Question(s) for Ford supporters

[FreedomAngel82]

I'm seriously thinking about voting for Ford since I've been watching him lately. I was happy he signed onto John Conyers letter and was one of the first eighty-nine democrats to sign on. I also liked how he voted against CAFTA. Here are my question's:

1) What's his stance on the Patriot Act and what did he vote on it last time?

2) Is it true that he campaigned for Al Gore in 2000?

3) Is it true that he endorsed John Kerry very early on the campaign? When did Ford endorse John Kerry and any documentation of him endorsing Kerry?

4) Has Ford called for a pull out of troops out of Iraq?

5) What's this rumor about Ford thinking of changing to a republican and some deal with Frist??

6) What's his stance on the Real ID card and how did he vote?

7) What's Ford's stance on abortion?

If you're wondering all these question's but number one, six and seven I read about on MyDD in a post about Kurita and was wondering if these statements about Ford was true. Thanks!

[Syrinx]

1. I'm down in Alabama, so I'm not an expert on Harold Ford

And I don't know the answers to your questions. He's surprisingly conservative for a black Democrat, but I would be ASTOUNDED if he switched parties. I cannot imagine that. I could be mistaken, but that just seems out of the realm of possibility to me. I hope I'm not wrong; he is a very talented politician.

[FreedomAngel82]

2. I hope so too

Even though I'm not a huge Ford fan he does have potential. He was on the Round Table back in June or early July and he was talking about how he remembers he's a democrat by FDR and praising him and all that. :shrug: It could be just rumors.

[BrewCrew]

3. Answers to some

I think I can answer some of your questions. So I'll try!

1). Ford voted against renewing the Patriot Act. I pulled his statement of his website, here it is:

"I support periodic review of any restrictions on the freedoms and rights of Tennesseans and Americans alike. It is unnecessarily intrusive to ask Americans to forfeit rights and freedoms indefinitely. I took the conservative approach and voted against this indefinite and liberal overreach by the federal government into our private lives.

"I did vote for a substitute which called for a periodic review of these restrictions on our liberties. Unfortunately, a majority of my colleagues wanted a permanent infringement on our rights. I could not support that."

2) Yes, he campaigned very hard for Al Gore in 2000. Appearing with the Vice-President whenever he campaign in TN, which sadly wasn't often enough. In fact, Congressman Ford worked hard in Shelby County to get the vote out for Gore on election day.

3) Ford was, I'm pretty sure of this, the first non-Massachusetts representative to endorse Kerry. He endorsed him in the summer of 2003...nearly a year before the TN primary.

4) Yeah, he does. Found this from a speech on his website:

"Ford said legislators didn’t need to be worrying about whether or not Bush was right or wrong to go into Iraq, but should concern themselves with how the United States is going to win the war.
“I would have done this differently, as many people would have,” said Ford. “It’s clear Bush had no exit strategy. It’s kind of unfortunate that we’ve abandoned the Powell doctrine. Powell’s doctrine was simple. You identify your mission. You set a troop level, and you have an exit strategy. And, whatever troop level you set, you triple it to ensure that you overwhelm your enemy. You cut down on and minimize your number of casualties, and you get out quicker. We did exactly the opposite in Iraq.
“First, we’re going to have to do some things differently. I think the Senate is the place where the answers are going to emerge.”

5) It's just a rumor! If he switched parties, his Dad would kill him.

6) I don't know this one?

7) One the 2, I know Kurita is very close to Pro-Life. She voted in-favor of allowing Tenneseeans to buy "Choose Life" license plates, which gave money to anti-abortion groups and was opposed by NARAL and Planned Parenthood. She also called for amendment to the constitution saying no state funds could be used for abortion except in health, rape or incest cases. Woman's groups felt this was too stringent and admently opposed it.

As for Ford, he and Kurita both voted to ban partial-birth abortions, which if you didn't support that in TN you'd probably only get 6% of the vote. Both backed parental notification. However, Ford was a very strong choice record. He always backs federal funding, allowing money for abortions on military bases, agrees with choice groups on Mexico City policy etc.

[FreedomAngel82]

4. Thank you for your help

I appreciate it! I'm glad he's not going to change parties. While I'm not a HUGE fan I am liking him and am willing to give him a chance. I don't like someone who isn't pro-choice and states it. Now personally I know that's different since I'm both pro-life and pro-choice. I am pro-life in the policies I believe in that make life but in the end I know it's not my decision but between the woman and her doctor and any god she believes in. I'm glad he voted against the "Patriot Act". That's the most disgusting act that has ever come to our country. And with Powell's doctrine I was listening on Bernie Ward's show the guy who wrote the book "Losing Iraq" was on once a while back and he told how Powell wrote a 1,000 page doctrine of everything that could happen and Bush ignored it all.
Everything that is happening now was in Powell's doctrine and they just completley ignored him. Oy! I'm not a huge Powell fan but at least he tried to help. I think we have to pull out of Iraq ASAP. I agree with Kerry that we should send people who sign up for the military to over sea bases so they can really learn and train without getting blown up and the like. I heard about the choice plates but I didn't know the money went to anti-abortion groups. Ugh. But thank you again for your help! Also do you know if he supports Dean and the DNC agenda? I know he's a DLCer and he can be that if he wants personally but it's clear that majority of the people in our party want to go more left and people are getting tired of republicans and republican-lites.

