"Harold, call me!"

Remember that awful commercial Harold Ford found himself up against in 2006? When he was running for Senate in Tennessee, the opposing party portrayed him as a lightweight party boy, out of touch with mainstream values and too fond of white women. The spot ended with a blonde holding her hand like a phone receiver and mouthing the words, "Harold, call me." Yes, Tenneseans, it's true: the black man is after your women. It was appalling and those behind it should be ashamed of themselves. Unfortunately, the commercial seemed to have an impact on voters.

After losing that election, Ford has rebounded nicely, as head of the DLC and a TV commentator. I must admit that I always perk up when he comes on screen. I mean, as cable network talking heads go, he is hot.