February 26, 2010

Harold Ford Jr got an icy reception last night in Greenwich Village. From NY1, video report by Josh Robin.

While speaking to the Stonewall Democratic Club, some audience members held up signs that read "Liar." Others interrupted him on several occasions chanting "Anti-Choice, Anti-Gay, Shame on Harry, Go Away!"

At issue is Ford's voting record as a Tennessee congressman, where he twice supported an amendment to the constitution that would bar same sex marriage.

Eyeing office in New York now, he said he was wrong. To many, the gesture oozed insincere politics -- and they let him know it.

"I voted twice in favor of it and I was wrong. I now recognize the wrongness of my ways," said Ford Junior.

"Here's somebody who took very anti-gay positions, and took very Republican positions and joined with the Bush White House in trying to make us political scape goats, and that's why people are so angry, that's why so people are so hostile," said gay rights activist Jeffrey Campagna.

Though Ford denied it Wednesday, activists have accused him of misleading Tennessee voters when the amendments were being debated.

Two gay activists in Memphis said in telephone interviews Wednesday that Ford's office had informed them he was voting against the amendment.

Adding fuel to charges of insincerity is a heavily-circulated ad from his failed 2006 Senate race in Tennessee in which he touts his stance against gay marriage.

Interestingly that "heavily-circulated ad" was posted here at Crooks and Liars, here.

2342_b39d2.jpg

Can you help us out?

For nearly 20 years we have been exposing Washington lies and untangling media deceit, but now Facebook is drowning us in an ocean of right wing lies. Please give a one-time or recurring donation, or buy a year's subscription for an ad-free experience. Thank you.

Discussion

We welcome relevant, respectful comments. Any comments that are sexist or in any other way deemed hateful by our staff will be deleted and constitute grounds for a ban from posting on the site. Please refer to our Terms of Service for information on our posting policy.
Mastodon