So I listened to a local network...

[FreedomAngel82]

and they had an interview with both democratic canidates who were running for the nomination of Bill Frist's senate seat. At first I was a big supporter of Mrs. Kurita and still am. There are a lot of issues on the home front that I agree with her about. Then on this local network they interviewed Harold Ford junior. Both he and Kurita are DLCers. After listening to both of their interviews I have finally made a decision and that is in 2006 I will vote for Harold Ford. I don't like some of his votes that he has made but throughout the interview I agreed with him and he answered all the question's truthfully (hopefully) and honestly and he didn't try to dodge any of the question's. They didn't ask him about the DSM but I know he has signed John Conyers letter and have heard he is for an investigation if he makes it to the Senate. You can hear, if you're interested, both his and Mrs. Kurita's interviews at http://www.theroundtable.org So after listening to Ford and giving him more of a chance, even though he is a DLCer, he's okay and not terribly bad. I'm willing to admit when I'm wrong about someone even if I'm not a huge fan and willing to give them a chance. I just thought I should be fair and listen to him too since he is running and he as a canidate does deserve my ear. So check out his interview at http://www.theroundtable.org and go to the archives. He was on the show June 27th and Kurita was on a little before him I believe they said. I still don't like what he said about Howard Dean and that he wouldn't invite him to his campaign. :( That makes me really sad because we should be more united as a party and Dean is the chairman of the DNC.

[justinsb]

1. That's a tough choice

I don't know much about the candidates, but the fact that they are both DLCers would put me off from the start.

[FreedomAngel82]

2. Right

But from listening to the interviews Ford takes the issues a *little* more seriously. Kurita was asked "how can she call herself a democrat and not raise the issue of the DSM?" (something like that) and she didn't talk about the DSM at all but turned it around for "supporting the troops" nonsense and how much she supports them and spends time with them. You should hear both interviews. They helped me decide who to vote for. I'm willing to put aside my differences with Ford personally. Even though I do like the republican canidate my big issue for next year is Iraq and I know I'll have more of a chance with Ford then Kurita and with a republican like Corker (check him out, google Bob Corker of Chattanooga).

[justinsb]

3. Yeah, it looks like a tough choice all around

good luck though. The reality is that the Dems should have a pretty good ride going into 06, which means that you can add a few points to the D side no matter who is nominated.

[FreedomAngel82]

4. Hopefully

There are a lot of issues I do agree with Ford on. Here are some points from the interview. http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=179x1803

Also added: He was asked if we knew what we knew today he said he wouldn't have voted for resoultion. He said he would hope the president wouldn't have even asked. He also said that one of the reason's we knew he had them is because we gave them to him in the 80's with the war with Iran. He was like Kerry and voted for the resoultion. He said many people around the globe believed that he posessed wmd's (my note: uhh not really) and one of the reason's we were convienced he had wmd's is because we gave them to him (at least he knows that much!) in the 80's with the war with Iran. The host asked him why we're fighting in Iraq and Kurita said it's to fight terrorism there. Ford said it's part of the effort (uh no) in light of what we know now and before we committed ourselves to Iraq and we all shared that the first goal should be to find BinLaden and go after WMD's in Iraq. He was always a believer of Colin Powell's inspector's being in Iraq and then after that everything fell apart.
And he also says that bush was intence and misguided. We took down Saddam Hussein and that was a policey of Bill Clinton and Al Gore. We've insence learned our intelligence is wrong. What we've not done since 9/11 is fixing our intelligence. Since 9/11 we should have made sure the intelligence was fixed (that we could trust it etc).
He thinks they (Bush administration) slowed walked the process of the reform of Iraq. He wants to serve on the armed services and finance and intelligence committes if he makes it to the US Senate and is re-elected. they asked him if you can be patriotic and be against the war and want the troops home and he said: You can be partriotic and still be against the war and want the troops home. to think that somehow raising question's and policies about Iraq doesn't make you patriotic. Last year he went with Joe Biden to Iraq and told the troops told the troops in Falljuah don't confuse question of policy with supporting them and that the people who are questioning the war care more about you then others. He told how after 9/11 during the patriot act a lot of republicans said those democrats who raised question's were "unpatriotic" and didn't support the troops. He's basically saying that's nonsense. Ford said how Rick Santorum stud up and said that it was wrong of Karl Rove to comment what he did about liberals. The problem with nclb is it isn't funded at the level where it's needed and we're not giving flexibility to schools to meet the standards. He voted against the bill because it will harm our availibity of doers and thinkers. He did vote for the PBS bill to restore and support PBS and he wanted to see PBS and special ED restored and supported. We should provide dollars for the first generation for counseling up to sixth grade and up and we're cutting financial aide for college and grant programs. He voted against the last bill because it cut other educational programs that were needed and they were able to save PBS.

[justinsb]

5. Well he doesn't sound to bad

if he believes what he says. That's part of my problem with DLCers is alot of the time they are very convincing in speeches but then when they actually do things I don't get the sense that they really believed what they said.

[FreedomAngel82]

6. Right

Ford sounds more serious about Iraq and that's a big thing with me (my brother and I are eligable for a draft) and I'm willing to vote for someone who seriously wants to take Iraq seriously and work on really making Iraq go faster so we can leave. From the interview he kinda reminds me of Hillary Clinton.

[justinsb]

7. Well, I sincerely hope that they get out of there

before there is a draft. Canada, I'm sure, would accept those who didn't want to go but even that is sad as it means seperation from their families and homes and I don't want to see it come to that.