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When we fight together, we win

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This week, two very important things happened that tell us a lot about how our opponents intend to govern--and campaign--this year.  As our campaign for the Senate has been in the middle of both of events, I want to share our experience and intentions, because both underscore the importance and nature of our fight ahead.

First, our experience.  On February 21, the Administration prematurely—and, in my view, wrongly—announced it would approve a deal transferring control of six major U.S. ports to a company owned by the government of the United Arab Emirates.  I opposed the transaction because I believe the United States should not outsource its security to anyone. 

It is true the Coast Guard has primary responsibility for security around our ports.  It’s also true the Transportation Security Administration has primary responsibility for air travel security.  It would be foolish to suggest that airport operators are irrelevant to air security.  It makes no more sense to say that port operators, armed with sensitive information and access, are irrelevant to port security.  And yet, that was the position of the Administration and its supporters.

All week, we aired a commercial across Tennessee making this point in the plainest way I could (see the ad here).  Not one of my opponents spoke out against the deal on television.  I note that because, from Memphis to Mountain City, our message connected with Tennesseans in a way I have not seen in ten years in Congress.  Wednesday’s 62-2 vote of the House Appropriations Committee was further evidence of broad and deep voter concern on this issue.

That same day, the National Republican Senate Committee unveiled a political web site smearing me.  The “facts” of the site are the most mundane imaginable.  I know they are mundane, because they all come from my own campaign finance disclosures.  It turns out that I—just like President Bush, Senator Frist, and Senator Alexander—travel out of state to raise money.  When I do so, I–just like they—incur legitimate expenses (the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee has detailed some of Senator Frist’s legitimate expenses here).

I frankly don’t know what their site is trying to say.  Many of you have speculated here and elsewhere what the Republican point is.  I do know this much:  

Our nation is experiencing record budget deficits under their watch and their site says nothing about that.  

Our nation has nearly 50 million people with no healthcare and their site says nothing about that.

The Administration inexplicably sought to outsource our ports’ security to a nation that sent ambassadors to the Taliban, and there certainly is nothing on their site about that.

Now, my intentions.  First, I want to thank those who have supported our campaign on this site and others in response to the Republican smear.  I know that many of us have not always agreed on every issue.  I respect your right to fight for your beliefs, and I appreciate your support in my fight for mine.

Together, I think we can be unstoppable.  Visit our web site.  Join our cause.  We share a similar passion to elect a new generation of leadership to the Senate.  We know now what our opponents will do—they will take any action and say anything to keep their grip on power, even when it threatens our nation’s security, and even when they smear the name of good people.

Of course, we expect no different.  Smears are all campaigns have left when they are out of ideas, out of step, and out of time.

And so they will keep smearing.  I will keep fighting.  Let’s all pledge to fight together.


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Congressman Ford, and I hope next year Senator Ford  it is good to see you respond to these cowards and fools.  Democrats need to come together never ever tto allow "swift boating" again.  Daniel A. Greenbaum

Rep. Ford,

 

I have enjoyed hearing your views many times on Imus before he sold out to his wingnut producers on MSNBC.  Maybe you need another appearance with him to help counter this incredibly racist campaign.  I would hope that he would  help put the slur in the context of those doing it.

 

I believe that you are a decent and honest public servant, and would encourage you to rise above these attacks.  They are in the style of the Mafia, attacking your reputation first when you are considered a threat.  In a perverse sense, it is a badge of honor- it means you are doing the right thing in the face of the criminal element that has infiltrated the government.

 

Alphonse ( Al ) Kada

I'd say if this is the best they've got, you're in good shape!

nomorekelp        I'll take the humorous stand on it and say that this reminds me of a counterattack that whispers in the halls of K Street, "And did you know he likes STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM? And you know what that means ..." You've done nothing but great work and if I lived in Tennessee I'd be proud to pledge my vote to you.

These are the same tired tactics of a tired Republican party. You represent what they fear the most -- positive change.


Keep up the great work and march on to victory! 

I am sorry for the insulting and racist website. Shame on the opposition.

