Fred Thompson A Campaign Disaster In The Making

FRED THOMPSON WOULD LIKE TO BE SEEN AS THE SECOND COMING OF RONALD REGAN…THE PROBLEM IS THAT FRED IS NO RONALD REGAN AND JERI IS NO NANCY.

THIS LAZY ASS CAMPAIGNER EXPECTS PEOPLE TO COME BEGGING AND DRAFTING HIM, SHOWERING MONEY UPON HIS TV PERSONA.

ALREADY TAGGED WITH THE NIXON AS A MOLE AND DUMB, TARRED AS A LOBBYIST, LIAR AND NEOCON GLOBALIST BUSH SUPPORTER A REVIEW OF ALL HIS STATED POSITION LINKS BELOW WILL REVEAL A HARD LINE CONSERVATIVE ATTEMPTING TO HIDE BEHIND HIS FOLKSY SOUTHERN TV DEMEANOR.

HE IS NOT GOING TO WALTZ INTO THE WHITE HOUSE AS EASILY AS HE HAS WALKED INTO THE LIVING ROOMS OF MILLIONS OF TV VIEWERS.

MAMA WANTS THE WHITE HOUSE MORE THAN HE DOES AND THE PAIL OF MUD IS JUST WAITING TO BE SPLASHED, IF AND WHEN HE/SHE SAYS HE/THEY ARE GOING TO RUN.

THIS IS A NEGATIVE CAMPAIGN JUST WAITING TO GET LOOSE WITH THINGS LIKE:

Fred Thompson knocked up his girlfriend and married her so that she could put him through college. Then, in 1985 he divorced her.

Thompson’s (R-Tenn.) wife, Jeri, “works the pole.” .... Yeah, bring it on bitch.

This wife is supposed to get him the White House.

Obsessed Sex Pot Bimbo Trophy Wife to lead Thompson Campaign.

It's all a big act for the Thompsons.

White Supremacist. anti-Semite, liar, hypocrite, Nazi all the garbage is in place to be dumped!

FRED THOMPSON http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Dalton_Thompson


Excerpt:Nixon on Fred Thompson: "Dumb as Hell" "Nixon was disappointed with the selection of Thompson, whom he called "dumb as hell." The president did not think Thompson was skilled enough to interrogate unfriendly witnesses and would be outsmarted by the committee's Democratic counsel."

A REAL CROCK FULL (THOMPSON ON THE RECORD)
Fred Thompson On The Issues http://www.ontheissues.org/senate/Fred_Thompson.htm

International Issues

Domestic Issues

Economic Issues

Social Issues

Foreign Policy

Gun Control

Budget & Economy

Education

Homeland Security

Europe mothballs its fleet, when all should build military. (Apr 2007)
Voted NO on adopting the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. (Oct 1999)
Voted YES on allowing another round of military base closures. (May 1999)
Voted YES on cutting nuclear weapons below START levels. (May 1999)
Voted YES on deploying National Missile Defense ASAP. (Mar 1999)
Voted YES on military pay raise of 4.8%. (Feb 1999)
Voted NO on prohibiting same-sex basic training. (Jun 1998)
Voted YES on favoring 36 vetoed military projects. (Oct 1997)
Voted NO on banning chemical weapons. (Apr 1997)
Voted YES on considering deploying NMD, and amending ABM Treaty. (Jun 1996)
Voted YES on 1996 Defense Appropriations. (Sep 1995)

Crime

Government Reform

Health Care

War & Peace

I would do essentially what the president's doing in Iraq. (Jun 2007)
Take any chance to not get run out of Iraq. (Jun 2007)
Internationalizing war effort will not win the war. (Jun 2007)
President must decide on war based on unclear evidence. (Jun 2007)
Prophets of doom are wrong--we can't cut-and-run. (Jun 2007)
Goal of Iraqi enemies is to demoralize us. (Jun 2007)
Serious & painful international sanctions on nuclear Iran. (Jun 2007)
Voted YES on authorizing use of military force against Iraq. (Oct 2002)
Voted YES on allowing all necessary force in Kosovo. (May 1999)
Voted NO on authorizing air strikes in Kosovo. (Mar 1999)
Voted YES on ending the Bosnian arms embargo. (Jul 1995)
Condemns anti-Muslim bigotry in name of anti-terrorism. (Oct 2001)
Move the US Embassy to Jerusalem. (Nov 1995)

Drugs

Tax Reform

Abortion
Roe v. Wade was bad law and bad science. (Jun 2007)
Appoint strict constructionist judges. (Jun 2007)
Has never been pro-choice despite 1994 news reports. (Jun 2007)
Voted YES on maintaining ban on Military Base Abortions. (Jun 2000)
Voted YES on banning partial birth abortions. (Oct 1999)
Voted YES on banning human cloning. (Feb 1998)

Free Trade

Civil Rights
Voted NO on adding sexual orientation to definition of hate crimes. (Jun 2002)
Voted NO on loosening restrictions on cell phone wiretapping. (Oct 2001)
Voted NO on expanding hate crimes to include sexual orientation. (Jun 2000)
Voted NO on setting aside 10% of highway funds for minorities & women. (Mar 1998)
Voted NO on ending special funding for minority & women-owned business. (Oct 1997)
Voted YES on prohibiting same-sex marriage. (Sep 1996)
Voted NO on prohibiting job discrimination by sexual orientation. (Sep 1996)
Voted YES on Amendment to prohibit flag burning. (Dec 1995)
Voted NO on banning affirmative action hiring with federal funds. (Jul 1995)

Social Security

Families & Children

Immigration
Opposes amnesty in any form. (Jun 2007)
Nation loses sovereignty if it cannot secure its own borders. (Apr 2007)
Voted YES on allowing more foreign workers into the US for farm work. (Jul 1998)
Voted YES on visas for skilled workers. (May 1998)
Voted YES on limit welfare for immigrants. (Jun 1997)

Jobs Welfare & Poverty

Corporations Energy & Oil

Environment

Technology

Principles & Val

BELTWAY BUZZ (THE GOP HAS A SOUTHERN STRATEGY PROBLEM)

Fred Thompson & the GOP's Southern Problem
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/05/fred_thompson_the_gops_souther.html

The inside the beltway political horse race broadcasters are abuzz about the possible (I think likely) entrance into the GOP Presidential race of former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson. In his email report to subscribers, Charlie Cook summarizes two polls that show Thompson hurting current front runner Rudy Giuliani more than any of the other candidates, with Thompson moving into 3rd or 4th place, and the race tightened from top to bottom:

"The NBC/Journal poll showed Giuliani leading the pack with 32 percent without Thompson and with 28 percent when Thompson was added to the mix. The Cook poll had Giuliani on top with 39 percent without Thompson, and with 33 percent with a Thompson entry.

"The impact on McCain, Romney and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich was less noticeable. McCain had 22 percent in the NBC/Journal poll without Thompson and 21 percent with him as a candidate. In Cook, McCain was at 24 percent without Thompson and 22 percent with him. Romney stayed at 12 percent in both versions of the Cook poll question; in the NBC/Journal poll, he had 12 percent without Thompson and 11 percent with Thompson.

"Considering that the margin of error for the Republican primary sample is more than 5 points in each poll, it is clear that Thompson's 12 percent doesn't come at the expense of any one candidate, but might come from front runner Giuliani more than the others."

I think Thompson is by far the least likely of the 4 major GOP candidates to be elected if nominated, assuming he decides to run. This is due to one principal factor; his Southern roots. This is also one of several reasons why Newt Gingrich is almost certainly unelectable were he to be nominated.

This may not be fair, but it is the reality of the 2008 race. The Democrats have had success in their multi year campaign to identify the GOP as largely a Southern regional party, and a bigoted one at that. You may not like it, but pretending that the problem doesn't exist is foolish.

The GOP swept all the southern states in both the 2000 and 2004 Presidential elections. Al Gore could not even capture his own state of Tennessee in 2000. Adding in the mountain states and some Midwestern and plains states (Ohio the most important both times), the GOP was able to cobble together a narrow Electoral College majority.

But the 2006 elections demonstrated real weakness for the GOP in the Midwest- particularly in Ohio, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, and even reliably Republican Indiana. There was bad news in the West, too: in Montana, Colorado, and Arizona.

There was a near total collapse for the Party in the Northeast: Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, New Hampshire most prominently. Only in the South did the Republicans pretty much hold their own - losing seats in Texas and Florida due to specific scandals (Delay and Foley), a Senate seat in Virginia due to a terrible mistake-prone campaign by George Allen, and just a few isolated House races elsewhere.

The GOP's primary problems in the 2008 cycle will be Iraq, and the memory of George Bush. The more closely a candidate is associated with Bush and the Iraq war, the more trouble he will have getting elected next November.

But compounding those factors is that anyone who sounds like Bush - meaning a Southerner - will also be a damaged candidate.

Fred Thompson sounds like George Bush to too many non-Southerners. Elites and many secular Americans not from the South still have a distinct if inaccurate and superficial view of most Southerners - Bible belt Christians, homophobes, narrow minded racial bigots, a bit dim witted.

These stereotypes, always bigoted and unfair, should have disappeared decades ago, as the South was flooded with people from outside the region. (This mass movement of people has also occurred in the West, Southwest and Mountain states).

The South has become more like America, as the country has become more homogenized in general. But defining people by their voting patterns, the South is still different.

Those who hate George Bush blame the South and Southerners for his two victories.

Why does the Washington press corps hate Bush?

There are plenty of reasons, but two of them are that they believe Bush is not like them (not as cynical, a God fearing man, a rancher), and also because every August he takes them to Waco and Crawford, Texas for a month for his vacation.

Bill Clinton took the press with him to Martha's Vineyard.

Ronald Reagan took them to Santa Barbara.

George Herbert Walker Bush led the press to Kennebunkport, Maine in August.

The press views spending a month in August in Crawford like being trapped in one of Dante's Circles of Hell.

Despite impressive personal credentials, high intelligence, and a record of success and leadership in many areas, Mitt Romney's campaign has not yet taken off.

Compare his campaign so far to Barack Obama's. A candidate two years removed from the Illinois State Senate, who has never run anything except for a small legislative staff, is soaring in the polls, while offering little but a collection of vague pieties about how he will bring us all together to solve all our big problems.

If Thompson enters the race, Romney may be finished.

Thompson will be the fresher face on the right, and he is media friendly from his TV shows and movies.

The press loves stars.

And Thompson is not Mormon.

The country may be ready for an African American or a woman President, but a Mormon?

Bigotry still prevails among some of the supposedly most tolerant.

By the end of this year, I think either McCain or Giuliani will emerge as the centrist alternative to Thompson or Romney, and Giuliani is the more likely of the two.

In a head-to-head race, a conservative such as Thompson, or Romney, for that matter, could beat Giuliani for the nomination. But Rudy is a far better candidate than Thompson for the general election.

The GOP needs to move beyond the South to win in 2008.

A candidate, who can run well in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, and suburban America, is better than one who will pad the victory margin by 5% in Texas. It is how many states you win, not how much you win them by that counts.

Richard Baehr is the chief political correspondent of American Thinker.

The Case Against Fred Thompson #2
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2007/03/the_case_against_fred_thompson.html

Last week The Fix made the case for why former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.) should run for president in 2008. Today, the opposing argument.

Two factors make a bid by Thompson an ill-advised proposition -- the incredibly early start of the 2008 campaign and the former senator's well-known distaste for the nuts and bolts of campaigning.

Because John McCain, Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani have essentially been running for much of the past year, they have built national fundraising networks and organizations in key early states.

Thompson has none of that, which wouldn't be a problem if he had shown a passion in past campaigns for building that sort of organization. But he hasn't.

In 1994 Thompson won the special election to serve out Vice President Al Gore's Senate term largely on his star power and his raw ability as a campaigner. Larger than life, Thompson wowed voters on the stump with his down-home populist message -- typified by the red pickup truck in which he toured the state. It didn't hurt that Thompson picked the best Republican year in modern American politics to run for his first elected office.

Given that he has been almost entirely out of politics for the last five years, and the fact that it's been 13 years since he faced a competitive election, it's something of an understatement to guess that Thompson's political machinery is a bit rusty.

That rust means that Thompson would start from something close to scratch from an organizational and financial standpoint if he decided to enter the race. Such a predicament would require absolute dedication on Thompson's part to raising the tens of millions he would need to be competitive with McCain, Romney and Giuliani. The most Thompson has ever raised for a campaign before is $3.8 million, the sum he collected in his 1994 special election win over Jim Cooper (D). Insiders doubt whether he has the commitment required to stay competitive with the top tier.

