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Ford: Democrats really did not have a coherent message
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Rep. Dick Gephardt of Missouri has decided not to seek another term as House minority leader. Harold Ford, a Democratic congressman and Gephardt critic, joined "Crossfire" from Memphis, Tennessee: BEGALA: CNN is reporting that tomorrow Mr. Gephardt will announce that he's going to step down, or step aside as the leader of the House Democrats. But earlier today, long before CNN was reporting it, you were giving him a shove. Why? FORD: No, I didn't really give him a shove. I reminded, I think, most Democrats in the House what many Democrats across the country were sharing with me today. The question to ask is, what happened? Where was the message and why couldn't you convey it? I think at some level, the leadership in the House, on the Democratic side, has to take responsibility. I would imagine there were distractions: the snipers -- which I'm happy and delighted we caught -- the Iraq resolution -- which occupied most of Congress' attention for a good deal of time. But there was still two to three weeks to focus on the issues and Democrats really did not have a coherent message. Dick Gephardt -- let me say this -- is one of the finest leaders this nation has known. He's the hardest working, biggest money raiser and frankly the most passionate Democrat in the House. But much like a manager of a baseball team who really, really wants to win, is beloved by his players but simply can't win. Sometimes it's time to move on. And now might be a time for infusion of new ideas and new faces within the leadership of the House on the Democratic side. BEGALA: Well let me ask you ... FORD: And I ... hope to play a role in shaping the agenda and platform that Democrats will pursue as we enter really a new era of governing with the Republicans having the majority in the House, Senate, White House and an edge even on the Supreme Court. BEGALA: Well me too, Congressman Ford. So let's do it together right now, here, live on national television. I hope you'll join me -- I want you first to tell me what Dick Gephardt did wrong. And I used to work for him so I'm biased and I love him. But I guess what I would do differently is this: I would have confronted Bush and called for a repeal of the Bush tax cuts and confronted the administration on this rush to war. I gather that you -- you're for repealing the Bush tax cut and you're against Bush's rush to war on Iraq. FORD: I supported the resolution. 9/11 changed things for me as I'm sure it did for you and Tucker. I just had a different opinion. I think that you can inflict major harm without a missile delivery system. You can do it with a suitcase, or a small cargo ship, or small boat. BEGALA: So that means you have the same position as Mr. Gephardt so then it must be then, that you want to, like me, repeal the Bush tax cut, which is something Mr. Gephardt was unwilling to call for. I think he was maybe worried about political ramifications. Or maybe he was worried about other members of his caucus in political trouble. FORD: It's obvious that the tax cut Congress passed, which I did not vote for last year, is not working. If the economy had continued to perform at the rate it did in the '90s when you worked at the White House, Mr. Begala, perhaps we could have afforded some of those things. But frankly, it's not producing a turnaround. I think we need a new kind of stimulus, perhaps to freeze those tax cuts to the point -- or I should say up to a point in which the economy begins to perform again at that rate and perhaps enact a new immediate tax rebate plan in the form of some payroll tax holiday, something that Gene Sperling and others have talked about in accelerated appreciation schedule to promote business investment, even to eliminate the double tax on dividends. And for states with so many Democrats and Republicans elected to governors seats across the nation yesterday, faced with great health care challenges and education problems, we should change the formulas on Medicaid and Medicare for underserved rural and urban areas. And we even provide some moneys for school construction. It could all be part of what I call a $250 billion stimulus package. But I think the next leader on our side will not only have to present a coherent plan and be willing to challenge the president when he's wrong and support him when he's right, but be one who's able to bring the caucus together. We're a diverse caucus and... TUCKER CARLSON: Mr. Ford, I want to talk to you about the next leader. Some Democrats, and you heard Paul Begala do it, have argued the party needs to embrace, essentially, the Streisand Agenda. Farther left, more vegetarianism, more sandals, Patchouli. I mean take the party back in time to when it was a liberal party, the party of George McGovern. Now, news tonight is that Nancy Pelosi is the leading contender, she's a part of that wing in the party, to replace Congressman Dick Gephardt. Is this a positive development? FORD: Well, Nancy has every right to run. And I would imagine she's going to have to present to Democrats in the House her message, her plan and where she takes the caucus and, frankly, how she will take us there. I think there will be great reluctance, in little of what we saw yesterday, to veer too far to the left or for that matter to too far to the right, which wouldn't be a problem likely in the Democratic caucus. I think those who won yesterday were those who -- Democrats that is, were those Democrats who focus on solutions and answers to problems faced by American families all across the nation. So if you present what I consider a moderate, kind of middle of the road plan focused on answers willing to adhere to whichever party has the best set of ideas, I think that's the kind of person we need as leader. CARLSON: Mr. Ford, you and I agree on this. You said that Nancy Pelosi has the right to run. I believe she does have that legal right. Not an endorsement, though. You sound appalled by the idea of her running. I'm just interpreting the way you sound. Martin Frost of Texas, much more conservative, much more moderate -- a term you would use -- from Texas will be challenging her. Do you support Martin Frost against Nancy Pelosi? FORD: I'm going to wait to hear from both of the candidates. I will say that Martin's views and my views are far closer than Ms. Pelosi. However, Ms. Pelosi is the whip in the caucus, highly respected and will certainly put forth a great, great effort for this seat. Again, I think the person has to be someone also who can bring people together and not alienate parts of the caucus. I think one of the central questions for Ms. Pelosi will be can she hold on to the moderate and conservative wing of the party? And one of key questions for Martin is that since he's been part of the leadership, can he distinguish himself from some of the things that some in the Democratic caucus believe the old leadership represents? It'll be an interesting race. But I must say that my views are probably closer in line with Martin's. BEGALA: Congressman Ford, let me ask you briefly what is the best way then for Democrats to go -- to deal with President Bush? Should we get along with him more or fight with him more? FORD: Well, I think you have to stand for something and when the president is in line or aligned with what you stand for you support him. But when not, I think you have to be willing to take him on. And frankly, we didn't take him on enough on the issues that I think Americans cared about: jobs and the economy and all of the things associated with that, including education and health. We didn't do it in quite the way we should have. And as a result, I think the voters went to the polls yesterday and rewarded the party with the message and rewarded the party who repeated their message over and over again. I don't think that message is going to help America. And that's part of challenge as Democrats here in the next two years is not only to stand in the way, but to be part of the answer, be part of the solution. And the next leader in the Democratic caucus is going to have to be able to lead this caucus in that direction. BEGALA: Congressman Harold Ford, Jr. from Memphis, Tennessee. Thank you very much for joining us, sir. FORD: Thank you.
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