Nevertheless, I am among a significant/growing number of Memphis progressives who hope and pray that you do not win the nomination for Senate, because if you do, we may be forced to vote for you. Or maybe against you.

You sir are a triangulator of the worst kind. We cannot forgive you for voting like a Republican (e.g. bankruptcy bill and gay rights) and for your unswerving support of Bush's War. It has long been obvious to us in Memphis that you have stopped representing us and have been triangulating your way into the hearts and minds of conservative middle and East TN, in preparation for a Senate run and eventual presidency.

Need I mention that the glamour of the Ford name has worn off? We do not believe in the Special DNA theory of good government.

You may be surprised when your Republican power-friends turn on you -- after using you like a lapdog all these months.

Your stand on the ports issue does not impress us. It was an easy, low-risk bandwagon to hoist yourself up on.

Just saying...in the hopes that you might actually read this feedback.

An utterly sensible response by a worthy public servant to an utterly non-sensical smear by innuendo from utterly cheap politicians who have nothing whatsoever to offer to solve American and world problems.

 

 

It is sad that both Rep. Ford and Sen. Obama have been smeared, though not surprising. I mean two progressive, educated, attractive Dems with futures . . .  so of course they have to be attacked. I have no Republican friends, know of not one person who supports Bush in any way, shape or form. Their method of smearing and lying really is amazing to watch. Honestly, if you tell the big lie often enough people will belive it. It's already happened. They are so calculating and effeceint. How sad. The GOP is the party of business . . .  the business of dishonesty and hate, with a little theft thrown in for good measure.

In the Dubai Ports Word scandal, the voters were not reacting to a national security issue, but something much deeper.

  

And, after reading your post, I believe you were, also.

 

Institutions are those laws and social norms that form the fabric of a nations life; that allow it's citizens to go about their daily business without undue concern.

 

If America's institutions were healthy, the DPW deal should have engendered nothing more than a healthy debate, not the widespread panic and anger that we saw.People were fearful, and not about national security, but of the future of the United States of America.

  

That is just not right. The only reason to have a government is so it's citizens feel safe.

  

But not just ordinary citizens were afraid. A smear campaign in response to a disagreement over a single issue is not merely disporportionate, but an indication that, even among the core of our society, our elected representatives, our best and brightest, trust in our institutions is wavering.

 

This should be an alarm, a wake up call to both you and your fellow congresspersons of all parties, that there is something terribly wrong, something that trancends party lines, trancends politics, and represents a clear and present danger to the United States of America itself.

  

If our faith in our institutions dies, one day we will wake up to find that we are just a large group of people living on the North American continent, not Americans.

  

Oh, there will still be courts, and laws, and cities, but we wont be special, it won't even matter that the American dream has died, quietly. in the night, because noone will care any longer.

 

I am not a congressperson, I never said I had the skill and the judgement to guide our nation, and to be the caretaker of the hopes and dreams of millions of people, that responsibility, that honor, was claimed by you and your fellow congresspeople.

 

And all of you failed. You can't even keep the dream alive among yourselves, let alone those you lead. 

  

But we will all pay the price. Go back to Congress, Mr Ford; and tell your fellow congresspersons that this is important, that somehow, someway, they need to fix this.  They have to restore trust in our institutions, in Congress, and in our government.

  

If they don't, the day will come when it won't matter anymore. 

 

The attacks on Harold Ford were puerile and hypocritical. It is highly doubtful that Rep. Ford's lifestyle is the most extravagant in Congress and the entire smear has a nyah-nyah middle school tone to it.

 

And, while I strongly disagree with Rep. Ford's votes on bankruptcy and gay marriage, it is silly to expect that a social progressive could be elected in Tennessee any time soon. A Democrat from Tennessee must be looked at as a better-than-the-alternative ally, not someone who will be at the vanguard of political and social progress.

 

Having said that, Rep. Ford exercised poor judgment when he attended the Superbowl Party. If you don't want to be labeled a Player, then don't go to the Player's Ball. I really don't care who Rep. Ford parties with. But I hope he is more discreet in the future.

