I saw Harold Ford and his opponent on the Situation Room last night, the Playboy party refers to a Playboy Superbowl party he attended. And he is actually being criticized for confronting his opponent publicly
Yes of course there are racists in every party, but that doesn't mean racist or racial overtones in campaigns and ads are acceptable. Politics is such a dirty business, it's depressing
BLITZER: All right. I know this is not your ad, but if you really, really wanted to get it lifted you probably could.
BOB CORKER (R), TENNESSEE SENATE CANDIDATE: No that's not true. We actually have been on national TV ads as we are now. We've asked senators to call. These are independent expenditure groups. We want it down. We do not believe that it -- certainly does not represent our campaign. We have nothing to do with it. We believe that it's tacky and has no place in this race.
BLITZER: Is it -- you say it's tacky, but is it racist?
CORKER: I, you know, it's tacky and certainly has no place in this race.
BLITZER: But do you see why some are suggesting, including former Republican senator, former Defense Secretary William Cohen here in THE SITUATION ROOM yesterday that it's certainly almost like playing the race card?
CORKER: Well, again, I have seen the ad one time on a computer. I've never even seen it on television. I don't like it. I have 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.
I'm out campaigning all across the state of Tennessee, giving my message of making sure that we're safe and secure, making sure that we leave within our means, making sure we pursue economic growth and preserve those great traditions that have made our state and country great. And I feel nothing but positive energy. Really I don't hear anything about this except from the media. Obviously we've demanded that it come down, but we're out campaigning...
(CROSSTALK)
CORKER: ... positive energy. BLITZER: Mr. Corker, excuse me for interrupting. Have you called Ken Mehlman, the chairman of the Republican Party, and asked him to pull it?
CORKER: Our campaign officials have talked to people at very high levels there and asked that this come down. I don't know who specifically has talked to who, but I know it began...
BLITZER: What about you...
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: Have you made a call to the RNC; have you made a call to the White House...
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: ... and told Republicans you know what, I think this is hurting the state of Tennessee, hurting this debate, and I would like to see it go away.
CORKER: Everybody at the RNC from the top down knows that I want this down. There are senators who are my friends, some of which are inside that are making calls that do the same. Everyone knows that we want it down. And look, I'm out here campaigning. We have nothing whatsoever to do with the ad.
As a matter of fact, I wish that my opponent would join me in asking that the ads that are being run by the DNC would come down. Both of them have no place in this race. And we are very proud of the things that we ourselves are doing. The momentum shift in this race has been substantial over the last two or three weeks. We've built a lead and we're going to win this race if we just keep doing what we're doing on the ground. We do not need that type of activity in our race.
BLITZER: He's complaining bitterly, Harold Ford Jr., that instead of going after him directly, you're going after his family. You're making his family an issue. And he says that a real man wouldn't do that.
CORKER: Well I think we saw a real man on Friday in Memphis. And I think what we saw was someone who does not have the comportment nor the temperament nor the ability to be a statesman and really deal with the issues that we have to deal with in the United States Senate that are so complex and need...
BLITZER: Welcome back. Tonight we're bringing you a rare one- two punch interview in one of the most closest and most contiguous Senate races in the nation. We just heard moments ago from Tennessee Republican candidate Bob Corker. Joining us now his Democrat opponent, Congressman Harold Ford, Jr. Congressman, thanks very much for coming in.
REP. HAROLD FORD, JR. (D), TENNESSEE SENATE CANDIDATE: Mr. Blitzer, thanks for having me on.
BLITZER: Do you believe this ad that the Republican Party is running against you, showing this seemingly naked blond woman enticing you that this is a racist ad. Are they playing the race card?
FORD: I don't know what they're playing if it's race or not, but I do know it's sleazy and it's promoting smut and it's coming on during family programming time in my state. The question I have is if my opponent wants it down, he should be able to get it down. If he doesn't have the influence to convince Republicans in Washington to take a sleazy, awful, smut-pushing ad down in our state, how on earth can voters trust him to stand up for them in Tennessee to the Republicans?
BLITZER: He says he's tried and he says that the top leadership of the Republican Party, Ken Mehlman among others, know he would like to see it go down, but there are independent expenditures as they call it.
FORD: Right. If Democrats were running an ad like this, it wouldn't be running. I can assure you. But this campaign is about something bigger. And one of the reasons that I think the National Republican Party is engaged in this kind of campaigning is they have come up short on ideas and answers. My opponent has too. When it comes to Iraq, North Korea, middle-class values, health care, education, all of the issues that are important to people, he's not been able to articulate a clear message. And I think the national party has demonstrated a great frustration...
BLITZER: Charlie Cook -- I want to just point out to you that that Charlie Cook, who's one of the best observers when it comes to Congress out there, he looks at these most recent polls including this Mason Dixon poll, which shows Corker slightly ahead of you. He says that what Corker says your Memphis meltdown when you went out and interrupted his news conference there, seems to have shifted the momentum and that you're in trouble now because of what you tried to do to him in Memphis.
FORD: No, sir. We have a little different take and I think voters here are demonstrating over and over again that they're ready for change. I think this -- these ads and the efforts in Washington over the last six years with the debt being where it is, the Iraq war being...
BLITZER: Was it the mistake though, Congressman, for you to... FORD: No.
BLITZER: ... interrupt his news conference and challenge him there on the scene, to show up unexpected and just go after him?
FORD: No, sir. We didn't interrupt anything. We showed off before his press conference started. And as you probably know, Mr. Blitzer, Iraq is a large issue and an important issue to a lot of families here in my state, a lot of military families. So I showed up and asked my opponent, who has not agreed to any debates in East Tennessee.
I shared with him that I thought it was important that voters have some sense of our views and our positions in light of so many Republican senators and even the White House now changing its opinion with regard to stay the course. It was before his press conference started. And I stand by it because Iraq is the most important issue on voters' minds...
BLITZER: He says it did not show much statesmanship. And that this is what the voters are looking for and that you don't have it when it comes to becoming a United States senator.