built ford tough

Harold Ford Jr. Wants to Raise Taxes?

Our favorite part of Harold Ford Jr.’s interview with his best bud Cindy Adams is when the pseudo-candidate tries to sound like he’s barely scraping by during his now 45-day leave of absence from his estimated $1 million-a-year job at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. “Fortunately, I’ve still got a little NYU teaching job and some MSNBC,” he says, “so for a while I think I can put food on the table.” Right, um … we think you’ll be okay.

But we get what’s he’s doing there — bonding with the struggling working man, however unconvincing that is. What confused us, though, was when he said this: “Corny and idealist as it sounds, I care about educating kids, raising taxes, health benefits, and I care that, to me, this country is going down a wrong road.” Emphasis ours, because, what? Surely he meant lowering taxes? Stop giving bad interviews!

New Yorker at heart [Page Six/NYP]

Update: Ford’s spokesman, David Goldin, tells us that Ford’s intention was to express his concern about people raising taxes. “He was not in any way suggesting he’s for raising taxes.”

Harold Ford Jr. Wants to Raise Taxes?