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If you've been watching election returns on the cable news networks this season, chances are that you've seen a lot of Harold Ford. Ford began his stint as a political contributor with Fox News in 2007, making the switch to MSNBC in March, 2008. Since that time, he's been quick to offer advice to Barack Obama and Democrats across the country who seek seats in the great blue wave of '08. But just who is Harold Ford to be shaping the current? In his ten years as congressman from Tennessee, Ford established a reputation as ready to break with progressives, his party and/or basic common sense.
Once one of Anne Coulter's "favorite Democrats," Ford has been relatively sequestered to leadership of the centrist DLC. Having failed in bids for House Minority leader in 2002, US Senate in '06, and by some accounts DNC Chairman, Ford seems to be losing the competition with progressives for leadership in the senior party.
Ambitious as they come, Ford will no doubt continue to inject his presence into the general election campaign. However, it will ultimately be up to Democrats to decide where Ford goes next. In the meantime, progressives would benefit to ask what the Big Bend stater's dubious record on issues like abortion, alternative fuels, campaign finance, domestic partnership, domestic spying, immigration, Iraq, prayer in public schools and trade means to opening a real progressive window.
Details below the fold...
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November, 2002: After a disappointing loss in the midterm elections, Blue Dog Harold Ford challenges Nancy Pelosi for leadership of the House Democrats:
The Tennessee Democrat was not as coy about his criticism of Pelosi, calling her "a throwback" and characterizing her style as one of "destructive opposition. We need leadership that is constructive, and not destructive and obstructive," he said. Ford sounded a bit like Ross Perot in 1992 Friday, touting his candidacy as the true avatar of change. He offered himself as "something new and different," a break with "the same old ways of the past," without delving into specific ways in which his leadership would be different than Pelosi's.
October 30, 2006: Previewing the '06 election in Tennessee, Newsweek confirms a few fears:
In Washington, Ford was eager to prove his conservative bona fides...He named Ronald Reagan as one of his historical heroes. Ann Coulter called him "one of my favorite Democrats." Andrew Parmentier, a Republican consultant with the brokerage firm Friedman, Billings, Ramsey, and a former aide to Rep. Dick Armey, befriended Ford after repeatedly running into him in the Green Room at CNBC. "I wasn't quite prepared for how conservative he was on some of the social issues," Parmentier says. "I knew he was a business conservative, but it all [comes down to] the cultural issues."
November, 2006: After losing his race to Bob Corker, Ford is floated by James Carville to replace Howard Dean at the DNC:
"Suppose Harold Ford became chairman of the DNC? How much more money do you think we could raise? Just think of the difference it could make in one day. Now probably Harold Ford wants to stay in Tennessee. I just appointed myself his campaign manager."
January 25, 2007: Ford named chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council.
On the Issues maintains an extensive list of key votes cast by Ford in his ten years as representative of Tennessee's 9th. Some highlights include Ford's unfortunate breaks with Democrats on:
Abortion
Voted YES on banning partial-birth abortion except to save mother's life.
Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003: Vote to pass a bill banning a medical procedure, which is commonly known as "partial-birth" abortion. The procedure would be allowed only in cases in which a women's life is in danger, not for cases where a women's health is in danger. Those who performed this procedure, would face fines and up to two years in prison, the women to whom this procedure is performed on are not held criminally liable.
Voted YES on banning partial-birth abortions.
HR 3660 would ban doctors from performing the abortion procedure called "dilation and extraction" [also known as "partial-birth" abortion]. The measure would allow the procedure only if the life of the woman is at risk.
Running for Senate in '06, Ford stuck by his record and called for further legislative action:
"I'm pro-life too. We've got to take steps early on, even before a woman gets pregnant, by putting character education & abstinence programs in our schools, and other legislation to reduce the number of abortions."
His pro-life record in congress earned him a 30% rating from NARAL.
Alternative Fuels
Voted NO on raising CAFE standards; incentives for alternative fuels.
Require a combined corporate average fuel efficiency [CAFE] standard for passenger automobiles and light trucks, including sport utility vehicles, of 26 mpg in 2005 and of 27.5 mpg in 2007. It also would offer incentives for alternative fuel vehicles.
Campaign Finance
Voted NO on banning soft money donations to national political parties.
Support a ban on soft money donations to national political parties but allow up to $10,000 in soft-money donations to state and local parties for voter registration and get-out-the vote activity.
Domestic Spying
In spite of his rhetoric,
Ford criticized the administration's use of illegal wiretaps, saying existing law gives the president all the powers he should need to wiretap when there is a legitimate reason to do so, from the existing so-called "secret court." Ford said that procedure should be sufficient to cover any legitimate operations. Even if it's not, he said, the president should try to change the law rather than simply violating it. "I'm against what they're doing, the way they're doing it," said Ford.
Voted YES on allowing electronic surveillance without a warrant.
Amends the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) to allow the President & Attorney General to authorize electronic surveillance without a court order to acquire foreign intelligence information, after certifying that the surveillance is directed at the acquisition of communications of foreign agents.
Gay Marriage
Voted YES on Constitutional Amendment banning same-sex marriage.
Marriage Protection Amendment - Declares that marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. Prohibits the Constitution or any State constitution from being construed to require that marital status or its legal incidents be conferred upon any union other than that of a man and a woman.
Voted YES on Constitutionally defining marriage as one-man-one-woman.
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution stating: "Marriage in the US shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. Neither this Constitution, nor the constitution of any State, shall be construed to require that marriage or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon any union other than the union of a man and a woman."
Immigration
Voted YES on building a fence along the Mexican border.
Within 18 months, achieves operational control over U.S. land and maritime borders, including:
1. systematic border surveillance through more effective use of personnel and technology; and
2. physical infrastructure enhancements to prevent unlawful border entry
Defines "operational control" as the prevention of all unlawful U.S. entries, including entries by terrorists, other unlawful aliens, narcotics, and other contraband.
Invasion of Iraq
Voted YES on authorizing military force in Iraq.
Authorization for the Use of Military Force Against Iraq: Passage of the joint resolution that would authorize President Bush to use the US military as he deems necessary and appropriate to defend U.S. national security against Iraq and enforce UN Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq.
Prayer in Public Schools
Voted YES on allowing school prayer during the War on Terror.
Children's Prayers Resolution: Expressing the sense of Congress that schools should allow children time to pray for, or silently reflect upon, the country during the war against terrorism.
Voted YES on protecting the Pledge of Allegiance.
Pledge Protection Act: Amends the Federal judicial code to deny jurisdiction to any Federal court, and appellate jurisdiction to the Supreme Court, to hear or decide any question pertaining to the interpretation of the Pledge of Allegiance or its validity under the Constitution.
Voted NO on allowing Courts to decide on "God" in Pledge of Allegiance.
Amendment to preserve the authority of the US Supreme Court to decide any question pertaining to the Pledge of Allegiance. The bill underlying this amendment would disallow any federal courts from hearing cases concerning the Pledge of Allegiance. This amendment would make an exception for the Supreme Court.
Trade
Voted YES on 'Fast Track' authority for trade agreements:
Vote to establish negotiating objectives for trade agreements between the United States and foreign countries and renew 'fast track' authority for the President.
Voted YES on Permanent Normal Trade Relations with China.
Vote to give permanent Normal Trade Relations [NTR] status to China. Currently, NTR status for China is debated and voted on annually. The measure contains provisions designed to protect the United States from Chinese import surges and the administration would have to report annually on China's compliance with the trade agreement. The bill establishes a commission to monitor human rights, labor standards and religious freedom in China. |
