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Opinion: Stephen Colbert grills Harold Ford: funny or unfair?

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Stephen Colberthas been poking fun lately at a certain former Tennessee congressman who is considering a race for a U.S. Senate seat in New York.

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‘The Colbert Report’ host has called Harold Ford Jr. the ‘Alpha Dog of the Week’ and praised him for his changing perspectives on same-sex marriage and abortion. ‘He believes that every American has the right to choose -- when it is politically expedient to be pro-life,’ Colbert said.

So Ford, who moved to the Big Apple three years ago after he lost his Senate race in Tennessee, decided to see if the comedian ‘wants to beat me up in person.’

Apparently, Colbert did.

Things started pretty funny when the comedian quipped, ‘Evidently, six minutes at my interview table counts as New York state residency.

But then the Comedy Central satirist turned into Jake Tapperon steroids, grilling the would-be senatorial candidate for once supporting civil unions for gays and now backing full marriage rights.

If you’re for politicians who are static in thinking, I’m not your guy,’ Ford said, who also defended his views on abortion.

Colbert was relentless, defending his questions on grounds that ‘you’re saying these things in the media capital of the world -- New York City, gotcha-town. And you’re saying, ‘Come and gotcha me.’’

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Colbert grew funny again when he ribbed Ford for an interview he gave to the New York Times in which he noted that he’s been to Staten Island because he landed there once in a helicopter.

I would recommend that for Schenectady, I would just look at that on Google Maps,” Colbert said.

We await the interview with Ford’s potential primary opponent -- New York Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand. Maybe he’ll mock her for moving to the left in flip-flops on gay marriage, gun control and immigration reform since she was named to the Senate seat once held by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Or maybe not.

-- Johanna Neuman

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