A Brief History of 'Fancy' Blacks in America

What's a fancy? From Slavery in America, an educational site based on the PBS original documentary:

 

Zip Dandies: Almost every minstrel show had a black-faced performer dressed in exaggeratedly elegant clothes who carried on with foppish manners. Sometimes called Zip Coon or Jim Dandy, the Zip Dandy performers were usually associated with a stereotypical image of the urban black person. He was dressed in ties and tails with a top hat but had especially deformed physical features such as "beef-steak lips." A favorite scene was "De Colored Fancy Ball" which presented "Dandy Broadway Swells" in skintight "trousaloon," a black or red long-tailed coat with padded shoulders, a fancy ruffled shirt front and collar, white gloves, a jeweled cane, and a long watch chain of gold. The intention was to show how ridiculous blacks could be when they tried to ape the manners of white gentlemen. They were completely self-centered and thought only of courting fancy ladies, wearing fancy clothes, dancing the latest new ballroom jig, and strutting their bodies in ludicrous parodies of what whites believed to be the character of northern, urban blacks in contrast to the Sambo and Coon characters identified with southern, rural blacks.

 

Jason H. Lee,  Minstrelsy and the Construction of Race in America
(via the Brown University Library Digital Collection):

Minstrelsy explained that if any black Americans decided to try to "become white" through the adoption of white values, dress, or manners, he was destined to fail as his natural inferiority would never allow him to rise from his lower place in the racial hierarchy. In the song "De Color’d Fancy Ball" the minstrel performer sings, dresses, and prances in an attempt to emulate white culture. He dances the waltz and even tries to speak some French, demonstrating his "sophistication." Although this song represented minstrelsy’s attack on northern black dandies, it also represented the more fundamental white criticism of black attempts to transcend their blackness. Caught up in the moment of dance and merriment, the minstrel character nonsensically exclaims:
Chas-sez croi—sez prom-ber—nade Oh de joys ob dan-------cing!
Chas-sez croi—sez prom-ber—nade Oh de joys ob dan-------cing!
Chas-sez croi—sez prom-ber—nade Oh de joys ob dan-------cing!

This description confirms Toll’s explanation that in every way minstrels emphasized, blacks fell far short of white standards. No matter how hard they tried, minstrelsy guaranteed its audience that black Americans would never be able to penetrate into the realm of whiteness—they would never be able to receive full citizenship within the true American body politic.

University of Virginia Professor of American Studies Eric Lott
(via The American Experience):

I think the stereotypes that emerge from the 19th century minstrel show circulate to the present day and are crucial in defining white people's sense of who black people are, I'm sad to say. Whether it's in the perceptions of black people who drive fancy cars -- Miles Davis complained about being pulled over every five minutes for driving a Maserati -- or whether it's in the hardly updated version of Jim Crow and something like the welfare mother. I think there are still the lenses white people put on when they look at black Americans, and it's sad but it's kind of desperately indicative of the way in which this country still hasn't surmounted the kinds of feelings that gave rise to minstrelsy in the first place.

 

The National Republican Senatorial Committee - Vile racists, ignorant of history, or both? 

And why, randyjg2, after five years of government based on lies, secrecy, concealment, un-warranted aggressive warfare, to name only some of the mismanagement that passes for the current Bush administration, would you expect American institutions to be other than anything but healthy?

 

I believe, given his record of being 180-degrees wrong about EVERYTHING related to the Iraq 'war' and Hamas and the Middle East in general,  that the vast majority of Americans now automatically take the opposite view of whatever the man in the White House backs.

 

Can anyone blame them?

 

And as for Congressional responsibility to 'lead'...well, maybe so, but, in my humble opinion, it is first expected from the EXECUTIVE.

 This response reminds me of the problem we, who live in other states, have when we are asked to support a candidate for the Senate or the House.  Our perception of that candidate is formed, largely, by what has happened in the past month or so.  But, those actually living in the candidate's state will usually have formed their opinions based on several  years of experience.

 

Hoppy in Sacramento

Could you be specific, Polly?  What "great work" are you referring to?