Another Thompson character trait that seems to recommend against a presidential candidacy is his tendency to play "Hamlet." After publicly wavering for the better part of a year, Thompson decided not to run for reelection in 2002 just 27 days before Tennessee's filing deadline. Thompson considered a run for president in 2000 before deferring to Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), and he was mentioned as a possible gubernatorial candidate in 2002.

We're not saying Thompson can't change his stripes -- especially given that his wife is apparently urging him to run. But past performance is usually a pretty good indicator of future results.

The other major question surrounding Thompson is how well he would wear with social conservatives. Without an obvious standard-bearer in the field, social conservatives might be drawn to Thompson's conservative voting record in the Senate.

But upon deeper examination, how well will Thompson's support among social conservatives hold up? Thompson -- along with McCain -- was one of the main backers of campaign finance reform legislation that is roundly despised by social conservatives due to the perceived limitations it puts on the kind of grassroots organizing essential to groups on the ideological right (or left).

And when he ran for the Senate in 1994, Thompson was routinely described as a supporter of abortion rights. A 1994 story in the Memphis Commercial Appeal described Thompson and his Democratic opponent as "basically pro-choice on abortion," and an Associated Press piece from that same year called Thompson a "pro-choice defender in a party with an anti-abortion tilt."

But in an interview with Fox News's Chris Wallace, Thompson described himself as "pro-life" and called Roe v. Wade "bad law and bad medical science." At some point, Thompson will be forced to explain the seeming contradiction/evolution in his position. (American Spectator is already on the case.)

Thompson's personal life could also raise questions about his social conservative bona fides. He has been married twice, a fact that could well be neutralized by the fact that Giuliani is on his third marriage while McCain has also been married twice. Among the GOP frontrunners, only Romney has been married just once.

It's possible -- likely, even -- that Thompson's best day in the race would be the one on which he announces his candidacy. Thompson's reputation as a less-than-enthusiastic campaigner would severely hamstring his chances of catching up to the frontrunners. And once Thompson's star power wore off, his past political pronouncements could complicate his appeal to social conservatives. Even if he was able to clear each of these hurdles, his nomination would be nowhere near a sure-thing. Staying in private life is a lot more lucrative and a lot less work.

There's no denying that Fred Thompson has one of the most profound personality cults we've seen in politics for a long time. While traveling around the country in recent months, I've been amazed at how many rank-and-file Republicans see Thompson as a secular savior, as if Thompson were designed by GOP-friendly alien scientists as some sort of super candidate.

For some skeptical observers, this has resulted in comparisons to retired Gen. Wes Clark, the Democrats' onetime man on a white horse. "Fred Thompson is to the Republicans in '08 as Wes Clark was to the Democrats in '04," writes Jason Zengerle of The New Republic. "In other words, the high point of his campaign will be the day he gets in the race, because once he's a serious candidate -- and not just the fevered daydream of a dissatisfied base -- voters will realize he's not all that."

On the surface, there's merit to the comparison. Wes Clark, as I wrote in '04, was the "Johnny Bravo" candidate. That's a reference to the "Brady Bunch" episode where Greg Brady is picked to be a rock star, not because of his musical talent but because he fit into the glitzy costume that rock promoters had already created. Clark, with his admirable military record and perceived "toughness" in foreign policy, seemed like the ideal candidate to beat Bush in '04.

Similarly, Thompson seems to be what Republicans are yearning for. But there's a key distinction. Wes Clark was a candidate for Democrats who wanted to beat Bush. Thompson's appeal is based partly on a desire for victory, but there's also a desire to get beyond Bush.

First and foremost, Thompson's articulateness can't be underestimated. He shares with Ronald Reagan -- another actor-politician -- an ability to communicate ideas in folksy, almost conversational ways without losing important nuance or meaning.

Most Republicans won't admit it, but Bush's trouble articulating his views -- compounded by a terrible communications operation (save for standout Press Secretary Tony Snow) -- is a major irritation on the right. There's a reason that IMAO's No. 1 "Fred Thompson Fact" is "Fred Thompson has on multiple occasions pronounced 'nuclear' correctly."

Bush's sloppy speaking style only serves to bolster the perception of his incompetence. That's why the least discussed but most important theme in the Republican primaries is competence. McCain, Giuliani and Romney are all running as the competence candidates (as would Gingrich, if he jumped in).

And Fred Thompson just seems so darn competent. Whether he's the ideal President or just plays one on TV remains to be seen. He's certainly typecast himself as the cocksure, wise, hands-on type in almost every movie role he's had and as the district attorney on "Law & Order."

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12418077
Thompson's 'Test' Campaign Reports $3.4 Million
by Scott Horsley

All Things Considered, July 31, 2007 · Actor and former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson has been testing the waters for a possible presidential bid. Tuesday brought the first financial measure of that test: lukewarm.

Thompson's campaign committee raised $3.4 million in June. Supporters call that "inspiring." But it falls short of what some were forecasting just a few weeks ago.

Thompson hasn't faced the same financial disclosure deadlines as the other White House candidates because he's not yet officially in the race. But he does have to tell the IRS how much his "testing the waters" committee raised. Spokeswoman Linda Rozett says the committee got money from more than 9,000 people and from all 50 states.

Time/CNN
http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1647164,00.html

For those not paying close attention, and others simply in denial, it is worth taking a moment to review just how bleak life has become for members of the Grand Old Party. Last fall Republicans were swept from power in both houses of Congress.

This summer the incumbent Republican President is setting standards for unpopularity not seen since the Nixon Watergate era. In recent weeks the campaign of the war-hero Senator who was once the party's presumptive nominee has all but collapsed in debt and blame.

The latest financial reports show that the G.O.P.'s always reliable money advantage has vaporized, with Democratic candidates out-raising Republicans by more than $100 million for next year's federal elections.

Adding a little salt to his party's wounds, Newt Gingrich, leader of a Republican revolution that seems but a misty memory, summed up the current field of would-be G.O.P. Presidents as "pygmies."

Faced with this litany of despair, many Republican faithful, from the grass roots to the Capitol, have concluded that Fred Thompson, the preternaturally avuncular actor and former Senator from Tennessee, is the cure-all for their party's ills.

Thompson has yet to enter the presidential race. He has, in fact, postponed until after Labor Day an official announcement that was supposed to be made in July.

And yet Thompson already shares front-runner status with former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani in some national polls of G.O.P. voters.

"People are not inspired; everyone's flat-lining," says Ken Duberstein, former chief of staff for Ronald Reagan. "Right now, Fred is all things to all people. Everyone's waiting to see if he can live up to expectations."

With those expectations casting Thompson as Reagan reincarnate, it's easy to understand why he's staying out of the race for as long as he can.

The next Republican debate takes place Aug. 5 in Des Moines, to be followed six days later by the Iowa straw poll in Ames, an expensive faux election that measures the muscle of a candidate's organization and the thickness of his wallet more than his actual appeal to caucus voters.

Thompson advisers decided that the risk of underperforming at either of these high-profile events was too great — and outweighed any advantages that would be gained by launching the campaign over the summer.

As one Thompson partisan noted, John McCain's spectacular fall from Establishment front-runner to underfunded underdog proves how hard it is to sustain a lead, month after month, without faltering.

Thompson will spend the rest of the summer raising money, which he was scheduled to do conspicuously at a donor event in Washington on July 28.

Another advantage to waiting: the longer he remains an unofficial candidate, the longer NBC can air reruns of Law & Order featuring Thompson as Manhattan DA Arthur Branch without running afoul of the equal-time provision of federal campaign law.

"His timing has been brilliant so far," insists Tennessee Congressman Zach Wamp, who led the effort to convince Thompson he should run. "While he's been waiting, some candidates have been falling and the others haven't been moving.

Frankly, there's been a lot of advantages to [it]. He's probably gotten more attention not being a candidate than he would have being a candidate."

Not all the attention has been adoring. The Los Angeles Times reported that Thompson had once worked as a lobbyist for an abortion-rights group; his spokesman categorically denied the charge and Thompson himself dismissed the story.

Records soon turned up showing that Thompson had billed the group for nearly 20 hours of work in the early 1990s, an awkward revelation for a candidate positioning himself as a straight shooter and true conservative.

And even before launching, the Thompson campaign has experienced its first staff shake-up.

After clashing with Thompson's wife Jeri, acting campaign manager (and close Thompson friend) Tom Collamore was ousted in favor of former Michigan Senator Spencer Abraham and Randy Enwright, a veteran G.O.P. strategist.

"I do worry that Jeri is the one really running his campaign," says a House Republican who describes himself as "likely" to support Thompson. "She's smart, but that could be a recurring problem."

Thompson is also playing in a gray legal zone by postponing his announcement.

Currently his noncampaign campaign is a "testing the water" committee registered as a 527, a tax-exempt group with disclosure requirements far less stringent than those of a real campaign organization.

Federal election law requires Thompson to declare himself a candidate once he decides to plunge into the water, which — given that he has signed up more than two dozen staffers, opened two offices and appointed his second and third campaign managers — he seems to have done.

While Thompson's undeclared campaign retools, raises money and figures out how to live up to the hype surrounding his candidacy, his potential opponents are busy adjusting to the new dynamics of the race.

With a newly frugal and lean campaign operation, McCain hopes to stay alive in the race long enough to merit a second look from donors and voters. He still polls well enough in South Carolina and New Hampshire that his chances can't be written off entirely.

But Thompson has hurt his old Senate ally more than any other candidate, drawing money and supporters away from McCain when he needs them most.

Like McCain, Mitt Romney is a prodigious spender of campaign cash.

Unlike McCain, Romney can dip into a huge personal fortune to supplement his fund-raising — and has done so.

The former Massachusetts Governor is also the only Republican candidate in the top tier whose poll numbers have been inching upward since the beginning of the year.

This is especially true in the lead-off states of Iowa and New Hampshire, where he currently tops the field, a fact that causes some strategists to declare Romney the race's "real front-runner." It is not an unreasonable claim if you consider national polls more or less irrelevant.

"You have to accept that Iowa and New Hampshire are still going to have an impact," says Romney spokesman Kevin Madden. "We're far ahead of anybody... in terms of organizing in those states."

But Romney's strength in Iowa and New Hampshire masks his weakness in other key states like South Carolina, where social conservatives are likely to view with suspicion his relatively recent shift to the right on abortion and gay rights.

Even more of a problem is his Mormon faith, which some evangelical Protestants consider a cult.

Kansas Senator Sam Brownback, a second-tier contender who is vying for the evangelical vote, has been challenging Romney's claim to be the G.O.P.'s family-values candidate.

The Brownback attacks and the Romney rebuttals have been getting far more coverage in religious media than in the secular press.

If Romney and McCain are pursuing similar, state-by-state strategies, Giuliani is trying to take advantage of the front-loaded primary schedule to run as a national candidate. Though his standing in the national polls has been slowly declining since he announced his candidacy in February, Giuliani has defied predictions that his campaign would crater as soon as G.O.P. voters discovered that the hero of 9/11 was pro-choice, pro-gay and pro gun control.

He is betting that even if he loses in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, he can still amass enough delegates with wins in Florida, New York, California and other big, early-primary states to swamp his opponents and cruise to victory.

The problem for Giuliani — and the rest of the field — is that Thompson has the same strategy, and the Tennessean's Southern drawl and conservative voting record are likely to play well in South Carolina.

If Thompson can keep enthusiasm high until he enters the race in the fall, he might be able to turn what was supposed to be a marathon race for the nomination into a relatively brief, four-month sprint.

And while Thompson may not, in the end, be all things to all Republicans, at 6 ft. 5 in. and at least 225 lbs., he definitely is no pygmy.

Fred Thompson plans to announce Tuesday that his committee to test the waters for a Republican presidential campaign raised slightly more than $3 million in June, substantially less than some backers had hoped, according to Republican sources.

Thompson plans to make the disclosure in a filing with the Internal Revenue Service, as he continues to operate his prospective campaign as a political organization that does not require disclosure to the Federal Election Commission.

Many Republicans had seen the “Law & Order” actor and former U.S. senator from Tennessee as a potential savior in a tough election cycle.

He attracted support from such top-shelf party figures as Mary Matalin, Liz Cheney, George P. Bush and other GOP stalwarts who saw him as a potential Hillary Clinton slayer.

But many Republicans have turned queasy as Thompson has ousted part of his original brain trust and repeatedly delayed his official announcement, which is now planned for shortly after Labor Day, in the first two weeks of September.

