Harold Ford Heckled Over Fox Comment At Netroots Nation

Former congressman Harold Ford was billed as a sheep amidst the wolves when he was booked for an appearance at the Netroots Nation conference here in Austin. And while for the most part the DLC head and self-described 'centrist' Democrat received a cordial welcome among the progressive audience, there were a scattering of hisses, boos, and the occasionally unruly heckle during his discussion of FISA, Obama and Democratic politics more broadly.

Appearing alongside DailyKos founder Markos Moulitsas - in what has become a series of appearances for the two since they butted heads during a Meet the Press appearance last year - Ford pushed back against the notion that Obama had abandoned the netroots on the FISA fight.

"Many of the candidates that people in this room drew national attention to voted yes for FISA including Jim Webb and Claire McCaskill," he said, "as did 20 of the 30 red-to-blue candidates that were highlighted by the netroots."

For that argument, he was received with some sympathy. But the crowd wasn't too cordial later on when Ford discussed, among other things, his time as a pundit on Fox News.

"I used to work for Fox News. I no longer am there," he said after an audience member, during the Q&A session, accused him of smearing Democrats and echoing right-wing talking points. "I have great, great respect and admiration for my former colleagues there..."

Some in the crowd were incredulous, hissing Ford, asking (err... screaming) "why and who," and offering a scattering of boos.

Later Ford was quizzed on why he would support granting telecommunication companies immunity for their participation in the FISA program. His response - that it wasn't the companies who should be held to a fault but rather the public officials who ordered their participation - was challenged by several different questioners, who demanded "accountability" for privacy violations.

"I think that accountability was brought in 2006 when [the GOP] lost in the House and the Senate," Ford responded said. "And we have only eight more months of George W. Bush..."

"When is he going to prison!" screamed an audience member to a few claps.

Watch some (poor quality) video of the heckling:

Comments

[bookon]

03:29 PM on 07/21/2008

I find it very scary that there are people here who claim to be liberals, but attack anyone with a position that differs with theirs in ANY way.

Those who are too far on the left or right scare the heck out of me and for very good reason. In fact, I would say that the posts here prove my point.

If I wanted people to all agree and walk in lock step order, I’d vote Republican.

As a liberal I am open to those with differing views. I listen to them and try to see if perhaps I am wrong and try to understand why they think that way.

You can NEVER look at the world through purely ideological glasses.

[NoPCZone]

01:30 PM on 07/21/2008

Why wasn't he asked why he donated money to the Republican Woman running against the incumbent Democrat holding his old Congressional seat. He donated the money through his wife- to give him plausible deniability.
He is from a corrupt family, had his Congressional seat handed to him, is a sellout to corporate interests and worked as the house 'liberal' Faux Newz Channel. He is beneath all contempt. Throw him out of the party- I'll hold the door.

[amcg50]

04:07 PM on 07/21/2008

That is B.S. simply by stating something here does not make it so....So now we are down to holding the sins of the father against the children?

Give it a rest..... we are democrats not Nazis!!

[thromulese]

11:54 AM on 07/21/2008

Harold ford is a republiCON democrat. He is just a softer, less pompous lie-berman. He IS the embodiment of the DLC. He is against full marriage rights for gays (like his republiCON friends). And voted as bush and cheney wanted him to on the pro-spying and bush immunity bill.

If moderation is being just a little anti-gay, a little bit pro-bush/cheney, a little bit pro-Iraq war, a little bit pro-FIX’d “news”, and a little bit pro-republiCON. Then I want no part of this bi-partisanship or moderation.

Democrats need to hold their values and morals dear and not sacrifice them on the altar of bi-partisanship.

[amcg50]

10:43 AM on 07/21/2008

So much for being a wide tent!

Come on now; get over yourselves!

Unlike the Republicans I thought that there was some room for differences of opinion in our party!

[luckyt]

02:07 PM on 07/20/2008

Here comes the next Joe Lieberman.

[amcg50]

11:07 AM on 07/21/2008

yeah right! Give it up he is nothing like Lie Berman!! I guess in your world there is no room for differences of opinion....Sounds familar....

[JamesA1102]

01:45 PM on 07/20/2008

In other words they heckled Mr. Ford for not being a divisive demagogue. Nice!

[StrayTalk]

12:36 PM on 07/20/2008

Contrary to popular culture, some people actually do "retire" alive from the Mafia. There are, however certain spoken and unspoken rules. One of those rules is that when you are asked about your time spent with the Mob the appropriate response is "I have great, great respect and admiration for my former colleagues there..."

[rasthedestroyer]

11:40 AM on 07/20/2008

The left is becoming just as bad as the right, or maybe even a bit worse . No long sustaining leadership can really come from either side. Most americans are left of center, or right of center. Real leadership must speak to the demands of all the people, not just his or her base. Just a reminder to all the lefties. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutly... the last 30 yrs. should be a lesson for us. It's good to see so many people's enthusiasm, but let's us not forget being pragmatic. I beleive that's the way to find real solutions.

[SEQUOIABISON]

10:52 AM on 07/20/2008

Harold Ford is the only Democrat running for office in 2006 who lost his election, basically I think because he moved to the Right of Center unlike his colleagues who stayed to the Left of Center.

[rasthedestroyer]

11:44 AM on 07/20/2008

Can you say SMEAR TACTIC!! Check your fact's first.

[geobushono]

12:31 PM on 07/20/2008

talk about a smear tactic................you don't refute SEQUOIABISON's statement.....which is true...........and it didn't help that the Ford family has been corrupt.........the sins of the father etc.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/11/10/202240/63

This insightful article by a TN activist brings us...and especially you, the timeline and environment that brought Ford the loss he so richly deserved..............basically: "He lost his Left flank"

Now, you're 0 for 2 .....I can't spend the whole day correcting your papers so goodbye.

[tjntn]

01:18 PM on 07/21/2008

Your comment isn't clear rasthedetroyer. Are you pointing out that the Republicans used smear tactics against Ford (which is certainly true, even Corker denounced at least one of the ads) or do you mean that Sequoiabison is using smear tactics by saying Ford went to the right of center. Harold is certainly a very conservative Democrat on many issues and that's the only way a Democrat has a chance to win in a statewide race in TN. I was at one of his fundraiser's in Knoxville and talked to several supporters. We all agreed that Ford was too much to the right on several issues (the Iraq war being a major one) but he was so much better than the alternative. Is he to the right of center? Certainly on some issues but whether he is overall, that is a judgment call.

[vsign]

05:51 PM on 07/19/2008

Harold Ford should be our first black President. He will have earned it. Obama has done nothing to earn the job or the POWER. Do not give it to Obama. American voters would have to have gone crazy to give that much power to someone who has not earned it.

[blake3]

10:44 PM on 07/19/2008

What about the last eight years?

[uheardme]

07:28 AM on 07/20/2008

How has Harold Ford "earned" it?

[shela88]

03:47 PM on 07/19/2008

I'll always regret that someone as good-looking, smart and charming as Harold Ford Jr. is never going to walk a progressive path. However, recently I've begun to respect him for his individuality and what he has to contribute within the boundary of his ideologies. To say that he's not as bad since he signed on to MSNBC isn't much of a compliment but there you have it..He has gone from a D to a C+ and who knows what next semester will bring?

[yeswecancan]

11:03 PM on 07/20/2008

Funny .. I have to restrain myself from throwing my shoe at the TV every time I see his face show up on MSNBC. His DLC roots are still showing big time!

[timothe]

02:53 PM on 07/19/2008

If the Democrats were to start a conservative movement, led by a guy like Harold Ford Jr., they would swoop up middle class Republicans in droves.

But as long as the elitists and the academia run the party, there is no room for the mainstream of America to join the Democratic party. They can start by changing course on drilling offshore and in ANWR.

Obama's up by low single digits in spite of the last 8 years. He should be up by 20 points.

[freedomis]

12:23 PM on 07/20/2008

First,what do you consider conservative?Center,right of center and on to the poor people don't deserve anything other than paying their taxes so that corperations can give them a job so that the top 1% can have a little more.Dem or rep who ever they are that thinks poor people do not deserve any part of the American dream because of being poor is morally unamerican. Tony

[radicalcentrist44]

04:34 PM on 07/21/2008

Obama really should be up by double digits. I want to see how his numbers will look after the convention when they will be at their highest.

[Oldbuck]

02:16 PM on 07/19/2008

Heckling Harold Ford is not going to help our greater goal of changing the direction of the policies of our nation let's not act like a bunch of Republicans we are making progress let's not blow it.

[Dogvane]

02:09 PM on 07/19/2008

As if just throwing the bums out is a suitable punishment for a crime. The irony in Ford's statements is that we should hold to fault the people who ordered the crimes, not the telecomms. Yet, we can't prosecute them because they were acting in good faith. Very similar to the FISA bill that lets the telecomms off the hook if they have a letter that they all have.

[rudiy]

02:03 PM on 07/19/2008

right wingers/left wingers, no difference; if you do not agree with their agenda and support every thing they claim to stand for, you are a sell out, a traitor and are vilified. To disagree is fine, to vilify is a Republican tactic these same peole claim to hate.

[Gracehoper]

02:18 PM on 07/19/2008

Ultrapartisans won't gain power unless they take it from the more moderate compatriots who brought the movement to power in the first place.

[Cat82]

02:24 PM on 07/19/2008

I completely agree