I read it to mean the fight Ford is taking to our opponents, the way he is drawing their fire, the $4.4 million he has raised, the support from the Vice President of the United States (the last one we could be proud of, anyway) who hosted a fundraiser this week that raised $350,000 more before the port ads took off, the success on the ports issue, the national attention he is drawing to this race, the fact that the National Journal and washingtpost.com this week ranked the Tennessee race among the top 9 in the country.


That, I think.

I have no dog in the primary fight, but if Ford wins the nomination and you still vote against him, then you're not really a progressive and that's all there is to it.

Though it's apparent Bush's standing as Securitymeister has disintegrated with his Port Insecurity plan, I remain saddened that Americans have granted him a pass to illegally wiretap Americans who have nothing to do with terrorism.

I saw your ad and it was masterful. Now can an ad be advanced that promotes our freedom over our Constitution-breaking president? Or do we really need to wait for proof that he's spying on average Americans who oppose his incompetence, cronyism and dishonesty?

 

Kevin Hayden

"It would be foolish to suggest that airport operators are irrelevant to air security."

If that's the case, why then do we allow Emirate Airlines, owned and operated by the same people in charge of Dubai Ports World, to have a terminal in JFK airport?  Throughout this entire ports controversy, I've seen a terribly limited understanding of national security from a fair number of the deal's opponents.

 

For example, if the UAE is really such a potential threat, so much more than the Chinese who operate some ports on the West Coast, then why is Dubai part of the supply chain for our troops in Iraq? Why do the UK and France (whose ports Dubai will also operate) not object to this deal, but we do?

 

On the contrary, I feel that the failure of this deal was a blow to our long-term national security. Further integrating the US and UAE economies would have increased the incentive for Dubai to cooperate in the War on Terror and avoid any disruption of the global economy.  Instead, Arabs have yet another example of "American double-standards."

To reiterate (sorry) ACDC...I do not believe that the 'port security' was the number one concern of Americans over the DPW deal...I think there is simply a conviction, sub-consciously, that Dubya's Middle-East 'policy' is all mucked-up, and whatever he supports must be wrong.

 

And there is ample basis for that pervasive idea.

 

As for real security issues, I would oppose the deal from a security standpoint solely on the basis that even though, today, there might be no great danger, six months from now with passions in the Middle-East at their present stage, who knows what could transpire among the Saudis, the Pakistanis, The Egyptians and The Emirates?

 

Terrorism's influence in the UAE might then be a grave concern.  Why risk it?...other than Bush's & probably Baker's possible financial gain from such transaction... 

J. McCutchen "JmacSF"

San Francisco. CA

Congressman Ford

 Imus is crazy about you.  Some of the rest of us are wondering when you are going to level with the people of Tennessee about the debacle in Iraq.  Not that we wish to fight you, we just don't want to fight along side you or in fact, alongside the DSCC.

Again, if the UAE is a potential threat, then why do we allow the Emirate Airlines to still operate an terminal at JFK Airport?  I could think of worse things that could happen with a terrorist-controlled plane than a terrorist-controlled ship.

 

As for possible benefits of the deal and why you would "risk it", it's a national security asset in the long-term. Over the past few years, the UAE has become an increasingly important part of the global economy. Their cooperation is valuable for stability not only in the Middle East but in the global economic system as well. Stronger economic ties between the US and UAE increases the incentive for the UAE to cooperate in maintaining global security.

I, too, have a big problem with anyone, Democrat or Republican, that voted for the bankruptcy bill. It is one of the ugliest, meanest pieces of legislation to receive the stroke of Bush's pen. A sweet kiss to the credit card industry and a swift kick to those who tripped upon one of life's misfortunes.

However, I will keep an open mind and allow Mr. Ford to justify the vote.

Please comment. I will be waiting.

Two points, Mr. Beers:

 1. A Democrat that votes and pals with the Republicans may do more damage than a real Republican, because they use him to claim bipartisanship and underline how "out of the mainstream" the progessives allegedly are.

 2. While the website is an ugly and racist attack, Mr. Ford should take it as a lesson. He can be a gentleman and pal around with the Republicans, and suck up with his voting, but it goes to show that when they are finished having their way with him they will treat him like dirt. All of his triangulating will have gained him nothing.

