Harold Ford Heckled Over Fox Comment At Netroots Nation

[babylonsister]

Harold Ford Heckled Over Fox Comment At Netroots Nation
Sam Stein
July 18, 2008 03:45 PM


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 at link~

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/18/harold-ford-heckled-over_n_113663.html

[derby378]

1. Seriously, if any long-standing DUer uses FOX as a primary news source...

...that poor soul needs some caring, compassionate help.

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. Harold Ford represents everything that is wrong with our party

[zeemike]

3. I would have liked to ask Ford this

Wasn't the question of accountability settled at Nuremberg when the principle that you cannot escape responsibility for a crime by saying that I was ordered to do it?

[mmonk]

4. I still don't know how they got a strangle hold on the party.

I look at the resolutions we draw up and vote for at the state level and then I look at the way our elected Democrats vote in Congress and think it very weird. There is a massive disconnect somewhere.

[dflprincess]

5. I don't think any of them even read the state or national party platforms (eom)

[mmonk]

9. Yeah. Just background chatter to them.

[aquaman]

6. Ford sucks.......

That is all.

[SharonAnn]

7. His uncle was convicted in Tennessee today.

[The Backlash Cometh]

8. This excuse to do nothing, is, unfortunately too common:

"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..."

This is what we need to change. The belief that there aren't higher consequences to pay when politicians do corrupt things.

[KharmaTrain]

10. The Live Feeds Are Fascinating

I was at YearlyKos last year and had a great time and appreciate all the live cams they have set up to watch the various venues. It sure is a lot easier clicking from one screen to the next than from hiking from one end of a very large convention center to another.

The media panel with Paul Krugman, Digby and Duncan Black (Atrios) was excellent (one other was on the panel but I forgot his name). The Kos/Ford "debate" was more like a mugging. I give Harold credit for showing up and walking into the lion's den, but he sure didn't make many friends in the process. He all but demonstrated the "weak Democrat" that the netroots rose up to overcome.

[babylonsister]

11. Pelosi is supposed to be there today; I just bet she's not looking

forward to it! And I'm glad Ford got an earful, from some smart, supposedly like-minded people.

:hi:

[KharmaTrain]

12. She'll Be Appearing At 9AM Central

I expect it will be in the main exhibition hall.

Here's the link:

http://www.netrootsnation.org/node/982

:hi: