Harold Ford slaps down aide to Lincoln Davis, TN. No comment from Davis.

[madfloridian]

Only the sound of crickets chirping. I even went to the website of Davis.

Lincoln Davis, US Congressman, 4th District.

Not a word about the comments by Democrat Fred Hobbs. Not a word about his own aide, Beecher Frasier, who like Hobbs insinuated they were not sure but that Obama had terrorist ties.

I must give Harold Ford credit. He is jumping all over Frasier, who worked for his campaign for a while. He spares no words.

Harold Ford, Jr. Throws Former Campaign Manager Under The Bus

It was a long curious day for the Tennessee Democratic party yesterday. Divisions in the party were exacerbated when John Rodgers of the Nashville City Paper reported the words of Tennessee Democratic Party state executive committee member Fred Hobbs on Barack Obama:

“I don’t exactly approve of a lot of the things he stands for and I’m not sure we know enough about him,” Hobbs said when asked why he thought Davis wasn’t endorsing Obama. “He’s got some bad connections, and he may be terrorist connected for all I can tell. It sounds kind of like he may be.”

.."Adding insult to injury, Beecher Frasier, Chief of Staff to Democratic Congressman Lincoln Davis of Tennessee’s rural and conservative 4th District, was portrayed in the same article as saying he didn’t know for sure if Obama was “terrorist connected” but assumes he’s not.

Ford's response?

Let me be clear about 2 things

First, Beecher Frasier is dead wrong. Senator Obama is a Christian, American patriot with a vision to make America safer and stronger. I am going to join millions of Tennesseans and Americans by working this year this to bring life to that vision by electing Barack Obama President of the United States.

Second, Beecher’s past association with me is just that - past. I’ve had no relationship with him since 2006. I don’t want a relationship with him, or anyone else who says these things. His comments offend me as an American and embarrass me as a Tennessean.

Hobbs is still wobbly, his apology was no better than his original statement.

And it's not just any Democrat - it's a leader of the Tennessee Democrat Party. That's right - despite calls that he be ousted from the Tennessee Democrat Party's State Executive Committee and despite condemnations from such Democrat leaders as current U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon and former TDP Chairman Bob Tuke, Fred Hobbs* isn't backing down. He insists there is reason to believe that Obama has "associates" who "might have" ties to terrorism, although, he says, "I certainly don't think he's a terrorist."

Only his friends, Mr. Hobbs?

Lincoln Davis, this is your cue. Straighten these guys out. Governor Bredesen, your cue also.

The silence from two major Democrats is deafening in its loudness.

[wyldwolf]

1. If not for the racist ads run against him, that would be Senator Harold Ford

[BayjanDem]

20. Never been a fan

of Harold, but he got his foot in some assess on this one, outstanding.

[dionysus]

29. for a change i agree with you.

[bunnies]

2. Good on Harold.

Glad he's not standing for this shit. His comments are perfect.

[madfloridian]

3. I seldom compliment him, but these were great comments.

Good for him.

[bunnies]

4. Same here.

He's not my favorite politician. *cough* DLC shill *cough*. But he's right on the money with this one. Plus 10 points for him. :thumbsup:

[Drunken Irishman]

5. Good for Ford.

[fujiyama]

6. Getting a kick from me

I don't agree with Ford all the time, but he comes to the defense of fellow Dems! He impressed me when he got pissed at Jean Shit as well!

Hobbs should be removed from the party. What disgusting nonsense.

[Cha]

7. Wow...glad to

hear that from Ford Jr.

[K Gardner]

8. I've written everybody in the TDP I can think of to write.. this is HORRENDOUS and humiliating.

[madfloridian]

16. It really is. I think Lincoln Davis and Phil Bredesen need to speak up

I really do.

[SharonAnn]

31. Lincoln Davis is very conservative, right-wing, yet calls himself a Democrat.

I first met him in Jan. 2001 when he was starting his run for the 2002 election for Representative.

He's one of those whom we still need because he counts as a "D", but he's not much of a Democrat.

[Tarheel_Dem]

9. Like many here, Ford has never been my favorite legislator, or pundit

for that matter, but he's right on this one, and I'll give him a big thumbs up. :thumbsup:

[madfloridian]

17. Agreed. Now we need Congressman Davis and Governor Bredesen

to speak up and see if they can stop the ugly stuff that is getting legs.

I just did a search and nothing I can find that they have said.

[butterfly77]

10. They are just undercover republiCONS...

[Hippo_Tron]

11. Ford knows full well that Obama is in charge of the party now

[Tatiana]

12. K&R for Harold Ford Jr. doing and saying the right thing. n/t

[Number23]

13. Hilarious Comment

Did anyone read the first comment in response to the Ford story?

June 14th, 2008 10:33 am

Dear Fred Hobbs,

I would like to applaud your recent statement implying Barack Obama is a terrorist. We here at Bigots United for McCain know that John can not possibly win on the issues. We need fine upstanding Americans like you to muddy the waters and cast doubt on the character and frankly the citizenship of the presumptive Democratic Nominee. We simply do not need a black man in office. Do we want our grade school children pointing to Africa on the map thinking it is where they live? No Sir!

If Obama gets in we will not be able to privatize Social Security and the country may very well spend a lot of money on health care for its populous instead of fighting wars in far off exotic lands. By the way, did you know Obama is Exotic? He is! And you can call him that on TV and not have to apologize!

John McCain can’t say so but he appreciates your support so I will say it for him. We love your strong commitment to your race and to the Presidential race being won by a real American who is not black.

