| It was pointed out to me today that in the general reaction ("HA HA HA HA HA HA HA") of the New York blogosphere to Harold Ford's ambitions to challenge Senator Gillibrand, there hadn't yet been a serious analysis of why everyone thought it was ridiculous. If you didn't know Harold Ford's record, you might be scratching your head about why Ford is such a poor match for a big, blue state like New York.
Full disclosure: some of these notes I dug up myself, mostly from OnTheIssues.org. A couple others (including duplicates) were helpfully dropped into my lap by the Gillibrand campaign.
I'll also declare up front that, looking through his record, Ford isn't a bad guy on a lot of issues. He's good with the environment, entitlements, criminal justice, and education. He wins cred with me just for the fact that he nearly got into a physical confrontation with Rep. Jean Schmidt over her description on the House floor of ex-Marine Rep. John Murtha as a coward. But while I think Ford would be a fine Senator for his home state of Tennessee, the great state of New York has slightly different standards.
Let's hit the highlights, shall we?
Ford was one of the 82 House Democrats (out of 210) who voted in favor of the Iraq War resolution. Just so everyone remembers clearly, the Republicans could not muster 218 votes for the IWR on their own--without Democrats voting with them, there would have been no authorization for the Iraq War.
Ford is unrepentantly pro-free-trade, voting for the US-Singapore FTA, US-Australia FTA, free trade with Chile, and supports the World Trade Organization. So long American jobs.
Voted in support of school prayer during the "War on Terror." Frankly I suspect that the recon Marines crawling around Afghanistan would prefer you spend your time giving them air support of a slightly more corporeal type, not to mention body armor.
Was known for telling fellow Democrats they should be more supportive of the Iraq War... at least up until it became politically unpopular, since he was running for it in 2004 and against it in 2006.
Was famously described by Anne Coulter (R-Eagle's Nest) as her "favorite Democrat."
Voted in 2001 against banning "soft money" donations to political parties, a reversal of his position from 1999 when he supported banning soft money.
Voted in 2001 in favor of retaining the failed ban against travel to Cuba. You know, that thing that has helped keep Castro in power for decades by purging the island of any competing viewpoints in public discourse. Moreover, he reversed his position from 2000, when he had publicly supported allowing Americans to travel to Cuba.
Opposed Bush's illegal wiretaps in January of 2006, but voted in favor of electronic surveillance without a warrant in September of 2006.
Voted against adopting the recommendations of the 9/11 commission.
Ford supported the Republican effort to interfere in the Terry Schiavo case, on the grounds of his ardent "pro-life" views. Being pro-life, to Mr. Ford, seems to mean voting against abortion rights but in favor of a war that's killed as many as a million people.
Supported building a fence across the US border with Mexico, one of the more absurd boondoggles that's ever come out of Texas, since apparently no one there has ever heard of a ladder, or wirecutters.
Voted yes on constitutional amendments to prohibit flag desecration and to ban gay marriage.
Was one of only 73 Democrats who voted in favor of the 2005 bankruptcy bill, which made it nearly impossible for those saddled with high debts to ever reach financial security again.
In short, Mr. Ford is grotesquely out of step even with the general electorate of New York State, let alone with the voters within the Democratic Party who would choose between him and Senator Gillibrand. |