Some are already saying a prospective Thompson run is a flop. “I just don’t see it anymore,” said a key Republican who had been extremely enthusiastic about a Thompson candidacy.

"That number is really underwhelming. There were indications it could be double that. They've been saying that people were waiting for Fred, and the money was going to pour in. He looks like he's already losing momentum."

Thompson advisers are bracing for news coverage of the fundraising figure as a disappointment, but point out it covers only 26 days -- from June 4, when Friends of Fred Thompson Inc., was formed, to June 30, which the IRS specifies as the closing day for this report.

Thompson camp's defense

“There has been some criticism that the testing-the-waters committee is not such a testing-the-waters committee and that he’s running some sort of campaign,” said a Thompson adviser.

“He’s raising enough to test the waters, not run a full-fledged presidential campaign. He’s not a candidate.”

he adviser said the figure was enough for Thompson to hire some staff, do some travel and work on his policy initiatives.

“It’s not going to be a huge number for a presidential campaign. It’s a testing-the-waters-type number. The number will reflect that goal. He hasn’t been campaigning. He’s been talking to people about whether that figure is the direction he definitely wants to go.”
Republican sources say Thompson has a full-time staff of 30, split between offices in McLean, Va., and Nashville, Tenn., which will be the formal headquarters. In addition, he has interns and volunteers.

A Thompson aide said the former senator is as enthusiastic as ever. “It’s full speed ahead,” the aide said. “Sen. Thompson spent last week traveling the country, meeting with supporters and Fredheads. He was met with great enthusiasm everywhere he went and he’s feeling great.”
Thompson is scheduled to hold a fundraiser in Washington Monday night.

Ticket prices are $1,000 for a person and $5,000 for a political action committee. Many current and former members of Congress are on an honorary host committee.

Let Down by Fred Thompson

By Robert D. Novak
Monday, May 7, 2007; Page A19

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. -- "Will he announce?" asked the Lincoln Club of Orange County's publication in preparation for Fred Thompson's appearance at the organization's 45th annual dinner here Friday night. A rumor, totally unfounded, ran rampant before his speech that Thompson would declare his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination at the dinner lectern. In fact, he did not even hint at this prospect during a performance that was a letdown for the packed audience of conservative Republicans.

"It was not Reaganesque." "No red meat." "Too low key." That was the preponderant reaction I heard to Thompson's half-hour presentation (leavened by a few favorable comments, mostly by women, that he was more "statesmanlike" and "presidential" than the announced candidates). Lincoln Club members, like many conservative Republicans, have been unimpressed by the existing field of Republican hopefuls and envisioned Thompson as the second coming of Ronald Reagan. They did not get it Friday night.

The excitement aroused in melancholy Republican ranks by the politician-commentator-actor will not be doused by one lackluster performance. Nevertheless, his first speech since his unexpected presidential boom began suggests that Thompson needs preparation if he does take up this daunting burden. The deeper concern by some supporters is whether the tepid reaction in Orange County will shake what had seemed his clear resolve to make the race.

Expectations were exaggerated as well-dressed Republicans gathered at the posh Balboa Bay Club Friday night. Dissatisfaction with the current presidential field was intensified by the chaotic debate of 10 Republican candidates broadcast nationally the previous night. Rudy Giuliani seemed uncomfortable dealing with standard conservative issues. John McCain sounded harsh and hawkish. Mitt Romney's newfound conservatism still seems contrived to many in the Republican base. "Everybody is still looking for the conservative candidate," Orange County Republican Chairman Scott Baugh told me.

That explains the anticipation awaiting Thompson. He had vaulted from nowhere into the top tier of Republican candidates without running an ad, spending a dime or giving a speech. He did not organize his astounding series of first-place straw poll finishes at Republican gatherings in California, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma and Georgia. He was impressive in wowing a closed-door meeting of House Republicans and turning up at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast.

Thompson's problem at the Lincoln Club was not one of substance. He stressed the need for permanent tax cuts and entitlement reform and took a thoughtful approach to the Iraq crisis. "There's going to be a day after" the United States leaves Iraq, he said, and that requires concentration on "what is America's role in the world." Without naming names, he suggested that as the nation's problems are growing, political leaders "are getting smaller."

Surprisingly for such an experienced performer, however, Thompson had trouble with the podium microphone as his low, conversational tones faded in and out. He ended his speech on a down note by reporting a recent visit to 6-year-old schoolchildren and what they had told him. Thompson worried that the long Lincoln Club program preceding his speech may have turned off the audience, but he may have been the one who lost his enthusiasm.

The Fred Thompson whose vigorous style has led many prominent Republicans to await his announced candidacy was not present at the Balboa Bay Club. He wants a touch of "populism" in the GOP, and he is sure Republican corruption and profligate spending in Congress caused the 2006 election defeat. But there was none of that in what he said here.

Nor did the thoughtful Thompson who stakes out his own positions and prepares them carefully emerge. He recently has written forceful pieces for National Review Online taking issue with conservative Ramesh Ponnuru on federalism and leftist Michael Moore on Cuba (spawning a flood of Internet comments, mostly favorable, about Thompson).

Thompson is considering a different kind of presidential candidacy -- for example, staying several days at a time in Iowa instead of zipping in and out. But his debut speech as a putative presidential candidate was ordinary. It will be revealing how much he changes his approach in forthcoming noncandidate speeches to Republican gatherings in Virginia and Connecticut.

The Thompson Honesty Problem

July 27, 2007 Filed Under 2008 Republicans Written by The Shot

Was Fred Thompson a lobbyist for abortion groups? He said no. Then he said he didn’t remember. And his staff said so many things that it’s hard to remember.

But the abortion question shouldn’t be the concern. The bigger concern is whether or not Fred Thompson and the team in which he has surrounded himself are honest. It’s a serious issue that Americans should investigate.

Now we see another example. Did another staffer depart the Thompson campaign? Were they high level? Were they even paid? Who knows because the Thompson team can’t seem to get their answer straight.

Here’s the deal guys. You all know we like Mitt Romney. And you all know we dislike John McCain. You also know that we have always said very positive things about Fred Thompson. Why? Because something made us genuinely like Fred Thompson. Maybe it’s because he’s a southerner. Maybe it’s because we like him in Days of Thunder and Law and Order. Regardless, we also told you we didn’t know much about him. But the more we get to know him, the more we are bothered by this honesty issue.

Does Fred Thompson’s team have an honesty issue? Or are they so amateur that they can’t get their stories straight?

We don’t know which is true, but both indicate a large campaign problem. What do you think?

Here’s the latest story:

USA ELECTION POLLS THOMPSON (PLUS)
http://www.usaelectionpolls.com/2008/candidates/Fred-Thompson.html

FRED THOMPSON
May 18, 2007 12:38 PMComprehensive or Incomprehensible?
By Fred Thompson

Editor's note: Click here to listen to the original radio commentary this transcript is based on.

Most Americans know that we have an illegal immigration problem in this country, with perhaps as many as 20 million people residing here unlawfully. And I think most Americans have a pretty good idea about how to at least start solving the problem – secure our nation’s borders.

But there’s an old saying in Washington that, in dealing with any tough issue, half the politicians hope that citizens don’t understand it while the other half fear that people actually do.

This kind of thinking was apparent with the “comprehensive” immigration reform bill that the U.S. Senate and the White House negotiated yesterday. I’d tell you what was in the legislation, but 24 hours after the politicians agreed the bill looked good, the Senate lawyers were still writing what may turn out to be a one thousand page document.

In fact, a final version of the bill most likely will not be made available to the public until after the legislation is passed. That may come five days from now. That’s like trying to digest an eight-course meal on a 15-minute lunch break. We’ve tried the “comprehensive” route before to solve the illegal immigration problem with a bit more care and deliberation, and the results haven’t been good.

Back in May 1985, Congress promised us that it would come up with a comprehensive plan to solve the problem of illegal immigration and our porous borders. Eighteen months later, in November 1986, that comprehensive plan was signed into law. Twenty-two years and millions of illegal immigrants later, that comprehensive plan hasn’t done what most Americans wanted it to do — secure America’s borders. Now Washington says the new “comprehensive” plan will solve the problem that the last comprehensive plan didn’t.

The fact is our border and immigration systems are still badly broken. We were reminded of this when Newsweek reported that the family of three of the men, arrested last week for allegedly plotting to kill American military personnel at Fort Dix, New Jersey, entered the U.S. illegally more than 20 years ago; filed for asylum back in 1989, but fell off the government’s radar screen when federal bureaucrats essentially lost track of the paperwork. Wonder how many times that’s been replicated?

Is it any wonder that a lot of folks today feel like they’re being sold a phony bill of goods on border security? A “comprehensive” plan doesn’t mean much if the government can’t accomplish one of its most basic responsibilities for its citizens — securing its borders. A nation without secure borders will not long be a sovereign nation. No matter how much lipstick Washington tries to slap onto this legislative pig, it’s not going to win any beauty contests.

In fact, given Congress’s track record, the bill will probably get a lot uglier — at least from the public’s point of view. And agreeing to policies before actually seeing what the policies are is a heck of a way to do business.We should scrap this “comprehensive” immigration bill and the whole debate until the government can show the American people that we have secured the borders — or at least made great headway. That would give proponents of the bill a chance to explain why putting illegals in a more favorable position than those who play by the rules is not really amnesty.

— Fred Thompson is an actor and former United States senator from Tennessee.
© PAUL HARVEY SHOW, ABC RADIO NETWORKS

AND RIGHTLY SO; I WILL NOT SUPPORT FRED THOMPSON
http://andrightlyso.com/2007/07/27/i-will-not-support-fred-thompson/

The Problem With Fred Thompson

Wait - I'm gone a week and Fred Thompson makes some noises about running for President and immediately jumps to third in the GOP primary polls? Now the easy thing would be to crack wise about this development, but Matt Yglesias, Daniel Larison and (especially) Vic Matus seem to have that well in hand, so let me attempt to develop a serious point instead: Specifically, that the Thompson boomlet bodes very ill for the GOP's chances in '08, not because it suggests how weak the current field is (though it does), but because it suggests that the particular weaknesses of the Republican candidates will make it next-to-impossible for any of them to pull off both a primary win and a general election victory.

The GOP has three major problems going into 2008: The war in Iraq, the exhaustion of the Reaganite "tax cuts and small government" domestic agenda, and the fact that the party's culture-war agenda, long a winner for the party, looks increasingly hard-edged and bigoted to many moderate voters.

Therefore, what the party needs for the general election is a candidate who can plausibly distance himself from both the failures in Iraq abroad and Grover Norquist at home, and who can find a way to reach out to cultural moderates without abandoning the party's principles on issues like abortion.

It needs a heterodox conservative, in other words, and it has a bunch of them in the primary campaign - but the leading contenders have heterodox records on precisely the wrong issues.For instance, the party needs someone who's solidly right-wing on issues like immigration or gun control or campaign-finance reform - issues that matter more to the base than to swing voters - and who can use this credibility to be more ideologically innovative on, say, taxes or health care or even foreign policy. Instead, it has a collection of candidates who are heterodox on immigration and gun control and campaign finance reform, and who are therefore rushing to embrace the party line on taxes and the Iraq War in an effort to gain cover for their deviations elsewhere.

It needs someone whose pro-life convictions are a given, and who is therefore free to distance himself from the Jerry Falwells in the party without forfeiting the support of most social conservatives.

Instead, it has candidates with dubious pro-life convictions who are rushing to embrace the Falwells of the world to cover over their weaknesses on that front. And so on.The major contenders, in other words, have a worst-of-both-worlds problem. Their ideological untrustworthiness will give them fits in the primary season without winning them many swing voters come the general election. (John McCain, should he get the nomination, isn't going to pick up blue-collar voters in Ohio and Pennsylvania because he broke with his party to champion campaign-finance restrictions.

Rudy Giuliani isn't going to win over any of the Montanans who went for Jon Tester or the Virginians who went for Jim Webb because he split the national GOP on gun control or welfare reform.) And because they're considered ideologically untrustworthy, they're vulnerable to a dark horse challenge not from the kind of creative reform conservative that the party desperately needs, but from a candidate whose principle qualification is a solid record of party-line votes, and not much else.

Someone like, say, Fred Thompson.The result, if such a party-line conservative challenge to McCains and Giuilianis should succeed, will be a nominee who won't embarrass the party in November, but whose ceiling of support - unless the Democratic nominee is exceptionally bad - is probably around forty-eight percent of the vote. Which is to say, a loser.

