Jane Hamsher on Harold Ford's Place in Nikki Tinker's Wreckage

As usual, she hits the proverbial nail on the head:

In the midst of the unqualified joy over Steve Cohen's complete drubbing of corporatist hack Nikki Tinker and her truly ugly campaign, there has been little discussion about the biggest loser...Harold Ford.

Tinker was Ford's protege, the former manager of his campaign. Ford thought that his machine was entitled to his old seat, and the residents of his district thought otherwise. By overwhelming numbers.

Late in the day, Ford came out and denounced Tinker's campaign tactics -- long after it could have done Cohen any good, a sure sign that Tinker was getting her clock cleaned. As if he hadn't been integral to the campaign from the start.

It his to his credit that Barack Obama has steered clear of both Ford and the DLC from the start. It was a smart political move. From his hectoring lecture at Netroots Nation, his cheap shot against Markos on Meet the Press, his concern trolling on Fox News and his general sleaziness -- everyone is sick of Ford.

His machine couldn't even break 20% for Tinker. Harold Ford got his ass kicked.

Corporatist hack, you ask? You mean to say that you knew Tinker was a racist and an anti-semite, but didn't have any idea she was a corporate/GOP mole in the democratic (big and small d's) process? Well, you should probably read this then:

The corporate tentacles of GOP power are all over the corporate mammy’s campaign filings. Phil Trenary, the CEO of Pinnacle Airlines, gave, along with his board members McGehee, Schockley, and Hunt, other executives, and their wives, nearly $25,000 to Nikki’s campaign.

McGehee and his kith and kin in particular, are major GOP moneybags having contributed more than $49,000 to the Republican Party and its candidates since 1997 and collectively kicked $8,600 into Aunt Nikki’s campaign coffers.

Other Airline industry players like Colgan Air, Sky West, and Jet Blue funneled nearly $13,000 through their executives to Nikki.

Moreover, law firms specializing in the employment law racket also took special notice of the corporate mammy. Baker & Hostetler, a major right-wing pocket, kicked in $4900. Baker & Hostetler lobbyists and lawyers have given more than $ 70,250 to Republican candidates and organizations in the last three election cycles; a sum, which is four times what they gave to Democrats.

Ford & Harrison, Aunt Nikki’s former law firm and a major employment law predator, kicked $5200 into the coffers of their former colleague. Nine of her colleagues had a favorable impression of Nikki’s Trojan Horse campaign. The Alley’s—both Ruth and J.E. Alley, are Florida attorneys and major Republican donors to both Dubya and Jeb Bush.

Other major employment law firms like Baker & Donnelson, Bryan Cave and Patton Boggs also kicked into Nikki’s kitty with $4,200, $1000, and $1050 respectively.

(H/T: folo)

I'll tell you what: the day Harold Ford ceases to be have any impact on or association with American politics - in addition to not coming soon enough - will be a day for Democrats everywhere to celebrate.