Harold Ford, Jr. not in favor of president's SS reform plan

[JI7]

<WASHINGTON Congressional Republicans seeking Democratic support for President Bush's Social Security reform plan aren't getting the support of a Tennessee lawmaker they hoped to woo.
Representative Harold Ford Junior said he does believe the system needs to be reformed but he doesn't support changing it as Bush has proposed.

The president has said he will use as a model proposals from his 2001 Social Security commission to craft a proposal that Congress will consider this year.

Under the commission plan that lawmakers said today was being discussed as the framework for the overhaul, Social Security benefits for younger workers would be cut by point-9 percent to 45-point-9 percent from traditional benefits.

Investments in the personal accounts would be counted on to make up the loss in income.>

http://www.volunteertv.com/Global/story.asp?S=2763442

[davidinalameda]

1. and the race is on for Frist's seat in 2006

and this is the opening shot

[JI7]

2. which Democrat(s) other than Ford are considering seeking it ?

even Ford has not said for sure, but it's pretty well known he will run.

will there be democrats challenging him for the nomination ?

[DaedelusNemo]

3. So what's the policies & foibles of Ford?

Whenever i've seen him on TV, he has always seemed remarkably intelligent, reasonable, and skillful. How would they attack him? What stands has he taken on controversial issues?

[IrateCitizen]

5. He's pro-Iraq War, pro-big business...

Pretty much a poster child of the DLC. He also never held a real job in his life. His father, Harold Ford, Sr., held the Congressional seat now occupied by Harold Jr. Harold Sr. left the seat in 1996, when Harold Jr. immediately filled it, after having just graduated from University of Michigan Law School that spring.

He is intelligent, but his only real principle seems to be to advance his own ambition.

[mitchtv]

6. now that John Breaux is gone

we'll need another untrustworthy Dem to replace him . Ford's your man.

[knight_of_the_star]

10. Getting rid of Frist will be worth it

And I'm somehow liking the idea of getting revenge for taking out the Minority Leader, more on the principal of returning the favor than because I actually think Daschle deserves vengeance.

ON EDIT: That and we'll actually be able to reason with a Senator Ford as opposed to a Senator Daschle.

[Clark2008]

13. Doubtful

Someone said they heard that some female Dem was - and this vague pronouncement was on a local Dem blog - so you can see that Ford is the only one with any name recognition to run.

[JI7]

4. kick

[robbedvoter]

7. Well, this might mean the wind blows from another direction now.

A good sign. Thanks, weather vane.

[AP]

8. I suspect some DU'ers will be disappointed.

[H2O Man]

11. I surely will be .....

Here I wanted Harold to ride into the House Chambers on a Harley, wearing mirrored shades, no helmet on his Afro, and yelling,"Up against the walls, motherfuckers!" Instead, I have to put up with a well-educated, thoughtful, extremely well-spoken man wearing a suit! What is this shit?!?! I know my rights! Come on, Harold! This is about me and my fantasies, not you doing the most difficult work for serious changes in the system! Later for this shit! I want Reality TV! Isn't this about revolution?

[autorank]

16. No RealityTV fantasies. Representing Oakland, Ron Dellums, Real Deal

http://www.aavw.org/protest/politics_dellums_abstract02.html

[H2O Man]

17. Ron's very good.

Harold's very good.

Democrats don't have a lot of real good choices in the congress. We need to focus on the reality of this situation, and not be divided by illusions created by our enemies.

For a variety of reasons, the black representatives are the single best hope for leadership that the democratic party has today. That includes non-black democrats. There are some non-black democrats that think that they are in a position to define how leaders like Harold should walk and talk. They need to get those foolish notions out of their heads.

When you listen to even some of the elder statesmen of the party, they talk about blacks as an interest group that the democratic party needs to court. Get out of here with that weak shit. Black leaders are the most genuine leaders today. Not the only leaders. Not looking to dictate. But with the balls to tell the truth. Anyone who didn't catch on in 2000, or from watching the opening scenes from "F 9-11" should recognize that fact from watching tv or reading the news in the past week.

[autorank]

20. I agree. Was Ford there in 2000 with the House challengers?

I couldn't agree more. I strongly believe and strongly supported the 1/6/2005 movement to get a protest to Ohio because I couldn't honestly see how the party could even show its face to black voters if we let Ohio pass by. I am an unabashed admirer of Conyers and the others in the House challenge delegation and God bless Boxer. Ford can do whatever he wants. While I agree with you, I find Rangel, Conyers, Tubbs-Jones, etc. fit my political views and philosophy quite well. We'll see with Ford. However, any Democrat, black, white, etc. who sides with * on Social Security or undercuts the party's long standing support of SS is toast in my book. I understand Ford said he opposed * on this. So far so good. And, yes, I believe that Social Security is a litmus test for the Democratic Party.

[H2O Man]

24. I agree.

I find Rangel to be a particularly good man. I also think that the Social Security is a litmus test for the party.

[JI7]

9. kick

[norml]

12. I believe this to be closer to the truth than the thread I started.

I was unfamiliar with the publication. I'm sorry if I was bamboozled. I'm back to supporting Harold Ford for a 2008 Presidential run.

[KittyWampus]

15. Norml, That Is A Very Mature Thing To Say. Come Here So I Can Give

you a hug

:hug:

[autorank]

14. Good, the ranks are closing.

We need a knock-down, drag-out brawl by our folks to prevent this one from taking place. It has all the elements: (a) another fake * crisis; (b) manufactured problem with Medicare looking weak and getting confused with Social Security BECAUSE * won't negotiate discounts for Medicare drugs (drive costs for drugs down by 60% at least); (c) huge PAYOFF for Wall Street crooks who brought us WorldCom and Enron since they'll make out huge on private account fees.

Oh yeah, this is extraordinary news! Just great. If Ford wont take the bait, it's lousy bait and there is real heat to close ranks.

This is an issue that Democrats have been waiting for for years. Please remember all that Republican crap about Democrats crying wolf about Social Security. Well the wolf is in the chicken coop! No more crying wolf, time to mobilize the troops and let loose.

This will be like Napoleon approaching Moscow and thinking he's conquered the land. Guess what *, it's turning into a cold winter and there is no "capital" to call on anymore (never was, the thing was fixed!).

[quaoar]

18. Any Democrat who supports Bush on Social Security

needs to switch parties.

[kentuck]

19. I think Josh Marshall and a few other "bloggers" may have.....

influenced Mr. Ford of the serious misdirection he was headed?

[charlie]

21. Maybe

He's giving the same reason he didn't sign on to Jim Demint's proposal last year (which he liked) -- adding debt is not the way to pay for it. He's still convinced SS needs fixing right now, not later, and that private accounts is the way to go. And Congressmen need "political courage" to make the "tough choices" to do it.

[InvisibleBallots]

22. hopefully Ford got smart real quick like

He better back off quick.

[angee_is_mad]

23. The base(black)

he probably realized that he could not outright alienate his base by moving farther to the right. He is a blue dog democrat.

Quite frankly he scares me. I noticed that he was not at the press conference with other CBC members on Thursday. I know, I know, Obama was not there neither but Ford had nothing to lose by appearing.

I wonder if he supported the recount? The answer to that question will show the character of the man.