Next: Upper-Middle Reform and Lower-Middle Reform

Previously: Character Assassination!

26 Responses
March 28th, 2007 at 03:12 AM #1 Joe_Populist says:

Anonymous sed: "I don't think closing the trade doors are the answer, though we could try to make ourselves less dependent on China. But the least the GOP could do is not make it worse. Jobs will be outsourced: that's the way of the world. But when companies can't ship jobs overseas stop bringing the overseas to the job (immigration)."Why do the freaking REPUBLICANS and the LIBERALS say the SAME thing when it comes to defending so-called "free" trade.

There is nothing "free" about the Export Import Bank subsidizing multinational corporations closing down factories and jobs, and moving them to China. There is nothing "free" about the Federal Reserve, which is behind a lot of this crap, in the way it subsidizes the "strong" dollar, which makes it easier to close a factory in the USA, and reopen it in China, and then "import" the same product back to the USA.

For that matter there is nothing "free" about Commie China, deliberately manipulating the value of the yen to keep the dollar running. There is nothing "free" about a trade deficit that grows as fast as the federal budget deficit---both are connected if you understood economics. There is nothing free about spending a TRILLION dollars to steal the OIL from Iraq, which is more then the OIL is worth in the first place!

There is nothing "free" about our oil economy, which surrender American economic sovereignty to a bunch of 17th Century sheiks who buy our farm land, our national assets with the dollars we send them for oil. Just so GWBush and Cheney and their crony capitalist buddies can continue to make millions from out "oil economy".

Listen, "libertarian" economic theory is a lot of crapola, the only form of capitalism that works is State Capitalism, the mixed economy. The only people claiming that "free trade" works for American are either economic idiots that don't understand economics, pimps like we find at the CATO or the AEI, or hypocrite liberals who benefit from the whole mess. Anyone of the above who believes that destroying American economic sovereignty is "free trade" ought to get their head examined.

March 28th, 2007 at 03:25 AM #2 Elrod says:

I'm speaking as a moderately liberal Democrat here, but I think it's important to keep in mind that the 2006 election was not a result of conservatives staying home, but of Independents and moderates jumping to the Democrats in unprecedented numbers.

Rove had reason to be optimistic that his base would turn out. It did. He just didn't think the middling voters would abandon the GOP.

So why did the middle, which supported Reagan in the 1980s, Perot in 1992, the GOP Congress in the 1990s and W in 2000 and 2004 abandon the GOP in 2006? The answer is incompetence. The GOP has lost the edge it once had as the "serious" party committed to "common sense" ideas and sound governance.

It isn't just that the GOP became captive to various ideological positions, but that it just couldn't deliver on anything. Katrina and Iraq were so devastating for the GOP because they exposed just how poor the Republican Party is at basic governance.The risk for the GOP is that middling voters make the leap that Kos is making: incompetent governance is not a result of a few bad individuals but of conservatism itself.

Kos argues, and I think fairly convincingly, that when you think government is bad, you're not going to give much thought to how to govern well. You become cynical about government and so you stack it with party hacks instead of competent technocrats. The GOP believes the market should handle every problem but middling voters never bought into that. They proved they love their Social Security, Medicare, public education and, of course, national security. Failure to deliver these basic government functions - or attempts to weaken them - only makes the GOP look more out of touch.Fred Thompson, then, looks like another movement conservative who would have done quite well if it were 1988.

But it's coming on 2008 and the middling voters have given up on the conservative movement. Whether they embrace the "progressive movement" or just stay uncommitted is hard to say. But if the GOP nominates a conservative favorite, they'll lose in 2008.

March 28th, 2007 at 10:43 AM #3 Anonymous says:

The GOP has lost the edge it once had as the "serious" party committed to "common sense" ideas and sound governance.

It isn't just that the GOP became captive to various ideological positions, but that it just couldn't deliver on anything.

Katrina and Iraq were so devastating for the GOP because they exposed just how poor the Republican Party is at basic governance. - ElrodI suppose that's why it was Gov. Haley Barbour, a Republican from Misissippi, did such a superlative job handling the storm in Mississippi, while two Democrats - Blanco and Nagin - had their heads handed to them in New Orleans.

There are plenty of Republicans who understand how to run a government. It's just that W isn't one of them. Romney is. Giuliani is. I don't know about McCain.It's not that Republicans believe in no government, or in mismanaged government. It's that they DO believe in limited government. And that's really what Katrina proved - that a government that tries to do everything doesn't focus on the things that only it can do.When the Katrina mess was finally sorted out, who did the sorting? The military, largely. And who supports the military? Republicans. Face it - if it were up to a lot of Democrats we'd have a military the size of Belgium's.

March 28th, 2007 at 10:54 AM #4 Anonymous says:

Joe Populist - For starters, China doesn't use the yen - it uses the yuan. The yen is the Japanese currency.Like I said, I'm not entirely dismissive of your arguments against free trade. There are certainly problems with some results of free trade, but it's irrational to presume that we can live in a world without it.

We need foreign oil to run our automobiles.

We need rubber from Malaysia for the tires they drive on.

And on and on and on.

But we DO need to get rid of our trade deficit. Period.

But the very definition of a rich country is one that has a higher claim on the world's labor than other countries. There's two ways to get that labor: either farm it out through trade, or move the labor here. Which would you prefer?If we move the labor here, then it's a mathematical fact that the quality of life for the average American will decrease, unless we keep the immigrants as a non-citizen second class - slaves, helots, indentured servants, serfs, whatever-you-will.I don't like that idea.Free trade allows America to focus on what we're good at - higher cost, more value-added work - while farming out the production of lower margin commodities to poorer countries.

March 28th, 2007 at 11:07 AM #5 Anonymous says:

Karl Rove may have already secured your vote, however, the thing about playing the fear card over and over and over -- on WMD, terrorism, queers, immigrants, etc. all while proclaiming the other side is defeatist while you represent healthy optimism -- is that you can't fool all of the people all of the time. - Scott SScott - You need to get your head out of your DailyKOS. Yes, Rove & Bush have been harping on the fear of terrorism since 9/11, and lots of people - including me - are fed up with it.But to say they've been trying to scare people over "queers" and immigrants is nonsense.

Bush & Rove - IF YOU'VE BEEN PAYING ANY ATTENTION AT ALL - want open borders.

They want lots and lots and lots of immigrants. The sponsor of S. 2611, the big amnesty/immigration grab-bag, was a Republican (Arlen Specter). Five of the six co-sponsors were Republican, too (only Kennedy was not).Which Republicans voted against 2611?

Mostly the ones who were up for re-election. One of the few who voted for it - Mike DeWine - got canned by Ohioans.In fact, one of the big reasons terrorism is finally subsiding as an electoral issue is the cognitive dissonance generated by Bush's advocacy for open borders and by his support for letting Arabs own U.S. ports.

As for gay marriage, that's been playing out locally, not nationally. Every state except for Arizona has voted against gay marriage - including California (61%), including Oregon, and including some other liberal states that I've forgotten. It lost in Arizona for other reasons (AZ already has a law against gay marriage on the books, anyway).

March 28th, 2007 at 11:12 AM #6 Joe_Populist says:

Anonymous sed: "...it's irrational to presume that we can live in a world without it. We need foreign oil to run our automobiles. We need rubber from Malaysia for the tires they drive on. And on and on and on."I can understand why you choose to remain "anonymous", you're a economic nitwit.

IOW, a free market "liberal" or "libertarian"---what's the difference? Of course, what you are advocating is called IMPERIALISM. The cost of America's OIL Economy is of course, the cost to occupy the Mideast, to "install" a "western style democracy" there to assure access to the oil.Problem is, the COST of the military garrision to "Protect" the oil resource that we are dependent on is more then the value of the oil in the ground. Which of course, makes your argument sound like the "free trade" idiocy that it is.

March 28th, 2007 at 11:30 AM #7 Joe_Populist says:

Anonymous sed: "Free trade allows America to focus on what we're good at - higher cost, more value-added work - while farming out the production of lower margin commodities to poorer countries."Even a free market fundamentalist like you should be able to read the trade deficit numbers.

So it's obvious, that the world economy has little use for the "higher cost, more value added" work that you claim the US economy can provide.Of course, that begs the question of WHAT "higher cost, more value added work" products do you think the US produces?

In point of fact, the US produces little high tech work at all, and what little we do enjoy, such as software, is due to government subsidies and a history of protectionism. Of course, talking about American economic power is sort of like referring to a "masculine Elton John" or some other contradiction in terms. The United States economy is Keynesian perpetual motion machine that relies on the "Petro-Dollar", or the pressure on our client states in the Mideast to do business in US dollars. This allowed Alan Greenspan to export the inflation that fueled the silly little booms that he incited to keep the US voter pacified during the Clinton era.Of course, the high value of the dollar that this creates only accelerates the incentive of multi-national corporations to de-industrialize the US economy.

The subsidies the US government provides to the Export Import Bank, and the IMF provide the financing that turns the incentive into a reality.As I said before, despite all the nonsensical rhetoric about "free markets", the reality is that what the CATO-ites and the other free market fundamentalists are advocating is merely British Style Imperialism all over again. And as any good little free market dweeb should know from his Von Mises is that's not kosher.

March 28th, 2007 at 11:39 AM #8 Bill (formerly anon.) says:

Wow, Joe. If that's how you treat your friends, I'd hate to see how you treat your enemies. Take your anti-trade rhetoric elsewhere. I'd gladly live in a world where we didn't need so much oil, or where we could get it all from friendlier sources. I'd much prefer to live in a world where the US could be totally self-reliant. Show me how to get there and I'll gladly follow.

What my arguments have in common with imperialism I have no idea.Well, for one, small government would have been nice if they tried it. The GOP does NOT act in an economically libertarian fashion. It is more of a plutocracy. They have forever tainted a noble philosophy through disingenuousness.Indeed. The trouble with limited government is that it requires a leader to keep the troops in line.

Lose the leader and it becomes every man for himself. The GOP lost it after Newt left. Clinton certainly had no interest in keeping the GOP in line - he was happy to see them disintegrate. And Bush has never even tried. It was - what? - 5 years before his first veto?They have fought so bitterly and constantly (and opportunistically) over the social issues that look more and more like naked hatred.

Much can happen in 19 months, but it seems like too much of the country is exhausted by the issues that drive the Republican base, whether any given candidate really means it or not.The country is exhausted by them because no one really believes they mean it. At some point you just get used to it, get tired of hearing about it, and want to move on. I, for example, know that one of my senators will propose a constitutional amendment banning flag burning every 6 years.

The GOP needs to discover the middle class again. That means stopping the rightward lurch on economics - which increasingly looks like neofeudalism - and rediscovering, in a fresh light, the values issues. That means an America where communities matter, and not an America that looks like a Middle Eastern bizarre. When a country starts to look like that, it becomes every man for himself, and everyone wants to use the government for rent-seeking.For too long the business interests have gotten their way on everything - lower taxes on the rich, unlimited immigration, and free trade.

They got their way on taxes and trade because people believed that a stronger economy increased prosperity for everyone. But unlimited immigration changed that dynamic - suddenly, a rising tide doesn't lift all boats, it swamps them.That's why values & social issues, concern for the environment and limited government go hand-in-hand. It's what worked for Reagan. It's not hatred, and, couched in the right terms, it doesn't sound like it.Since Reagan, the GOP strength has been with the middle class voters who just want to be able to raise families, whether they're "Bobos" or blue collars or rednecks.

A candidate who can appeal to those groups can hold the traditional base, and renew the GOP support in places like Michigan, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Washington, and the rest - the places that Bush almost won or almost lost.

March 28th, 2007 at 11:39 AM #9 Anonymous says:

You should write political fiction...you have no grasp for reality

March 28th, 2007 at 11:53 AM #10 Bill (formerly anon.) says:

2004 results for Kerry/Bush:Oregon: 52-48 (7)Washington: 53-46 (11)Minnesota: 51-48 (10)Wisconsin: 50-49 (10)Michigan: 51-48 (17)Pennsylvania: 51-49 (21)New Hampshire: 50-49 (4)Total Electoral votes: 80Total if Bush had won these states: 366

March 28th, 2007 at 12:43 PM #11 Anonymous says:
There is only one thing to say =
RUN, FRED, RUN !!!!!!!!

March 28th, 2007 at 03:05 PM #12 Anonymous says:

I am a conservative, pro-life Republican and if the primary (or general) election were today, I'd vote for Gulianni. While, I'm pro-life, I realize that after Reagan and Bush 41 and 43, that the president is probably not going to get abortion outlawed any time soon.

