For Harold Ford, Jr., a "soft landing and lofty platform"

[DeepModem Mom]

WP political blog, "The Fix," by Chris Cillizza
01/29/2007
Harold Ford Jr.'s Seat at the Party


Harold Ford Jr. is the new head of the influential Democratic Leadership Council. (AP File Photo)

The new chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council hopes to follow in the footsteps of a former leader of the centrist group, a man who bounced back from defeat in a statewide race to go on to much higher political office. That man, of course, was Bill Clinton.

But for now, Harold Ford Jr. is content with the soft landing and lofty platform the DLC chairmanship affords him after his closer-than-expected loss in the Tennessee Senate race last year.

At first glance Ford and the DLC appear to be a perfect fit. First elected in 1996 to a House seat his father formerly held for more than two decades, the younger Ford has been forced to beat back the idea that he is a lightweight on issues. His seat atop the DLC should considerably strengthen his heft on domestic and foreign policy matters.

The DLC will benefit too, as it is in need of a young, energetic voice having just said goodbye to former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, who is running for president in 2008....

***

While the DLC has drawn considerable criticism from the liberal blogosphere for advocating so-called Republican lite policies, Ford insisted that the organization is miscast by its Democratic detractors. "I don't view it as a conservative or liberal or moderate or not moderate," he said. "If you have a great idea, a strong idea you have the best minds in our party to work with." (DLC founder Al From, however, sounded a more feisty note: "Democrats have to win as a coalition party," he said. "We can't win any other way.")...

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/

[tularetom]

1. How in the hell is being in charge of the DLC

going to dispel the idea that he is a lightweight on issues? Every time he opened his mouth during his campaign he proved exactly that. Ford and the DLC deserve each other; both are completely irrelevant.

[KoKo]

2. So...Chris Cillizza is on the Harold Ford, DLC Chair Bandwagon...

that's all I need to know. Next it will be Howie Kurtz and maybe eventually David Brooks. :eyes:

[TankLV]

3. ... to better spread his hatred and homophobia and bigotry...

fuck him.

[MrRobotsHolyOrders]

5. That's not fair

Harold Ford doesn't hate all gay people, just gay people who'd like to be treated as equal human beings.

[madfloridian]

6. Truer words never spoken.

I was appalled at his stance on this issue. Well said.

[MrRobotsHolyOrders]

10. For serious

Always nice to be in such fine company, Mad Floridian.

[CTLawGuy]

7. oh he HAD

to take that position, because LOOKIE, tennessee voted 80% - 20% in favor of a gay marriage ban. :eyes:

Not like he should have showed leadership instead. Frankly I think 80% of Tennessee should be ashamed of itself.

[MrRobotsHolyOrders]

9. The difference is

I get that the situation on the ground for a lot of Democrats means you've got to be pragmatic, but Harold Ford took it a step farther. His campaign left little doubt that he wasn't just denying Corker a wedge issue, he actually shared Corker's hatred of homosexuals.

If that's really what its come to to win statewide in Tennesse, fuck it. We don't need the seat that badly.

[Clark2008]

11. Well, I'm glad no one on this thread lives here.

You know, there are a lot of good Democrats in the state who will now be saddled with the inexperience and incompetence of Bob Corker, along with the other lightweight, Lamar Alexander.

Look, I hate the DLC as much as most people here, but Ford was head and shoulders a better alternative for working Tennessee families than Corker. Head and shoulders a better alternative on many issues than Corker.

You all can blast Ford all you want, but, as of now, Tennesseans - good Democrats and wool-pulled-over-their-eyes swing voters - will have to suffer the eventual ineffectiveness of our "leaders" in Congress and this state can ill afford it.

If you want Tennesseans to continue to swing blue (and they are, slowly but surely), then I would suggest that some of you come down here and help educate. We haven't got the best media outlets in the world down here. In fact, if it weren't for right wing radio, we'd have no radio at all.

We have to break the final 3 percent Juggernaut somehow.

[Claire Beth]

13. well, said! .....

I agree with you. More needs to be done to educate the people who continually vote against their own interest.

:dem:

[MrRobotsHolyOrders]

14. Honestly?

'Pick the lesser of two biggots' is lame, and Harold Ford is now chairing a group bent on unseating the man who wants to keep states like yours still on the national agenda. Everything about him is worse than awful, and that we're not burdened in the senate by a guy who only seems to know how to score points by trashing other party members, well, I'll live.

I'm sorry you're inflicted with Corker, though.

[KingFlorez]

16. All good points

[KingFlorez]

15. There are Republicans much worse than him

[MrRobotsHolyOrders]

4. Odd

Tom Vilsack seems to think the foreign policy positions of the the group he used to chair to be deadly electoral poison.

Maybe Harold Ford, apparently a roaring success for only losing by less than most people had expected, can show us the error of our winning ways.

[Armstead]

8. Here's the whoile problem with DLC types

"I don't view it as a conservative or liberal or moderate or not moderate," he said. "If you have a great idea, a strong idea you have the best minds in our party to work with."

BULLSHIT.

While in theory we should consider ideas and issues on their own merits, the fact is that they usually can be tagged as liberal or conservative.

The whole problem with the Democrats is that they were running away from liberalism, while the republicans were embracing conservatism.

Thus the US was left without anyone in power fighting for the average people and the disadvantaged. Our economy and power was handed to the Corporate Oligarchy by the Conservatives, while Democrats waffled.

[snowbear]

12. I'm not a fan of the DLC.. but Harold Ford, Jr. is a sweetheart and KUDOS to him!

I'm glad he landed the DLC gig and is also teaching.

~~~

Rock on Howard!