Posted on 10/23/2006 3:23:53 PM PDT by SmithL
WASHINGTON — Hands in his pockets and a far-away look in his eyes, Harold Ford Jr. stares out from the cover of next week's Newsweek magazine, which calls him the Democrats' best hope for taking the U.S. Senate.
The October 30 cover story, "The Path to Power," follows the Memphis Congressman through a day of campaigning that begins at a church service in Chattanooga, and describes the centrist Democrats' effect on various audiences.
"Two weeks before the midterm elections," the story says, "the Democrats' fate lies not in the hands of the party's much-dissected antiwar left but with a handful of careful, calculating centrists like Ford."
The article carries a picture of Ford praying with his staff before a recent debate, and reprises his history, and his family's history.
"Coming of age in establishment Washington and the Republican South, he learned moderation as a matter of survival, and it carried him away from the fractured racial politics of his family's past," the story says "The story of his journey to the political center sheds light on why control of the Senate and the shape of the final years of Bush's presidency may rest on a thousand or so votes tucked in the lush planes and hills between the mud of the Mississippi and the rise of the Great Smoky Ridge."
The story ends with the observation of Phil Singer, the spokesman for the Democrats' effort to win the Senate for the party.
"If he wins, they are going to write textbooks on his campaign," he says.
Yo Mamma's Democrats.
Puff Daddy's Democrat.
Or should I say "Pouf Daddy Democrat".
Newsweek wouldn't time this obvious puff piece for maximum benefit to Ford would they?
This presents another delimna for Hillary: She will want to be on the covers of Time, Newsweek, etc. but won't want even the half-a$$ed scrutiny they might provide.
I like this weeks cover of NR much beter.
How dare you question their patriotism...
You're a teacher....tsk tsk.
Boy, I love that Newsweek's such an evenhanded, hard-hitting objective news source.
Doesn't mention that he was praying backwards while offering a ritual chicken sacrifice over a pentagram-shaped table.
"the centrist Democrat"
This is strange ... I have never heard of any Democrat interviewed by the Press who was other than a centrist moderate. How can this be ... a center with no left or right?
Why not just have a VOTE FOR THE DEMOCRATS! cover?
Did they airbrush his package for him, or did they just bring in a fluffer?
How did you guess their next cover...
Did the radical priest come and get him released?
Regards, Ivan
Obama/Ford '08!
This is so sickening. Newsweek is just now making itself into a campaign brochure for the Democrats, making them look so pure, moderate and effective while we all know what slimey beasts those Republicans are.
And newsflash Newsweek, you're damned right they're not our daddy's Democrats. Our daddy's Democrats were moderate, reasonable, understood the importance of low taxes, at least until the 1960s understood the importance of standing united against a common foreign foe and most of all patriotic. This diseased rabble at the head of today's Democratic party are the most extreme left wing radicals this nation has ever seen, a bunch of craven seditionists who have worked over time to divide the nation in a time of war and to embolden our enemies.
EVERYONE needs to cancel their subscription to DemocratWeek. Their shilling for the Democratic party only a week before an election is shameless and should be brought in front of the FEC as an illegal in-kind political contribution to the Democratic party.
I wonder if Newsweek prepared several covers of Democrats running for Congress/Senate and decided at the last minute which to feature, depending on who had the most negative press this week.
He is Media created. Its gross.
And they wonder why their business is evaporating and they're caught in a death spiral...
LOL, my T got stuck.
oh my goodness.
Personally, it's TMI to think of the package.
We want to vote on the issues, right?????
It just might be a little early to fire up the paper mills.
BUMP!
Noooooooooooo, never. How dare you impugn NewsWeak's integrity. I'm sure next week they'll do a cover story on Bob Corker. I'm now holding my breath for next Monday's issue...
NewsWeak is just trying to create another Democratic superstar like they did with the empty suit Obama. The media created Obama. They know they did. Now they're trying to do the same for Ford by making him into some sort of superstar that everyone just everyone has to vote for. This nauseates me it's so unfair and brazen.
I love how Arnold Schwarzenegger went on the Jay Leno show a few weeks back and the Demos. and their media echo chamber screamed for Angelides to get equal time. Where's the equal time for Corker on NewsWeak?
That cover (and story) is not aimed at people who have a solid grasp on the issues.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1724447/posts
Harold Ford Jr. Crashes Corker Press Conference
Harold Ford Jr. showed up uninvited at a campaign event for rival Republican Bob Corker at a private charter airstrip in Memphis this morning. Corker had scheduled the media event earlier this week.
News reporters were surprised when Ford's tour bus pulled up at the event and, apparently staff at Wilson Air were surprised as well, as they tried to steer media inside the property for the Corker news conference.
"You need to get this bus off our premises please. Right now," said one Wilson Air staffer.
Corker instead, opted to come out and talk with Ford directly while the cameras were rolling. What followed was a tense confrontation between the two, caught on tape.
The two shook hands, but there was nothing civil about it. "I came to talk about ethics. And I have a press conference," Corker told Ford. "And I think that it's a true sign of desperation and that you would pull your bus up when I'm having a press conference."
"As a matter of fact, this is my press conference not yours, okay?" Corker told Ford.
Ford says Corker is desperate and he points to a recent critical campaign commercial as evidence. In the ad, an actor says, "Has Jr. ever had a job outside of politics? The ford family business is politics. But he does look good on T.V."
Ford tried to debate Corker on the spot, but Corker didn't take the bait.
