CNN Larry King Live - Transcript
CNN LARRY KING LIVE - Transcript
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KING: How do you react, Congressman Ford?
REP. HAROLD FORD JR., CANDIDATE FOR SENATE: It's a little silly and it's unfortunate that the national Republican party has resorted to such tactics, but it's not totally surprising because there's not a whole lot for them to brag about. There's not a big record for them to defend in this election. So they've taken to just personally attacking me and lying on my record and talking about things that really have no place in anyone's living room, particularly those with children.
KING: Were you surprised by it?
FORD: Well, you know, politics at this level, when you're looking at a race like Tennessee, that many in Washington believe could determine which party is in the majority come next year, so much money has descended here from national Republican sources, not only from Washington, but all across the country. And some of their smartest and maybe cruelest minds in politics, in terms of these ads, have all come here as well. So I'm hopeful we can get back to talking about Iraq and North Korea and education and health care, the things that people really care about down here.
KING: the ad was backed by the Republican National Committee, not your opponent, by the way. Here's what Bob Corker told CNN about the commercial.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOB CORKER, REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR U.S. SENATE: I've seen the ad one time on a computer. I've never even seen it on television. I don't like it. I've asked for it to come down. I don't know what else we can do. I know many people are calling the RNC on our behalf to see what can be done to get it down. But we have nothing to do with it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: That OK with you, Congressman?
FORD: Well, I think the ad came down today. It ran for about a week. And it was a little surprising, because I thought that, you know, if there was an ad he didn't want up, he could have gotten it down. I just think people find it hard to believe down here in Tennessee. If the Democrats ran an ad that crossed the line, like that one did, I can assure you, it would have been pulled long before a week had passed by. I'm just hopeful we can get back to talking about some of the serious things in the campaign and things that voters really want to hear us talk about.
KING: Michelle Laxalt, how do you react to it?
MICHELLE LAXALT, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: I think the ad, as Mr. Corker indicated, the relevant point is that he asked that the ad be taken down and the ad was taken down. The ad was in bad taste and the national committee has taken the ad down, at the request of the candidate. And I think he is to be commended for that. The fact is that no one can control outside money coming into these races, either from Washington, California, or parts unknown.
KING: Paul?
PAUL BEGALA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Well, Michelle makes a good point, but this is the National Republican Party. It's not some wing nut fringe group that put this up. You know, let's put the cards on the table. They're playing the race card. When you have a white woman winking, saying, Harold, call me, they're trying to say something. And I'm from the south and I like to believe that we're beyond that and we have overcome, but maybe we haven't. We'll see if this works. We'll see if it works.
KING: The RNC has switched. They've got a new ad replacing it. Let's watch that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Harold Ford Jr., he's slick, he's smooth, but his record? A little shaky.
Ford is Tennessee's most liberal Congressman.
He campaigns in a church, but to took cash from Hollywood's top X-rated porn moguls. Ford talks values, but voted to recognize gay marriage, voted for taxpayer funded abortions ten times and wants to give the abortion pill to our school children.
Harold Ford, smooth talk, Hollywood values.
The Republican National Committee is responsible for the contents of this ad.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Congressman, fair?
FORD: False. I don't support gay marriage. I supported both amendment -- both efforts in the Congress to amend the constitution. I've never supported any effort to provide abortion pills to school children, or schoolgirls. And there have been so many accusations, I don't know all the --
KING: Are you supported by the porno industry or people in the porno industry?
FORD: No, sir. No, sir.
KING: So are you're going to ask him to remove that one, too?
FORD: We have letters at the station. Just because there's an element to the law that calls for the ads to, at least, have some independent verification. You just can't run an ad saying that Larry King is now on CNBC. We know you're not on CNBC. You're on CNN. You can't just run ads making up things. The one thing and Mr. Begala makes an excellent point, but I say this, people in Tennessee are good, decent people.
And I think the national party has grossly, grossly underestimated the goodness and decency of people in this state. Bob Corker alone didn't have this ad pulled. There were people all across this state who wondered aloud how is it that Mr. Corker could be trusted to represent them in the United States Senate if he couldn't convince the National Republican Party to take down an ad that demeaned women and dishonored families and children like that.
KING: I got to get a break. Thanks, Congressman. Thanks for appearing with us. And we'll be back. Paul Begala and Michelle Laxalt will remain with us and next we'll discuss the campaign in Missouri and Michael J. Fox. Don't go away.
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