[Jackson4Gore]

5. Visit our blog to keep informed

http://haroldfordjr2006.blogspot.com

[Jackson4Gore]

6. Also

In relation to Al Gore, Al actually tapped Harold to give the keynote speech at the 2000 Democratic Convention. The Fords and Gores have been friends for 30 years.

Ford was one of Senator Kerry's earliest backers in the 2004 race. When Kerry won the nomination, Ford was given the title of national campaign co-chair for his backing and support of Senator Kerry.

Here is Ford speaking on Gore and Kerry:

"Ford: It's a good role. Al Gore is so close, and I'm so close to him. He gave me the chance of a lifetime speaking at the Democratic convention as he did, and I love him like an uncle.

Delighted to be playing a massive, substantive role with John Kerry. And last night's victory was really a testament to him. He came to the state; voters met him; voters saw him. And as they listened to him and learned more about him: his record in the Senate, his experience in the military, winning 3 Purple Hearts--or earning 3 Purple Hearts and a Silver and Bronze Star, his experience as a prosecutor. And in my part of the country, Tavis, we like folks that hunt, and he's a duck and deer hunter. And that played well at home, and because of those reasons, in addition to his vision for the future, he won. And I was proud to be a part of the team."

[guruoo]

10. Ford - Rated 30% by NARAL, indicating a pro-life voting record

Rated 30% by NARAL, indicating a pro-life voting record. (Dec 2003)
http://www.issues2000.org/House/Harold_Ford.htm

[guruoo]

11. Ford - Voted YES on Constitutional Amendment banning same-sex marriage.

http://www.issues2000.org/House/Harold_Ford.htm

[FreedomAngel82]

13. That's the only thing I don't like

:( Gay people deserve to have equal rights and recogized equally. Why am I more recognized by the government because I'm straight?

[FreedomAngel82]

12. But is he also pro-choice?

I'm both pro-life and pro-choice. I'm pro-life in the policies I believe in that make life but I'm also pro-choice because I know that I can't dictate what someone else does and all that. What's his opinion on Roe V Wade? Thanks for the information. Much appreciated.

[guruoo]

7. Kurita is staunchly pro-choice, and she supported Kerry

I know. I worked with her on her State Senate campaign. Not once either in public or private did I hear her say otherwise.
There is no way she could have won her Senate seat
had she been anti-choice.
She also supported our campaigning for Kerry while on her time.
No other Democratic candidate that I know of allowed their
workers to campaign for Kerry while on their time.
Point is, don't believe everything you hear on the web.
If you want to find out the truth, go see her, and ask her for yourself.

"I think everyone is pro-life," Kurita says. "Nobody is for abortion. I also believe women should be able to make their own health care choices. Government should not be able to intrude into what should be a personal, family decision."

[guruoo]

8. link - Just in case

"I think everyone is pro-life," Kurita says. "Nobody is for abortion. I also believe women should be able to make their own health care choices. Government should not be able to intrude into what should be a personal, family decision."
http://www.southendgrounds.com/2005/03/the_only_democr.html

[FreedomAngel82]

14. Thanks for telling about that

Only thing I'm not sure about is because of the DSM. That could be our last chance to get Bush and I want to vote for someone who will support that. When I heard Kurita on the "Round Table" she said she wasn't for investigating because "it will look bad on the troops". :eyes: Ford signed the petition of Conyers in the beginning. What is her stance on gay rights?

[guruoo]

15. She realizes that DSM isn't going...

anywhere until we get back the Congressional majority.
Once we have that, we'll have votes enough to call for hearings.
Personally, I'd like to see the SOB impeached, however, IMHO, there's literally dozens more critical issues to consider at this time.
I don't want to see Kurita risk losing the moderate, and crossover vote
just so I can get some payback.
It's just not worth it -yet.

[guruoo]

16. FordVoted NO on raising CAFE standards; incentives for alternative fuels.

Voted NO on raising CAFE standards; incentives for alternative fuels. (Aug 2001)
http://www.issues2000.org/House/Harold_Ford.htm

[FreedomAngel82]

17. That's not what she said on the Round Table

She said it would be a waste of time and "would make the troops look bad in a time of war."

[guruoo]

9. Kurita: “We can’t justify expending American lives for oil,”

And I believe most Tennesseans, Democrat, and Republican,
now share her point of view.

“I don’t think we can just cut and run,” Kurita said,
“But we need to have a plan for bringing our troops
home because it (the war) can’t go on forever.”

http://hawkins.xtn.net/index.php?template=news.view.subscriber&table=news&newsid=122824

[FreedomAngel82]

18. Listen to her on the Round Table

Someone asked her about the DSM and she completley ignored it. She didn't raise it or anything. She said it would "make the troops look bad" (bullshit). :eyes:

[guruoo]

19. If she pushes DSM,

it would likely cost her the moderate and crossover vote,
which is what any Democrat will need to win.
And besides, as I said before, DSM isn't going anywhere as long
as we have a Republican Congressional majority.
Try to be patient.
Right now the most important thing is getting our country back.
We'll get the neocons, after we regain the majority.