"Tell me what do you think about this Iraq thing?" Ford asked. "I know you're here to talk about my family." Corker replied, "No, no. I'm here to talk about you."
Ford insists showing up at Corker's news conference was not a breach of campaign etiquette, nor - he says - was it a desperate move. "Every poll in the country shows us running ahead, every poll in the state demonstrates that," he said.
"Why does he think my family is just wide open for him to lie about, and distort the record of and tell stories about?" Ford asked
No, but he was clearly facing mecca.
How many potential voters in Tennessee read Newsweek?
The MSM isn't as all-powerful with the approved of message as it once was. Though in this very close race, I'm sure they want to help Ford get over the top.
Why not Mandela/Mugabe in '08? Same difference!
Another empty suit same as Burqa Obama. There is no there, there
Stay tuned. I'm sure next week Rick Santorum will be on the cover...
Works for me!
The RATS and MSM are really bombarding us with Edsel and Osama Obama lately....
Edsel! ROTFLOL!!!!!!!!!
Newsweek exists to elect Democrats.
Doesn't this knd of puff-piece boosting of the Democrats count as an
IN-KIND CONTRIBUTION TO THE DEMOCRAT CAMPAIGN????
Man, he sure looks sneaky in that pic. Those look like convict eyes.
bttt
They can abandon all the objectivity and print all the pictures of him they want on their demo-propaganda rags, Mark this down...Ford will lose in Tenn!!! There's not enough votes in Memphis to overpower the rest of this state. And Tenn will not send this Slimedog to Washington!
Lying liberal media calls Harold Jr a 'centrist',
when his record is very liberal: ACU rating is 19.
Liberal ADA rating is 75.
FORD IS A LIBERAL, BUT LIBERAL MEDIA CALLS HIM A CENTRIST. WASSUP WITH THAT???
TIME did the cheerleading few months back:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1679412/posts
http://www.bobcorkerforsenate.com/News/Default.aspx?Article=91
"Democratic U.S. Senate candidate, Harold Ford Jr., scored an 80 LQ in 2005. Ford's liberal quotient was 100 in 1999. Since 1997, Ford averaged a 79.44 percent liberal quotient.
In 2005, the ACU figures Ford voted conservative 21 percent of the time. He scored a 4 in 1999. Ford averaged voting the conservative way 18.22 percent of the time since 1997. Ford's 79.44/18.22 liberal/conservative ratio proves the 80/20 rule of politics and confirms what he'd rather voters not know - he's a liberal.
You wouldn't know it to listen to him.
In a recent ad, Ford walks through an airplane, talks tough on terrorism and calls for approval of the 9/11 Commission's recommendations. In 2004, Ford voted against HR 10 - the 9/11 Recommendations Implementation Act. The Ford campaign said Ford later voted for a stronger version of the bill.
Ford voted for the Patriot Act, twice voted against its reauthorization in 2005, then cast an election-year vote for reauthorization in 2006.
His yes, no, no, yes votes on anti-terror measures belie his tough talk."
Junior is full of beans. Here's a sample of his voting record from the ACU:
"
* 2004Fetal Protection. HR 1997 (Roll Call 31 )
This bill made it a criminal offense to injure or kill a fetus during the commission of a violent crime.
This member voted in opposition
* Abortion at Military Facilities. HR 4200 (Roll Call 197)
This amendment would have involved U.S. military hospitals in the provision of abortions for women who are in the military or are military dependents.
This member was absent for the vote
* Court Review of Defense of Marriage Act. HR 3313 (Roll Call 410)
The House passed legislation prohibiting the courts from reviewing a provision of the 1996 "Defense of Marriage Act" that allows states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriage licenses issued in other states or jurisdictions.
This member voted in opposition
2003
* Ban on Human Cloning. HR 534 (Roll Call 37)
This "compromise" amendment would have allowed cloning of human embryos to initiate a pregnancy.
This member was absent for the vote
* Medical Malpractice Reform. HR 5 (Roll Call 64)
This bill imposed reasonable limits on attorneys' fees and punitive damages in medical malpractice cases.
This member voted in opposition
* Military Abortions. HR 1588 (Roll Call 215)
The House defeated this measure to allow abortions to be performed in U.S. military hospitals at taxpayers expense.
This member voted in opposition
So he's either ABSENT or votes pro abortion, pro gay - anti family and he ain't no 'moderate'
Representative Harold Ford, Jr. (D), Tennessee, District 9
2004 Score - 21, Previous Year's Score - 35, Lifetime Score - 19
"
"I wonder if Newsweek prepared several covers of Democrats running for Congress/Senate and decided at the last minute which to feature, depending on who had the most negative press this week."
I wouldnt put it past them.
I've also speculated that they fear a loss of the black vote to great black Republican candidate Michael Steele in MD, and are highlighting the black Democrats as a way to keep the black distracted from that salient fact so they dont 'stray' from the plantation.
Chauncey Gardner strikes again.
Amazing that interest groups are not allowed to run ads 60 days before a general election and yet the MSM can run their own sort of political ads even right before the election.
Damn you, John McCain.
send your letters here.
Letters to the Editor for the U.S. print edition: Letters@newsweek.com
It is completely wrong to label someone with high (75%) liberal ADA ratings and low (19%) conservative ACU ratings as a centrist. Ford is a liberal who is pretending to be moderate to get elected.
Let's hammer that theme home.
Maybe so, but he'd have horns coming out of his head; or seriously, he'd probably be cast in dark, ominous lighting and shadows.
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