Harold Ford: Race-baiter?

At least, that's the logical conclusion from this big-wet-kiss of a story from the LA Times for Tennessee's Democratic Senate candidate Rep. Harold Ford.

First, the story notes:

But Ford argued that the old labels do not apply — not to this centrist, pro-war, anti-gay-marriage, deficit hawk of a social conservative who once criticized former President Clinton for lying about infidelity and mounted a challenge to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) by calling her "too liberal." (emphasis added).

Then it goes on to state that:

Ford and his strategists have been laying plans should race — or the kinds of racial codes that marked other campaigns, including charges of being too liberal — emerge in the fall. (emphasis added).

Who knew that calling a Democrat "too liberal" had become tantamount to race-baiting? Shame on Harold Ford for employing "racial codes" in his political race against Nancy Pelosi!