Remember! Race, Party and then Country!

Michael Meehan

Executive Director
Bigots United for McCain

[madfloridian]

15. That's funny.

I need to read those comments.

[Blue-Jay]

26. HA!

[madfloridian]

14. Former chair Randy Button has a strong comment. Still no Bredesen or Davis?

http://sefermpost.typepad.com/sefermpost/2008/06/ridiculous-linc.html

"Party chairman who has known Davis since at least 1994, said he doesn’t know why Davis is withholding his presidential leanings. But Button has had that feeling before, saying the 64-year-old farmer is “anything but predictable.”

“I’m not sure,” Button said. “Maybe he’s holding out for Obama to call him to be his running mate.”

[K Gardner]

18. I have the cell # of Bredesen's press secretary. I'll be calling tomorrow. Enough.

[madfloridian]

19. Yes, it is enough.

Thanks for doing that. :hi:

[Truth2Tell]

21. If there is one thing Harold Ford knows...

it's which way the wind is blowing.

[NorthCarolina]

22. I could care less what Harold Ford thinks

He's DLC, so he can go pound sand for all I care.

[Faygo Kid]

23. It's couldn't care less, not could.

And I am no fan of Harold Ford's, but I give him props for standing up here.

[NorthCarolina]

24. * I "couldn't" care less

eom

[Faygo Kid]

25. Yes, I AM the spelling/grammar schoolmarm here at DU.

All the best, though!

:hi:

[rebel with a cause]

27. I haven't cared for him when I saw him before

but this is two times he has stood his ground and did the right thing, so I will give him kudos also. :thumbsup:

[sudopod]

28. Sorry guise

My state appears to have come down with a case of teh dumb.

[wysimdnwyg]

32. Unfortunately our state

has had it's case of "dumb" going for quite a while. If I didn't live in one of the two bastions for common sense (Nashville and Memphis) in the state, I'd probably have to move.

My hope is that Ford's coming out in favor of Obama will give a nudge to the Blue Dogs in the state. Davis and Gordon both need to endorse. Bredesen has, I believe, half-heartedly endorsed Obama, but it would be nice if he would be a little more energetic about it.

[Clark2008]

35. My little area of Knoxville is liberal, as well.

I know most people don't consider Knoxville the bastion of liberalism, but in North Knoxville, we've shaken off the dumb and have two Dem county commissioners, a Dem city councilman and a Dem state rep.

Unfortunately, beyond that point, our voting power becomes convoluted by county voters (we're in the city) and we have Republicans "leaders," but we do try to do our part.

:hi:

[sudopod]

39. The County Commission elections are going to be a LOLercaust

It appears that even Knox County has a limit to the amount of Republican drama it can tolerate.

We've got a good chance to elect a guy named Finbarr to the commission, for cripessakes. :)

[JoFerret]

30. They all deserve each other

.

[ccharles000]

33. Does anyone else think Harold Ford is cute?

[ecstatic]

34. no. too skinny hehe nt

[Clark2008]

36. Oh, I do!

[Skidmore]

37. I wrote to the head of the TN Democratic Party about Hobbs.

Here is a copy of the exchange.

To: Gray Sasser
Subject: Fred Hobbs


With Democrats like Fred Hobbs, who need Republicans? I read Mr. Hobbs comments on Barack Obama and his concerns that Senator Obama might “have terrorist connections.” Fred Hobbs sounds just like every rightwing fear monger we have been battling during the Bush administration. Now let me put this in terms this man probably will understand best…”You’re either with us or you’re against us.”



We have worked really hard to get a good nominee for the Democratic Party this year, a year in which change needs to occur before we go under as a nation. Too much is at stake. If you have any influence with Mr. Hobbs, please convey my astonishment and, yes, irate response to him regarding his remarks. Perhaps suggest to him that it wouldn’t hurt him to look as though he were a member of this party. If we lose the election do to the continued shenanigans of erstwhile party members like him, I will join loyal Tennessee Democrats in contributing to whoever is willing to step up and represent our party.


Thank you.

Sincerely,


---------------------------------------------
He replied:

Thanks for your note, and I appreciate the passion that you bring to our cause. I hope we can turn both Iowa and Tennessee blue this year.

I thought you might be interested in seeing the statement that we released this morning:

“The Tennessee Democratic Party is united behind our party’s nominee, Senator Barack Obama. Mr. Hobbs is obviously misinformed, and his statement highlights the perpetual efforts of the Republican Party, especially here in Tennessee, to turn internet smears and highly offensive gossip into their party’s message against Senator Barack Obama as we head into the General Election. Instead of debating the issues, the Tennessee Republican Party continues to rely upon slanderous and salacious tall tales. They are borrowing from the playbook first written by Richard Nixon and employed in the race against Congressman Harold Ford Jr. Tennesseans of every political persuasion are tired of these tactics.”

Best of luck,

Gray

J. Gray Sasser
Chairman
Tennessee Democratic Party
223 8th Avenue North, Suite 200
Nashville, Tennessee 37203
[phone]
[e-mail]

[hardtoport]

38. Good on Harold.

Glad to see the DLC leadership cracking down on this sort of shit. I had worried at first that Ford would lead the charge to subtly kneecap Obama, but he has been an effective surrogate for Obama every time I've seen him on TV.

The party should tolerate NONE of this trashing on the nominee. Let the ushers show you to your seat on the other side of the aisle if you don't support the nominee.