Besides, I'm more afraid of a jihadist than an abortionist.

I don't support gay marriage either, but then, how does that affect me or my family?

With all of the men who want to kill each other, am I really afraid of men who love each other?

After Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction", I saw the Republicans go nuts for substantially bigger fines for TV and radio (censorship?).

I don't need protection from nipples, I'm worried about what would happen if my city (Chicago) were wiped out by a natural disaster, or worse.

I think the reason Rudy is leading in the polls is because more Republicans are concerned that we have someone who can actually get things done, rather than just be on the right side of social issues that are less and less relevant to the average voter. We know what Gulianni did for NY. What concrete accomplishments did the others have?

March 28th, 2007 at 03:59 PM #13 Joe Populist says:

Anonymous sed: "I'd much prefer to live in a world where the US could be totally self-reliant. Show me how to get there and I'll gladly follow."The US was totally self reliant, except for a few minerals, until the 1970's. The trouble we got into with Iran and the hostage situation should have been a warning to start looking elsewhere for a replacement to the oil economy.

Of course, Ronald Reagan and the Republican Party didn't do anything about it, then. If we spent even a portion of the TRILLION dollars that maintaining military garrison in the Mideast to prop up the Arab Sheiks that idiots like YOU and the Republican Party refer to as "democratic", on a Man-to-the-Moon technological investment in alternative energy systems and mass transit, we'd be a lot better off as far as economic and energy security was concerned.

Now of course, it's tricky. As a result of the idiotic way that Reagan and Alan Greenspan and company set things up, the situation is entirely out of control. US economic stability is dependent on the Petro-dollar, the US control of Mideast Oil, and the ability of the United States to intimidate our "free" trade partners to continue to finance our budget and trade deficits. Despite the heady rhetoric come out of the "conservative" ideologues about budget deficits, it's most difficult to pull the plug on the deficit spending, as a drop in the growth of the deficit might upset the currency market and the whole stack of cards would tumble down.

It took us 35 years to get in this mess, and it might take longer to dig out of it. But one thing's certain, we can't let the IDIOTS in the CATO/AEI/Wall Street crowd continue to call the shots in Washington, DC.IOW, we need to dump 19th Century "Laissez Faire" economic theory. At most the CATO-ites have proven is that Marx-Lenin were right, and that Imperialism is the highest stage of Capitalism. Looking at the United States stuck in a quagmire in Iraq, and burdened with a military confrontation with most of our "trading Partners" to prove that is true.

March 28th, 2007 at 05:44 PM #14 Anonymous says:
Two words: Ron Paul.

March 28th, 2007 at 08:56 PM #15 Anonymous says:

Five words: Joe Populist is a moron!

March 28th, 2007 at 09:07 PM #16 Anonymous says:

Let the Democrats win in 2008. Let the Democrats win all of Congress in 2008.My bet is that after all hell breaks lose even an idiot will be able to see the mistakes made in voting for any Democrat.Yes, there will be a price to pay maybe a heavy price if we are attacked again but I think that is what it will take for Americans to get off of there asses and do the right thing next time we vote again.The problem is damage will have been done.

March 29th, 2007 at 12:42 AM #17 Anonymous says:

It amazes me how people keep analyzing what voters in Ohio want or what voters in New Mexico want - it's all a load of rubbish when it comes to the Presidential election. Go back 40 years (the main bock of time the TV has played the major role in presidential elections...the guy who wins is the most attractive, most articulate, calmest candidate on the stage...every time.

What the republicans need to do I put someone up there that isn't Hillary. Period. DO you think all those blue-collared dems in Michigan are going to vote for Hillary over Fred Thompson? The only thing republicans have to do is not nominate someone who will cause REPUBLICANS to stay home i.e. McCain and Rudy. I love Rudy and I would vote for him in a second, but many people will not. That's how they lose. The stance on "trade" is not going to matter one bit. The choice is between two people a Republican, and Hillary.

March 29th, 2007 at 01:35 AM #18 Anonymous says:

Wouldn't it be nice if there was just ONE honest politician ? Ithink Mr. Thompson has a shot if he runs. I know Rudy or John won'tget my vote. What I think will be a factor are all the returningVeterans who have sustained such terrible wounds and had to put with sub-standard living arraignments while at Walter Reed. Vets don't forget.I guess it all comes down to whatone prefers as far as candidates.Either a turd in the punchbowlor worms in prime rib.

March 29th, 2007 at 02:12 AM #19 Anonymous says:

It's just sickening to see Republicans keep talking about how the Dems will bring chaos if American voters put them in office. Are they forgetting that the Republican in the White House flubbed his way into 9/11, then spent billions on his pet war instead of flattening the people who DID do the attacking, while diminishing this country's prosperity and security at home by putting no-talent cronies in charge of things like disaster relief, all the while underfunding veterans and their benefits and health, and stressing the military, while asking the fat cats to give up nothing for the nation, and of course giving them tax cuts and trying to hold down the minimum wage, and on and on and on.

I'm old enough to remember Clinton-era prosperity and am amazed at what the Republicans have done in such a short time to feed the rich at the expense of the middle class. And yet the psychotic bleating that Dems will make us less safe. Playing the fear card is all they've got left, and it frightens me that they use it so much.

March 29th, 2007 at 02:56 AM #20 GinLA says:

Hillary is no shoe-in for the Dems: Barack Obama is a charismatic consensus builder (i.e. A Leader), which is something America desperately needs. People probably will see Barack's record as "liberal." Consider some of his recent legislation:Lane Evans Veterans Health & BenefitsObviously liberal! We've seen how the Republican's defend veterans' health care.

Sheltering All Veterans Everywhere Act Again, we know what disdain Republicans have for the homeless when it means raising taxes. Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency ActNow what kind of business-friendly Republican would want that?Legislative Transparency & Accountability Act.Accountability!?!

So not Republican!The Republicans have been in power for a decade and have blown it in the eyes of the people. They are ideologically bankrupt. Even Fred Thompson won't be able to shake Bush's baggage. The biggest problem the Republican candidate will face, therefore, is that he'll be a Republican.

March 29th, 2007 at 03:14 AM #21 Bill Eastland says:

No, No, No, it's not the MODERATE voter that is upset, it's the Goldwater/Reagan voter (i.e., the libertarians and economic conservatives) who are pissed off. They turned away in disgust at the abandonment of the Reagan agenda by our elected Republicans and chose not to vote in sufficient numbers in the last election to give us a loss. The principled candidate will win them back and the "moderates" will stay because they always respond well to conservatives who stand on principle. And, by the way, the Dems WILL field a weak candidate--all the top ones are far too liberal to attract moderate votes. With Fred or Rudy we win, and probably going away. Just look at the polls since the first of the year. Our guys are ahead and only Obama is competitive. Have faith.Bill Eastland in the Republic of Texas

March 31st, 2007 at 02:40 AM #22 Anonymous says:

Here's a resource you might find of interest...www.ExpertVoter.orgIt's a breakdown of the candidates by issues.gary

April 1st, 2007 at 01:42 PM #23 Bill (formerly anon.) says:

it's not the MODERATE voter that is upset, it's the Goldwater/Reagan voter (i.e., the libertarians and economic conservatives) who are pissed off. They turned away in disgust at the abandonment of the Reagan agenda by our elected Republicans and chose not to vote in sufficient numbers in the last election to give us a loss. - Bill EastlandI would really like to believe that. Really, really, really, really.

But I just don't think the numbers back it up. Perhaps more conservatives stayed home than normal, but mostly it was the voters towards the center that the GOP lost. They lost faith on Iraq, and they lost faith in the ability of the GOP to lead.

Hispanic support fell from 40% to 30%. White support fell from 58% to 51%. Pretty similar margins, although Hispanics tend to be more liberal than whites, which tells you that it was the folks in the center we lost.

The share of the white vote is by far the most important of any group. A 1% share of the white vote is worth at least an 8% share of any other group. When Republicans lose whites, they lose, period.the guy who wins is the most attractive, most articulate, calmest candidate on the stage...every time...DO you think all those blue-collared dems in Michigan are going to vote for Hillary over Fred Thompson?

That would be nice to believe. There's certainly a lot of truth to it. But positions still matter. The blue-collar Dems in Michigan would vote for a three-legged, one-eyed dog if they thought the other candidate was going to rig the economic system against them.

They'll hold their nose and vote for Hillary - believe me they will, and Hillary comes off as the most craven, most ambitious, least sincere pol on the planet. She deserves the Lifetime Razzy award for bad political acting.

July 29th, 2007 at 06:16 PM #26 guest says:

"For instance, the party needs someone who's solidly right-wing on issues like immigration or gun control or campaign-finance reform - issues that matter more to the base than to swing voters - and who can use this credibility to be more ideologically innovative on, say, taxes or health care or even foreign policy....It needs someone whose pro-life convictions are a given." Unquestionably, DUNCAN HUNTER, PRESIDENT '08

FRED THOMPSON'S 'TROPHY WIFE' RUNS THE SHOW
By Philip Sherwell and Tim Shipman, Sunday Telegraph
Last Updated: 1:50am BST 30/07/2007

She has sometimes been dismissed as a tanned and bleached blonde "trophy wife", only ever glimpsed in sleek and glamorous outfits on the arm of her much older spouse.

But in the past few days Jeri Thompson has suddenly emerged as the real political power behind her husband Fred's presidential campaign.

Mr. Thompson, 64, a former senator and actor who is running second in most polls of Republican nominees even before he has officially declared his candidacy, last week replaced his campaign manager in a shake-up of his top team - which, it has emerged, was initiated by his wife.

Another senior aide quit after clashes with Mrs. Thompson, a youthful-looking 40, who is in effect managing her husband's White House bid and has hiring and firing authority over staff, according to campaign insiders.

The upheavals have highlighted the key role of Mr. Thompson's second wife, a lawyer and Republican political operative widely believed to have encouraged him to enter the fray. As her husband's de facto campaign manager, Mrs. Thompson has the greatest hands-on role of any spouse in the presidential campaign, even though she has so far steered well clear of the political hustings.

Despite her political pedigree as a former spokesman for the Republican National Committee, her sway over day-to-day operations is troubling some of her husband's supporters. "I do worry that Jeri is the one really running his campaign," said a Republican in Congress who describes himself as "likely" to support Mr. Thompson. "She's smart, but that could be a recurring problem."

A campaign aide, also speaking anonymously, told The Washington Post that Mrs. Thompson decided everything from the content of direct mailings to the date for her husband to make his official declaration, now expected at the end of the summer. "You name it - anything," said the aide.

Mr. Thompson met Jeri Kehn in July 1996 and they married in June 2002, since when they have had two children.

Her good looks and penchant for figure-hugging dresses with plunging necklines inevitably draw attention to their 25-year age gap.

They have also reminded commentators of Mr. Thompson's reputation as a "ladies' man" after his 1985 divorce - something that may not play well with the social conservatives he is courting in his bid to become the Republican candidate.

The upheavals in Mr. Thompson's campaign came after reports that his fundraising activities have tailed off since the initial excitement about his likely entry into the fray, earlier this year. Most polls show him running second to the former New York mayor, Rudolph Giuliani, and his efforts to portray himself as a Washington outsider have been undermined by revelations about his past as a lobbyist, lawyer and politician.

Dick Morris, an influential political strategist, last week highlighted how the consulting firm of Daniel Thompson, one of Mr. Thompson's adult sons from his first marriage, had benefited financially from his father's political operations.

Mr. Thompson's Political Action Committee - a vehicle used to support candidates - has so far paid his son's firm $170,000 (£83,000) in consulting fees, far more than the $70,000 given to other Republican election campaigns.

The political impact of Mrs. Thompson's higher profile is unclear, but it has already provoked comments by some of America's more unreconstructed media pundits. Joe Scarborough, a television news show host and former Republican congressman, caused controversy when, after a report on the use of strippers' poles in exercise routines, he wondered aloud whether Mrs. Thompson "worked the pole".

Nor is Mrs. Thompson the only woman involved in the White House race to become the focus of media attention about her appearance. The campaign of Hillary Clinton has sought to turn comments about their candidate's cleavage in a newspaper fashion article to her advantage, highlighting the remarks to supporters in an appeal for funds.

Robin Givhan, a respected fashion writer for The Washington Post, noted that Sen. Clinton wore a black top with a low neckline during an appearance in the Senate. "It was startling to see that small acknowledgment of sexuality and femininity," she wrote.

