On Tuesday morning, Conservative pollster Frank Luntz was a guest on The Christian Science Monitor's Monitor Breakfast.When asked his analysis on Democratic House Leader Nancy Pelosi, Luntz responded by saying:
"This is the most negative, angry, bitter political leader I have seen in years. Truth is, if they had Rahm Emanuel [of Illinois] or Harold Ford [of Tennessee], they would be heading towards, in the direction of, a majority because the two of them understand that you have to stand for something - [that] you cannot win just by being negative."
Ok guys, this may be the only time I say this, so listen up: I agree with Frank Luntz!
As I have been reporting for months now, Congressman Ford is the only U.S. Senate candidate who is offering a fresh new vision for our state.
While the Republicans sit back and bicker amongst themselves over such petty things as polls and fundraising and issuing attack after attack, Harold Ford Jr. is seeking real solutions to real problems while fighting for the people of Tennessee.
For instance, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Harold Ford stepped up to the plate and took the lead on the issue of disaster preparedness. Ford made sure the local, state, and federal governments all had joint response plans in the event of a catastrophic earthquake. He then took his efforts to Congress where he succeed in helping obtain $20 million for disaster response planning.
Another issue in which Ford is at the forefront is fiscal responsibility. The Congressman has proposed that we balance the budget, pass a constitutional amendment to do so, and also look at every spending decision Congress has made in the last 2-3 years for potential areas to cut to reduce the deficit.
In September, Congressman Ford joined with Governor Bredesen in his fight to keep the much needed 118th Airlift Wing in Nashville. Also in September, Ford stood up for Tennessee families who need relief when he called for a 30 day suspension of the federal gas tax, which is .18 cents a gallon.
Harold Ford Jr. has also taken the lead on other important issues such as education, energy independence, fair trade, and Iraq.
So yes Mr. Luntz, you are correct. Harold Ford Jr. does stand for something: A better future for all Tennesseans.