 

The UAE does not have open elections, bans all Jews from the emirate, and has a steady record of abuse of migrant workers & confiscation of passports/travel documents, making them virtual slaves. They were/are one of the main sources of workers, transferred by force, to Iraq for American contractors, who in turn treat them like dirt.

Please don't call them friends. They are a convenience.

The smear is analogous to the old legal aphorism: When the facts are on your side, argue the facts. When the law is on your side, argue the law. When you have nothing, muddy the waters.

That is what the Repos are trying to do with their smear of Congressman Ford. 

 

00

The UAE does not have open elections, bans all Jews from the emirate, and has a steady record of abuse of migrant workers & confiscation of passports/travel documents, making them virtual slaves. They were/are one of the main sources of workers, transferred by force, to Iraq for American contractors, who in turn treat them like dirt.

Please don't call them friends. They are a convenience.

The UAE does not have open elections, bans all Jews from the emirate, and has a steady record of abuse of migrant workers & confiscation of passports/travel documents, making them virtual slaves. They were/are one of the main sources of workers, transferred by force, to Iraq for American contractors, who in turn treat them like dirt.

Please don't call them friends. They are a convenience.

My favorite comment on the "Fancy Ford" site is the following: "And just in case he gets hungry while working, he can spend his campaign cash at the U.S. House Members' Dining Room, where he spent $3,100 in 60 visits in 2005." This comes to an average of $51.67 per meal. Outrageous!

It is so refreshing to see someone lead the way on tough issues.  It seems like the common trend is to avoid issues that require real thought.  Being a young voter, it's so nice to know that someone (Harold Ford, Jr!) is concerned about our future.  We need Democrats that will be truthful and vocal about their opinions.  It helps us trust the government again. 
When candidates and parties can't win on the issues they turn to the negative campaigning.  It's so cowardly, and that's exactly what the Republicans and their candidates have turned to.  Why?!  Grown men/women do not need to act like that.
It's wonderful that we have such a great option for Senate.  We need more Democrats like Harold Ford, Jr. that will stand up for himself when others attack him.   We need more people like Harold Ford, Jr. Period. 

As unpleasant as this is, Rep. Ford, you are now in a position to be in the vanguard using a new Democratic tactic: to publically denounce the swiftboating or even anticipate it, complete with explanations of who is behind it and how it works.

 

Money should always be set aside to investigate these things and publicize them, especially now that the general electorate is starting to grasp that this is how Karl "Hit 'em Where They're Strongest" Rove always works.

 

As one commenter suggested, let's turn this into a virtue by bragging about it, and we should also take the opportunity to beat these schoolyard bullies at their own game -- through ridicule based on scrupulously honest description of facts. They know they can't win on merit, so let's scare them away by predicting and mocking their every desperate move.

 

It's a pity that this has to take effort away from actual governance -- something on which the other side wastes little actual effort (leaving them lots of room in the daytimer for dirty tricks) -- but that's better than always having to respond after the fact. We can do better even with one hand tied behind our backs, but it's time to take the glove off whatever hand is free.

As you wrote, "Our nation has nearly 50 million people with no healthcare and their site says nothing about that." I guess you would agree that those 50 million people are among the most likely to be forced into bankruptcy should they suffer a major illness or injury.

 

Yet you (and some other congressional Democrats) voted for the anticonsumer Bankruptcy "Reform" Act of 2005. This lobbyist-written bill was a big defeat for working families, but a gigantic gift to the highly profitable and unethical credit industry. Yet you supported it.

 

The only thing worse than a Republican is a bad Democrat.

http://veryfancyfrist.com/

As a Tennessean, I'm supporting you, Congressman Ford. Would love to have you as my Senator.

One would think we wouldn't need it, but with the inert responses that often come out from the MSM when democrats take a stand, here is a summary: 

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-sirota/bush-pundits-dems-feig_b_17157.html

 

of one part of the harm that Bush has done and continues to do to our country.  There are so many ways to strike back at their talking points, and the tendency to be defensive only hurts our cause.  Gather up this menu, provided by David Sirota and hand it back, piece by piece.  The facts are on our side. 