In an email to potential donors Ann Lewis, a senior Clinton advisor, urged them to "take a stand against this kind of coarseness and pettiness in American culture". She added: "Frankly, focusing on women's bodies instead of their ideas is insulting."

by Geoff Staples

Fred Thompson knocked up his girlfriend and married her so that she could put him through college. Then, in 1985 he divorced her. Then, around 1987, he was filmed participating in white supremacist rallies and receiving a prized possession — a first edition of “Mein Kampf” autographed by Adolph Hitler.

Later he married the very white, very blonde, and very Aryan, Jeri Kehn, who is 25 years younger than Thompson.

Knocking up his girlfriend, marrying her, letting her put him through school, dumping her, marrying his trophy wife are real. The Nazi business is from a role Thompson played in the TV series, “Wiseguy.”

But, wasn’t Thompson just a little too convincing in the role for a mediocre actor?

After the L. A. Times asked whether his portrayal of a white supremacist could hurt his presidential chances, right-wingers went into outrage overdrive. The popular consensus is that this should not hurt Thompson. But, they forget the swift boating of John Kerry, and attacking John McCain for his non-white, illegitimate child and because being a prisoner of war made him nuttier than a fruitcake – attacks used by Republicans to smear political candidates.

Here’s how to destroy Fred Thompson with his own words in the role of a white supremacist preacher.

Run commercials showing Thompson making the nastiest of the anti-Semitic and white supremacist dialog – over and over and over again. In the commercials, say “Fred Thompson — convincing as a white supremacist. Is he acting or expressing his own views? If he’s this convincing when he’s acting, how can we trust anything Thompson says. We don’t need a white supremacist or another Republican liar in the White House. Either way, Thompson is wrong for America.”

Here are some quotes from Fred Thompson, the Great White Hope of the Republican Party:

Standing on a stage with a white supremacist Christian church banner as a backdrop, former Republican Senator Fred Thompson says "You've asked yourself that same question, haven't you? … When you've lost that job on the construction site or the loading dock, a job you've had for 20 years to someone who can't speak the language but who is willing to work for $2.50 an hour?”

Thompson gets the crowd chanting and then says, "Who are these enemies? Some folks say it's the Jews. In fact, if I had a quarter for every time I heard that, I would be 10 bucks shy of being Jewish myself."

There’s even more. Thompson says, "The fact remains that it would be easy to point our finger at the bankers and the financiers, Jewish or not, for the fact that our great nation can't compete in the market place with the Asiatics. And it would be easy to blame the liberal leftist, Jewish or not, for sacrificing our working people on the altar of economic Bolshevism.

We have been complacent, because we have been gullible, and we have been naive, we have allowed them to exercise their genetic need to dominate a Christian world. So don't blame the Jews for doing it.

Blame it on yourselves for letting them."

Thompson says in the same video footage, "Open your mind and open up your hearts and open up your wallets and accept your birthright to a land of pure blood, pure spirit, pure belief and our divinely ordered superiority as a people."

And worse yet, Thompson fondles a first edition of "Mein Kampf" autographed by Adolph Hitler just given to him as a gift as he tells the person who gave him the book, "Only you would have the sensitivity to know what this means to me."

At least Thompson’s not wearing a Nazi uniform.

White supremacist pics from A Million Monkeys

Some of the Thompson Wisguy quotes from the LA Times

Posted to:
Opinion Editorial

Election 2008

Geoff Staples

Political Strategy

Republicans

Fred and Jeri Thompson: Last Chance For Romance?
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/sleuth/2007/06/fred_and_jeri_thompson_last_ch.html

With an 8-month-old baby boy and a 4-year-old daughter, it might be tricky for Fred and Jeri Thompson -- the as-yet unofficial potential first couple -- to steal some candlelit alone time on this special day, their fifth wedding anniversary.

But that's OK. Because from what we hear, Jeri would be just as happy to spend the day writing her hubby's presidential candidacy announcement speech.

One of the burning questions surrounding the Thompson camp (besides what day Fred will make his run official) is what role his wife will play in the campaign. Jeri Thompson, who at age 40 is 24 years younger than the actor-turned-senator-turned actor, is heavily involved in the day-to-day decision-making of the exploratory effort, according to knowledgeable sources.

It's little wonder, considering that Mrs. Thompson, whose maiden name is Kehn, is a high-powered political operative in her own right -- a lawyer who worked as an aide in the Senate and at the Republican National Committee. (Oh, and she was a member of the Naperville North High School "spirit team" in her native Illinois.)

"She is extremely bright politically," says one Thompson camp insider who asked not to be named. "She really knows this business. I think she is going to be incredibly helpful."

Everybody doesn't see it that way. Her hands-on approach to her husband's political operation is rubbing some the wrong way.

"She's running the campaign," grouses one veteran GOP political operative involved in the Draft Fred movement. "It's the No. 1 rule of politics: The wife can't be the campaign manager."

Playing a role is fine, says the unnamed operative, "but not calling all the day-to-day shots."

But Thompson spokesman Mark Corallo says, "It would be absurd to think that his wife Jeri ... would not be heavily involved in his thought process."

As for her official role, "She is his wife. That is her role. She also has been a well-known professional political strategist here in Washington."

Jeri Thompson's old friend Kellyanne Conway, the GOP talking head and pollster, describes the would-be first lady as "a sophisticated political mind" who "because of her devotion to her husband and kids, gives her a natural connection to millions of American women voters."

And, as we previously noted (in the last paragraph of this posting), Mrs. Thompson is going the extra mile to make that connection a bit stronger. After turning heads and dropping jaws at last year's White House Correspondents' Association Dinner in her plunging blue sequin dress, she wore a conspicuously conservative black dress to this year's Radio-TV follies.

Conway dismisses criticism of Jeri's control over her husband's campaign as "blowharded bluster. Anyone who knows Senator Thompson knows that's not true."

Corallo suggests that Mrs. Thompson's critics are just jealous they're not calling the shots.

"People who are not involved in this effort but who want to be are starting to spread the rumors," he said. "There are a lot of people who claim to be a part of the effort who are not even tangentially involved."

As for how the Thompsons are spending their anniversary tonight, Corallo wouldn't say and Conway didn't know. Conway, however, said she noticed that former Sen. Thompson didn't have anything listed on his official schedule for the weekend.

Maybe they're spending one last romantic weekend together before the campaign goes official.

(More on Fred Thompson here.)

By Mary Ann Akers June 29, 2007; 4:18 PM ET Previous: Howard "the Matchmaker" Dean Next: Tommy Thompson Risks Serious Poundage In Iowa

James Dobson: Sen. Fred Thompson Can't Win Because He's Not A Christian

Former Sen. Fred Thompson is considering running for president; he has the strong conservative credentials the major Republican candidates are lacking. Many conservatives are urging Sen. Thompson to enter the fray, but James Dobson is not a supporter.

From USNews.Com:

"Focus on the Family founder James Dobson appeared to throw cold water on a possible presidential bid by former Sen. Fred Thompson while praising former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who is also weighing a presidential run, in a phone interview Tuesday.

'Everyone knows he's conservative and has come out strongly for the things that the pro-family movement stands for,' Dobson said of Thompson. "[But] I don't think he's a Christian; at least that's my impression,' Dobson added, saying that such an impression would make it difficult for Thompson to connect with the Republican Party's conservative Christian base and win the GOP nomination."

Thompson is a bonafide conservative who champions the social agenda that Dobson spends all his waking hours promoting, so why isn't he a fan of Thompson? Because Dobson doesn't consider Thompson a Christian. Dobson feels that Thompson won't appeal to evangelicals because he is not one of them. That's as ridiculous as stating that Rudy can't win because he's follically-challenged.

Thompson is a Christian, by the way, he belongs to the "Church of Christ" denomination. But Dobson and his fellow evangelicals don't consider mainline Protestants and Catholics true Christians, because they don't emphasize a "born again experience."

Dobson is a big fan of Newt Gingrich; I guess a confessed adulterer who's been married three times is prime presidential material -- as long as he calls himself a born-again Christian.

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2007/07/mary_matalin_stays_put.html

Matalin Sticking With Fred Thompson

Rumors are flying about more senior level departures from the unofficial presidential campaign of former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.).

Mary Matalin isn't abandoning Fred Thompson's still unofficial campaign. ("Meet the Press" via Reuters)

But The Fix can knock down one of the major ones: Mary Matalin, a former adviser to Vice President Dick Cheney and longtime Republican political operative, is staying put.

Reached in Croatia (are we good or what?), Matalin said she chats daily with the Thompson organization and remains 100 percent on board.

Our sense of the ongoing Thompson staff shuffle is that it is teetering on the brink of becoming just plain bad news. The sharks are circling and whispers about the too-prominent role of Thompson's wife -- Jeri -- are everywhere. With news of every departure, the story tilts away from Thompson's best interests.

The audience for this story remains largely confined within the Beltway for the moment, which is good for Thompson. But staff stirrings can lead to stories about disorganization, unhappiness and general disorder, and that is a narrative that does Thompson's "campaign" no good, especially as he prepares to launch his bid formally sometime in the next month or so.

Thompson's GOP "savior" image started taking on water in Washington over the last week or so and may take on some more before it's all over. But, in truth, the key to Thompson's appeal -- and chances at the Republican nomination -- are tied less to whether Washington likes him than to how his candidacy is received by social conservatives in early states like Iowa and South Carolina.

Thompson's candidacy is aimed at filling a perceived void among the current top tier when it comes to a voice for social conservatives. As long as these voters still see Fred as their guy, the chatter inside the Beltway is much ado about nothing. If, however, the story starts to bleed out into larger questions of whether he and his campaign are up to the task, it's much more problematic.

In Today's Post: No Easy Verdict on Thompson The Lawyer.
http://www.enterstageright.com/archive/articles/0307/0307nottofred.htm

FRED THOMPSON: NEOCON GLOBALIST
By Basil Harringtonweb posted March 26, 2007

For the past few days, movement "conservatives" and GOP cheerleaders have been ecstatic that Fred Thompson, former senator from Tennessee, may form an exploratory committee to seek the GOP nomination for president. "Now we'll have a conservative in there," said one person, who, I assume, has no idea what a real conservative is.

There already are two fine conservative candidates seeking the nomination: Ron Paul and Tom Tancredo. And Fred Thompson does not even come close measuring up to them.

FRED THOMPSON IS A NEOCON GLOBALIST.

First and foremost, let's look at immigration. A third-world invasion of the USA is taking place, and it is up to patriots to stop it. As Jean Raspail taught us in Camp of the Saints, "the greatest conservative novel ever written," we can fight back and reverse the invasion, or we can watch the West be destroyed.

Although Fred Thompson is tougher than McCain and Giuliani on border enforcement, which isn't saying much seeing how they line up with Barack Obama, he had a rather lackluster record on immigration while in the Senate. As one commentator notes: "Overall, Americans for Better Immigration gives [Thompson] a career grade of C; on chain migration, C; visa lottery, C-; reducing unnecessary visas, F; on reducing asylum fraud, C-; on reducing amnesties, D; and on interior enforcement, C+. Although he was tough on border control, he was lacking in almost every other area." [1]

Fred Thompson also supports affirmative action, and ideologically worships free trade, regardless how much it harms America. Historically, conservatives have opposed free trade, but Thompson, like others, has been "neoconned" into backing it.

He furthermore is a "fellow" at the American Enterprise Institute, one of the largest neocon think-tanks, which demonstrates where his true loyalty lies. If you did not receive the Burkean memo, the transformation of the Middle East to liberal democracy is Jacobin, not conservative. There is not a single thing conservative about the membership of AEI. They are neocon / neoliberal globalists.

Why are neoncons backing Thompson? Ideally, being ex-Trotskyites themselves, neocons would prefer a liberal candidate, like McCain, Giuliani or Romney. But they see that conservatives deplore these candidates, and now are going to try to peddle Fred Thompson, who is just socially conservative enough and just tough enough on the borders, even if it is feigned, to woo naive GOP voters. But let's hope this nefarious neocon plot fails.

Let's pray that the more real conservatives learn about Fred Thompson, the more unacceptable he will appear. [1] I, for one, should he receive the nomination, will vote Constitution Party.

Footnotes:

[1] http://conservativetimes.org/?p=200

[2] http://www.conservativeexodusproject.com/

(c) 2007 Basil Harrington

Blogs 4 Brownback

July 19, 2007
Fred Thompson: Pro-abortion Lobbyist and Liar?
Filed under: Fred Thompson, Abortion, Election 2008 — Psycheout @ 3:49 am

Today the New York Times drops a bombshell on Fred Thompson. I’ve already visited this topic before, but now there’s a paper trail that backs up my original post. And a lot of FredHeads will be eating hefty helpings of crow.

