Wes Clark stumps for Harold Ford, Jr. in Clarksville, TN

Ford cautiously works around Kerry remarks

November 2, 2006 By Blake Farmer | News Correspondent | The City Paper

Clark (to cheers and applause): “They say it’s stay the course, but you know what? You can’t stay the course when you’re failing.”

CLARKSVILLE – At a Democratic rally in Clarksville Wednesday, Senate-hopeful Harold Ford Jr. deflected questions about John Kerry’s recent remarks to college students about the war in Iraq, but did not distance himself from the long-time Massachusetts Senator.

Earlier Wednesday morning, Ford’s camp issued a statement calling for Kerry’s apology.

“John Kerry was wrong to say what he said,” Ford told reporters after the event. “Let’s not be distracted by that. The reality is we have a failed set of policies on the ground in Iraq. Had John Kerry not said what he said, we’d still be faced with the same result we’re faced with today in Iraq.”

Kerry’s comments earlier this week were about education. “You can do well. And if you don’t, you get stuck in Iraq,” he said. The statement has drawn fire from Republicans and Democrats alike, eventually drawing a public apology by midday.

Ford was joined at the Clarksville event by retired general Wesley Clark, a contender for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination. A handful of veterans turned out for the afternoon gathering, dubbed a “Veteran’s Appreciation Rally.” Clark told them the Republican Party has demonized people who question the war and encouraged military supporters to vote for “change” in Washington.

“They say it’s stay the course, but you know what? You can’t stay the course when you’re failing,” Clark said to cheers and applause.

Ford nodded and released several ‘amen’s’ as Clark worked the crowd. When Ford took the microphone, he pledged to take care of veterans and offered several anecdotes about church and religious faith.

Mike Krause, a young Iraq war veteran, presented Ford with his personal Army Medal of Recognition for “fighting the war from the halls of Congress.”

As expected, Ford remained enthusiastic despite a recent poll that puts opponent Bob Corker ahead by more than the margin of error. He did, however, acknowlege Corker’s $2 million contribution to his own campaign and said the Ford campaign will have to play catch-up. Ford continued with a get-out-the-vote plea.

“The only way we’re going to win this race is to go out and reach out to independents, Republicans, Democrats, and bring them all around to our side,” he said. “Our side isn’t a Democratic side. Our side is to do what’s right for America.”

Regarding the relationship between Ford and Kerry, the Tennessee Republican Party issued a statement Wednesday calling for Ford to return $100,000 in funds Kerry helped to raise on Ford’s behalf.

Congressman Lincoln Davis, Ford’s campaign chairman, said he did not expect to return any money and suggested the statement was “just something to sidetrack the issues.”

“If I were John Kerry, I’d say, ‘It was a bad statement,’” he said. “Now, let’s talk about the war in Iraq again. The Republicans are the best at this of anyone. They want to diffuse the issues.”