 

Jan Knaus

Because none of that is really relevant. No one expects the government to conduct it's affairs in public, not in this day and age.

  

The President doesn't make policy alone, and neither does Congress.  There are, literally, millions of people involved, from Congress's permanent staff to the worker bees in the civil service. All of them regard Congress and the President as necessary annoyances to keep the public off their back while they get about the business of running a country.

 

Most of those policies you disagree with were made by experts in civil service, not elected officials.  More importantly, if you understand economics, they were reasonable decisions, if not particularly good ones. Most people don't understand because the real explanation is long, complicated, boring and requires a lot of math...and it is irrelevant. The only thing that counts is whether the populace trusts the experts to do their job properly.

 

THats where elections come into play. The President, and congresspeople are popularity contest winners, not experts in government If they actually manage to learn enough to be dangerous in even one area, it's amazing...and not their job.

  

Their job is to remain popular enough to keep their job, otherwise they are gone...and to maintain trust and support for the government as an institution.

 

This is a practical matter. I study institutional economics and national competitiveness, how institutions affect a nations strategic advantage. It's a hobby, so I am not an expert, but even an amateur's analysis of DPW shows how bad our national competitiveness has become. (Like you couldn't tell that from the Trade Deficit)  

  

More importantly, the decrease can be traced back to a lack of faith in our institutions, and THAT can be traced back to the partisan politics.

 

There is a cliche "A house divided against itself cannot stand" Cliches are shorthand for a greater truth.  It doesn't matter whose fault it is, who takes the blame. We need to stop fighting; all of us; Democrat and Republican and Independent until we can get our house in order.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So you don't trust the government with knowlege of your activities.

 

Thats good, privacy is a basic American institution. But you are seriously concerned about the threat to your privacy, and thats not good.

 

As a matter of fact, if you think about it, it's silly. The government doesn't need any evidence, any information to arrest you, put you in jail, kill you. I mean, the entire Iraqi army couldn't stop the government from arresting Saddam.  The only protection you have is the institution of law, the tradition of following the Bill of Rights and it's ancilliary corpus.  

 

Reread your post...what you are complaining about is the destruction of the institution of law as it affects you.

  

You are into politics, and you complained about incompetence, cronyism and dishonesty. That is pretty much the definition of politics in America, Republican and Democrat alike, so how can you complain unless you are worried about something deeper that that?

 

You also complain about government spying and databases, but think about it. Private agencies like Equifax, Choicepoint and Acxiom not only have a far vaster database about you, but they can destroy your credit, your employment, or even your abitlity to house yourself and you have no recourse at all. No institution protects you, and few have the resources even to put up a token struggle.

 

But you don't worry about them. That is because you still believe the institution of law protects you from them, and you still trust that that part of the institution is still intact...so far. 

 

In Argentina, for example, they don't believe any more. You have to pay cash for a house in Argentina, because noone trusts the courts to protect a mortgage. The same is true for almost any other activity that requires trust in government, which is why Argentina is doing so badly, in spite of much the same advantages as America.

 

Complain about the underlying principles, not the instances. For every instance you prevent, ten new and different examples will appear. 

 

There is no way they did not know the implications of what they were calling their site. They may not have read all of your sources, for which I thank you very much, but they are vile racists and not ignorant of history. The word 'fancy' carries historic meaning and was not chosen for alliteration alone.

global citizen

Mr. Ford should take it as a lesson. He can be a gentleman and pal around with the Republicans, and suck up with his voting, but it goes to show that when they are finished having their way with him they will treat him like dirt. All of his triangulating will have gained him nothing

 

Yes. And JC Watts is the poster boy for exactly this type of treatment and he was a republican. They used his face at their national convention giving him lots of air time to convey they had 'diversity' in the party...but when JC got 'too big for his britches' or 'uppity'..they yanked his chain....DeLay refused to allow him to get funding for his congressional district and made Watts looked like a greedy graspy ingrate in the process....just another 'blackboy' who didn't know his place.