Billing records show that former Senator Fred Thompson spent nearly 20 hours working as a lobbyist on behalf of a group seeking to ease restrictive federal rules on abortion counseling in the 1990s, even though he recently said he did not recall doing any work for the organization.

Uh oh. First there were flat denials, then there was an “I don’t recall” excuse, and now this.

According to records from Arent Fox, the law firm based in Washington where Mr. Thompson worked part-time from 1991 to 1994, he charged the organization, the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association, about $5,000 for work he did in 1991 and 1992. The records show that Mr. Thompson, a probable Republican candidate for president in 2008, spent much of that time in telephone conferences with the president of the group, and on three occasions he reported lobbying administration officials on its behalf.

Ouch. But there’s more.

But his record on abortion has not always been as clear cut. In questionnaires Mr. Thompson answered during his 1994 Senate campaign, for instance, he checked a box stating that he believed abortion should be legal under any circumstances during the first three months of pregnancy and said, “I do not believe that abortion should be criminalized.” He has also opposed a constitutional amendment banning all abortion, also on the grounds of states’ rights.

And I guess Hollywood Fred can’t remember this:

The billing records from Arent Fox show that Mr. Thompson, who charged about $250 an hour, spoke 22 times with Judith DeSarno, who was then president of the family planning group. In addition, he lobbied “administration officials” for a total of 3.3 hours, the records show, although they do not specify which officials he met with or what was said.

Read the whole thing. I can’t take any more of this.

So does anyone still believe that Fred Thompson is riding in on a white horse to save conservatives from the Hillary beast? If they do, they’re fools. He’s riding in on a black horse and the only one he’s trying to save is himself.

A question for FredHeads and non-FredHeads alike: would you trust a liar in the White House?

Update: Patterico reminds us of the earlier denials:

Thompson spokesman Mark Corallo adamantly denied that Thompson worked for the family planning group. “Fred Thompson did not lobby for this group, period,” he said in an e-mail.

In a telephone interview, he added: “There’s no documents to prove it, there’s no billing records, and Thompson says he has no recollection of it, says it didn’t happen.”

No billing records, eh? Somebody wasn’t being forthcoming here.

Update: Welcome, Hot Air readers. For the record, Sam Brownback isn’t third tier.

Update 2: Since many FredHeads have really thick skulls, let’s get this straight: this isn’t so much about his lobbying, but his honesty. If he really is this great pro-life hero (his past statements do not back up this assertion), then it seems he would remember working for and lobbying on behalf of a pro-abortion group. When one is pro-life, abortion is murder. One would expect that Fred would remember lobbying on behalf of murder, wouldn’t one?

Update 3: Welcome Protein Wisdom readers! We are honored.

Update 4: Predictably Fred! defenders are in full spin cycle.

Update 5: Langley over at Save the GOP is very cross. His commenter(s) is/are cowards. At least Langley had the sack to stand up for his beliefs, here on a pro-Brownback site. We can respect that. Apparently commenter “Mike” is too skeered of us. What a wimp. He wants to “Save the GOP” but can’t be bothered to come over here where his feelings might get hurt. Awww. Help me, mommy! I’m so much smarter than those meanies.

Well I have no desire to head over to your site and attempt to engage in an intelligent discussion with the caliber of folks I saw over there. Nor would I try to discuss this issue with a group of third graders.

Wow, what a macho dude! We bow in his direction for his massive intelligence and gravitas. Loser. Mike wouldn’t even be a light snack for the likes of Misha.

Update 6: Red State is an excellent source of conservative news that I read every day. But some little RomneyBot, going by the suspicious name of Rob Johnson doesn’t like a comment in this very thread. He got very angry and wet his pants over it, but could not sack up and debate in our open comment thread, even after being invited. What a baby.

Full disclosure: if I’d known that Rob was a whiny little RomneyBot, I wouldn’t have wasted my time debating the idiot.

See also: Past articles on Fred Thompson.

DEMOCRATS TEAR INTO FRED THOMPSON

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0607/4637.html

Even before his expected July announcement, Fred Thompson's all-but-declared entry into the Republican presidential stakes has prompted the Democratic National Committee to attack him as a potential GOP front-runner and to use his prospective candidacy to raise money.

Democratic strategists say Thompson's populist style and show-biz allure could prove extremely appealing in a general election at a time when voters are so down on Washington. So the party has launched a preemptive campaign against him that includes a DNC fundraising e-mail branding Thompson, "The inside-outsider."

"Remember the Republican culture of corruption?" the letter asks. "The revolving door of Republican politicians moving in and out of top political offices and Washington, D.C., lobbying firms?

That's Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson. For years, acting wasn't the 'Law & Order' star's profession -- it was a hobby.

In the real world, Thompson has made a fortune in a decades-long career as a Washington lobbyist.

And just this month, as part of his role as the ultimate Washington insider, Thompson offered to host yet another fundraising event for Scooter Libby's legal defense fund.

Thompson has been vocal in his support of Libby, saying that he would 'absolutely' pardon him. As he runs for president, he'll try his hardest to hide the truth from the American people.

And we need to stop him. Support our efforts to get the truth out about Fred Thompson."

'Staunch supporter of Scooter Libby'

The DNC is preparing expensive postal mailings to follow up on the e-mails targeting Thompson, party sources said.

Another DNC research report sketches likely lines of attack on Thompson: "reliable supporter, defender of President Bush," "staunch supporter of Scooter Libby," "key role in Bush Supreme Court nominations," "already has a flip-flop problem," "ill-equipped for the campaign," "a thin Senate record, questions of 'work ethic', " "controversial legal clients may cause problems," "lobbying careers full of land mines."

Working to influence news coverage, the DNC also recently began circulating a "research document" with the headline, "MAJOR LEGISLATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF SEN. FRED DALTON THOMPSON (1994-2002)." Then the page is blank until the line, "Paid for by the Democratic National Committee."

Thompson advisers tell The Politico that they recognize they need to fill in that empty sheet and are scrambling to be sure they -- and their candidate -- have answers to that and a host of other questions from skeptics by the time he officially announces.

That will be a crucial factor in determining whether Thompson's undeclared-candidate halo, which gave him a first-place finish in a Nevada poll published this weekend, will survive his presidential coming out. Thompson showed signs of rustiness in Richmond earlier this month when a reporter asked him to name his greatest accomplishments in the Senate -- not exactly a hardball question - and he struggled to answer. "It doesn't always have to do with putting your name on a piece of legislation," he finally said. "There was an awful lot of bad legislation that I helped to stop, for one thing."

ATTACKS BEFORE CAMPAIGN'S START

Thompson still has not set a launch date for his campaign but advisers say the need to be ready for attacks and policy questions is likely to push the announcement back from the first week of July to the second or third week. "There is a tipping point at which your supporters could lose their enthusiasm," said a Thompson adviser involved in the debate over the date. "The challenge is to know how you signal to those people who have been working so hard at the grass roots, 'Hang tight. It's coming. Trust him.' On the other hand, you want to be sure you have a comfort level with your infrastructure and your ability to hit the ground running."

Friends say Thompson and his wife, Jeri, are working nearly full time getting ready for the announcement. "This is the most important decision he's ever going to make," said a friend who has discussed the matter with Thompson.

His campaign is rapidly building a large national organization, with most of its operations in Nashville along with some press and policy officials in northern Virginia. Thompson is holding his first fundraiser for his own campaign this week in Nashville, and will hold another July 6 in Atlanta's Buckhead area, with former Sen. Mack Mattingly playing a key role.

Thompson also plans appearances later in South Carolina and New Hampshire. In the Granite State, Thompson will mingle with actual voters in addition to giving a speech at a GOP event.

Fred Thompson, Nixon's Mole - Elections Blog - The Stump
Fun little piece in today's Boston Globe about Fred Thompson's role as minority counsel for the Senate Watergate Committee. It turns out that Thompson.news.aol.com/elections-blog/2007/07/05/fred-thompson-nixons-mole/ - 55k - Aug 5, 2007 - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

NO QUARTER: UPDATED: "Fred Thompson: Nixon White House Mole"

Fred_thompson_ds_02_150 In "Fred Thompson: Nixon White House Mole," LitigatorMom notes this wildly popular meme on Thompson: "Thompson's website, ...noquarter.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/07/fred-thompson-n.html - 57k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

PERRspectives Blog: Fred Thompson, Nixon Watergate Mole
As the Boston Globe detailed on Wednesday, Fred Thompson himself was a mole for the Nixon White House during the Senate Watergate hearings 30 years ago. ...www.perrspectives.com/blog/archives/000663.htm - 49k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Angry Bear
Thursday, July 05, 2007. Fred Thompson: Nixon’s Mole During Watergate Hearings. Michael Kranish explains why certain rightwingers heart Fred Thompson: ...angrybear.blogspot.com/2007/07/fred-thompson-nixons-mole-during.html - 30k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Not all would put a heroic sheen on Thompson's Watergate role ...
When Thompson learned of Butterfield's admission, he leaked the revelation to Nixon's counsel, J. Fred Buzhardt . "Even though I had no authority to act for ...www.boston.com/.../articles/2007/07/04/not_all_would_put_a_heroic_sheen_on_thompsons_watergate_role/ - Similar pages - Note this

Fred Thompson aided Nixon on Watergate - Fred Thompson - MSNBC.com
Fred Thompson gained an image as a tough-minded investigative counsel for the Senate Watergate committee. Yet President Nixon and his top aides viewed the ...www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19675541/ - 51k - Aug 5, 2007 - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Digg - Nixon on Fred Thompson: "Dumb as Hell" - 5:27pm
Nixon not liking Fred Thompson sounds like a plus, not a minus. Nixon is first in line as Presidential jerks until recently, but then most people find it ...digg.com/2008_us_elections/Nixon_on_Fred_Thompson_Dumb_as_Hell - 71k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Digg - Fred Thompson was Nixon Spy During Watergate Hearings
if this is true Fred Thompson has the same morality as Nixon. If this is true Right wing nuts last best hope for the white house just diapered. ...digg.com/2008_us_elections/Fred_Thompson_was_Nixon_Spy_During_Watergate_Hearings - 70k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this[ More results from digg.com ]

IMAO: New Attack on Fred Thompson: Nixon Didn't Think He Was Smart
He said Fred Thompson wasn't smart? Wasn't Nixon the yahoo that had to resign from office because he had some cronies commit a little breaking and entering ...www.imao.us/archives/008096.html - 50k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Pensito Review » Nixon on Fred Thompson: “He’s Dumb as Hell”
Nixon didn’t want Fred Thompson as minority counsel during the Watergate hearings because he doubted the mental capacity of the future actor and lobbyist. ...www.pensitoreview.com/2007/07/08/nixon-on-fred-thompson-hes-dumb-as-hell/ - 56k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

The Raw Story Ex-Watergate prober: Thompson 'was mole for the ...
... Fred Thompson leaked information to the Nixon white house during the height ... Thompson tipped off Nixon's attorney that the committee was aware of the ...rawstory.com/news/2007/ExWatergate_prober_Thompson_was_mole_for_0705.html - 21k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Facing South: Nixon called informant Fred Thompson 'dumb as hell'
"We've got a pretty good rapport with Fred Thompson," Buzhardt told Nixon in an Oval Office meeting on June 6, 1973. The meeting included a discussion of ...www.southernstudies.org/facingsouth/2007/07/nixon-called-informant-fred-thompson.asp - 19k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Facing South: Fred Thompson, 'mole' for Nixon White House
Fred Thompson, 'mole' for Nixon White House. On the official Web site for his anticipated presidential run, former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn. ...www.southernstudies.org/facingsouth/2007/07/fred-thompson-mole-for-nixon-white.asp - 24k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Cosmic Iguana - Voice of the Evil Doers: FRED THOMPSON, NIXON MOLE
FRED THOMPSON, NIXON MOLE. Law and Order, he wasn't. BOSTON GLOBE: .. Thompson tipped off the White House that the committee knew about the taping system ...www.cosmiciguana.com/2007/07/fred_thompson_nixon_mole.html - 11k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

