigilance against the right are polar opposites. It seems to be our legacy that Halburton will continue to rule all politics. The only escape is reject Ford Hillary and the right.
Comment: By cerrulis standards. No one is acceptable. Remeber when the Indians exploded an Atomic Bomb? Everyone here was horrified. The Indian response "We promised we would to win the election. How can we NOT keep our promise?" The State Department response: "No American polititican keeps election promises, why should we think the Indians would be different?"
Comment: No, the Pseudo-Dems don't have to demonstrate any of those things. What they DO need to demonstrate is a. A backbone, and b. trustworthiness to keep the promises they make. Anything less in unacceptable.
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