DownWithTyranny!: FRED THOMPSON, SCOOTER LIBBY AND RICHARD NIXON ...
FRED THOMPSON, SCOOTER LIBBY AND RICHARD NIXON, THE THREE MOUSEGETEERS... THREE BLIND MICE? Not being much of a country label, my old company didn't have a ...downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/2007/07/fred-thompson-scooter-libby-and-richard.html - 37k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Nixon Thought Fred Thompson Was “Dumb As Hell” KXNet.com North ...
Funny... Nixon was disappointed with the selection of Thompson, whom he called “dumb as hell.” T.www.kxmb.com/getArticle.asp?ArticleId=141680 - 67k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

FOXNews.com - Fred Thompson Aided Nixon on Watergate - Politics ...
Fred Thompson Aided Nixon on Watergate, Fred Thompson gained an image as a tough-minded investigative counsel for the Senate Watergate committee.www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,288538,00.html - 55k - Aug 4, 2007 - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Fred Thompson Was A Rat For Richard Nixon In Watergate [Oliver ...
Richard Nixon was a crook in the White House, Hollywood actor Fred Thompson wants to be a crook-defender in the White House. ...www.oliverwillis.com/2007/07/fred-thompson-w.html - 48k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

07/05/07: Fred Thompson = Nixon-era scumbag
07/05/07: Fred Thompson = Nixon-era scumbag. Posted by: Oddball. Is it possible that Thompson is even sleazier than Dick Cheney? ...www.mrcranky.com/movies/livefreeordiehard/108/2.html - 4k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

AlterNet: Blogs: PEEK: Fred Thompson Was a Mole for Nixon During ...
Fred Thompson Was a Mole for Nixon During Watergate. Posted by Guest Blogger at 5:12 AM on July 6, 2007. Will Menaker: In his capacity as the Senate ...www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/56143/ - 43k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Power Line: Fred Thompson, Lobbyist?
The Democrats' have already put out several hit pieces on Fred Thompson; one of the points they emphasize is that he worked as a Washington lobbyist before ...www.powerlineblog.com/archives/018041.php - 27k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Colorado Conservative Project: Fred Thompson: Lobbyist
Fred Thompson: Lobbyist · The Washington Post examines some of the ironies of the idea of Fred Thompson for President. Unlike many Republicans during the ...coloradoconservativeproject.blogspot.com/2007/07/fred-thompson-lobbyist.html - 67k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

The Democratic Party Fred Thompson, Lobbyist for Choice?
Fred Thompson, lobbyist and Republican presidential candidate (and conservative darling), once lobbied to ease abortion restrictions. ...www.democrats.org/a/2007/07/fred_thompson_l_1.php - 32k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Looking at Thompson's lobbying past - Boston.com
Looking at Thompson's lobbying past. By Travis Loller, Associated Press Writer June 25, 2007. NASHVILLE, Tenn. --Republican Fred Thompson, who likes to ...www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/06/25/fred_thompsons_career_as_a_lobbyist/ - Similar pages - Note this

Sister Toldjah » The 16th minute: Fred Thompson lobbying story ...
Billing records show that former Senator Fred Thompson spent nearly 20 hours working as a lobbyist on behalf of a group seeking to ease restrictive federal ...sistertoldjah.com/.../ - 96k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Political Wire: Fred Thompson, Lobbyist
Fred Thompson, Lobbyist · USA Today examines a potential weakness in the prospective presidential candidacy of former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-TN). ...politicalwire.com/archives/2007/06/07/fred_thompson_lobbyist.html - 27k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Evangelicals for Mitt: FRED THOMPSON: LOBBYIST FOR P*RN (AND ...
Yes, Fred Thompson lobbied for cable providers and for the Teamsters, but does that mean that he should be shamed as a lobbyist for the porn industry or the ...www.evangelicalsformitt.org/front_page/fred_thompson_lobbyist_for_prn.php - 15k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Irregular Times: News Unfit for Print » Fred Thompson, Lobbying ...
It is a time of freedom and fear, of Gaia and of borders, of many paths and the widening of a universal toll road, emptying country and swelling cities, ...www.patrickruffini.com/2008wire/go/155851 - 55k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

memorandum: Records Show Ex-Senator's Work for Family Planning ...
Records Show Ex-Senator's Work for Family Planning Unit — Billing records show that former Senator Fred Thompson spent nearly 20 hours working as a lobbyist ...www.memeorandum.com/070719/p1 - 98k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

USATODAY.com
Past as lobbyist may play into future as candidate. Times, rules have changed since Fred Thompson last ran for office. By Ken Dilanian USA TODAY ...www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20070607/a_thompson07.art.htm - 37k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Past as lobbyist may play into future as candidate - USATODAY.com
Fred Thompson's rsum is that of a longtime Washington operative who has ... Former senator Fred Thompson was a registered lobbyist from 1983 to 1993 and ...www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2007-06-06-thompson-resume_n.htm - 49k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Fred Thompson: The Philip Morris Candidate - The Huffington Post
If Fred Thompson is elected president, he will be the first federally registered lobbyist to become Commander in Chief. Since his days as top minority ...www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/06/25/fred-thompson-the-philip_n_53736.html - 37k - Aug 4, 2007 - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Fred Thompson backs off lobbying denial - Mike Allen - Politico.com
Prospective GOP presidential candidate now says he doesn’t remember if he helped abortion-rights group.www.politico.com/news/stories/0707/4908.html - 136k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Fred Thompson lobbying for pro-choicers? Conservative Outpost
Hmmmm.WASHINGTON -- Fred Thompson, who is weighing a Republican presidential bid as a social conservative, "has no recollection" of performing lobbying work ...conservativeoutpost.com/node/105 - 43k - Aug 5, 2007 - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Fred Thompson, Humble Country Lobbyist
When the Los Angeles Times broke the abortion-lobbying story, Thompson's spokesman insisted, "Fred Thompson did not lobby for this group, period," and added ...www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=20070806&s=trb080607 - 59k - Aug 4, 2007 - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Thompson lobbied for abortion-rights group, it says - Los Angeles ...
Thompson spokesman Mark Corallo adamantly denied that Thompson worked for the family planning group. "Fred Thompson did not lobby for this group, ...www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-thompson7jul07,0,54260.story?coll=la-home-center - Aug 4, 2007 - Similar pages - Note this

Fred Thompson - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - 4:39pm
Frederick Dalton "Fred" Thompson (born August 19, 1942) is an American lawyer, lobbyist, and character actor. He represented Tennessee as a Republican in ...en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Dalton_Thompson - 184k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

The Democratic Party Fred Thompson, Lobbyist, and his Ties to ...
Fred Thompson, the Republican lobbyist now running for President, has deep ties to Philip Morris and the tobacco industry through his top advisors. ...www.democrats.org/a/2007/06/fred_thompson_a.php - 34k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

As Senator Rose, Lobbying Became Family Affair - New York Times
As Senator Rose, Lobbying Became Family Affair. Mark Humphrey/Associated Press. Senator Fred D. Thompson at a 2001 press conference in Nashville. ...www.nytimes.com/.../02thompson.html?ex=1341028800&en=a2567c5f5fc441b7&ei=5088&partner=rssn - Similar pages - Note this

FOXNews.com - Fred Thompson Defends Record as Lobbyist - Politics ...
Fred Thompson Defends Record as Lobbyist, Possible 2008 presidential candidate Fred Thompson defended his record as a lobbyist Tuesday, saying it's an ...www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,286820,00.html - 50k - Aug 4, 2007 - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Records Show That Fred Thompson Campaign Lied About His Work For ...
Billing records show that former Senator Fred Thompson spent nearly 20 hours ... "All we have" is that he's a liar. And before he even announces (which he's ...www.oliverwillis.com/2007/07/records-show-th.html - 40k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

So Fred Thompson Lied: So Fucking What? Corrente
"Fred Thompson, baby killer -- and liar". Submitted by lambert on Thu, 2007-07-19 21:46. Now that’s a headline that might have gotten some traction. ...correntewire.com/so_fred_thompson_lied_so_fucking_what - 39k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Fred Thompson: Pro-abortion Lobbyist and Liar? « Blogs 4 Brownback - 7:56pm
Today the New York Times drops a bombshell on Fred Thompson. I’ve already visited this topic before, but now there’s a paper trail that backs up my original ...blogs4brownback.wordpress.com/2007/07/19/fred-thompson-pro-abortion-lobbyist-and-liar/ - 90k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

RE: Fred Thompson: Liar and former abortion lobbyist
Bill Clinton was a liar and he was elected to two terms. Hillary has taken lying to a new level yet she is considered a frontrunner for the democratic ...nashville.craigslist.org/pol/368735397.html - Similar pages - Note this

News
Fred Thompson: LIAR!!! Message #17292.1. Posted by athelion on Jul-24 9:16 AM. http://hotair.com/archives/2007/07/19/nyt-billing-records-show-fred-did-lobby ...boards.boston.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?tsn=1&nav=messages&webtag=bc-news&tid=17292 - 83k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Fred Thompson Hired by Pro Abortion Group » Outside The Beltway OTB
Fred Thompson denying that he ever departed from the pro-life orthodoxy? .... Thompson, liar that he is, may not be the best that Republicans have to offer ...www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/2007/07/fred_thompson_hired_by_pro_abortion_group/ - 73k - Aug 5, 2007 - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Irregular Times: News Unfit for Print » Thompson: But He’s a ...
Either there’s a grand conspiracy of members of Congress and non-profits and pieces of paper to make Fred Thompson look like a liar, or Fred Thompson’s a ...irregulartimes.com/index.php/archives/2007/07/08/thompson-but-hes-a-folksy-and-avuncular-liar/ - 58k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

BlogRunner: He Just Plays a Straight Shooter
After a good opening riff about Fred Thompson, liar, Richard Cohen directs his ire elsewhere: Lest you think I am some sort of I have similar misgivings ...www.blogrunner.com/snapshot/D/9/1/46A589200B4E9E1C/ - 29k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Video: Gen. Patton and The War on Terror Blogs For Fred Thompson
In a recent post he came flat out and called Fred Thompson a liar. Hopefully he won't decide to keep hammering away at Fred, but I just noticed that one of ...www.blogsforfredthompson.com/node/379 - 35k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Fred Thompson Was Big Supporter of McCain-Feingold » The American Mind
13 Responses to “Fred Thompson Was Big Supporter of McCain-Feingold”. 1. Fred is a liar, which is evidenced by his lie that he never lobbied for abortion ...www.theamericanmind.com/2007/07/20/fred-thompson-was-big-supporter-of-mccain-feingold/ - 56k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

BlogRunner: Fred Thompson Hired by Pro Abortion Group
Fred Thompson - liar or just lazy? Libby Spencer The Impolitic By LibbyAlthough the trophy wife issue, which I addressed at Newshoggers, has resurfaced this ...www.blogrunner.com/snapshot/D/0/1/468F78BD090DFC1F/ - 163k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Is Fred Thompson the G.O.P.'s Savior?
I like Fred Thompson AND Duncan Hunter, but the candidate for the GOP who wins .... Thompson's picture as though Thompson said it. I repeat: You're a LIAR. ...www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1872270/posts - 44k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Riehl World View: Why Fred Gets A Pass On Lobbying Issue
See: Fred Thompson: Pro-abortion Lobbyist and Liar? http://blogs4brownback.wordpress.com/2007/07/19/fred-thompson-pro-abortion-lobbyist-and-liar/ ...www.riehlworldview.com/carnivorous_conservative/2007/07/why-fred-gets-a.html - 47k - Aug 5, 2007 - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

re: re: Fred Thompson
So what is your point about Fred Thompson? Obviously being a liar doesn't matter, as it has worked well for the Clintons. Oh, and you may want to brush up a ...nashville.craigslist.org/pol/368843716.html - Similar pages - Note this
Some Guy With a Website by August J. Pollak - xoverboard.com
Fred Koresh Thompson: liar. Billing records show that former Senator Fred ... Liar. Thompson is a liar. A liar is someone who lies. Fred Thompson lied. ...www.xoverboard.com/blogarchive/week_2007_07_15.html - 24k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Fred Thompson on McCain Feingold « My Words
2 Responses to “Fred Thompson on McCain Feingold”. Fred Thompson Is A Liar Says: July 20, 2007 at 12:51 pm. For 20 hours Fred was paid to advoate the murder ...jweaver.wordpress.com/2007/07/20/fred-thompson-on-mccain-feingold/ - 12k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Jeri Kehn is Fred Thompson’s Wife (Photos) » Right Celebrity
Jeri Thompson Kehn is the wife of presidential candidate Fred Thompson, and boy is he a lucky boy. .... Confirmed: President Bush is a Liar… ...celebrity.rightpundits.com/?p=1099 - 102k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Fred Thompson Lobbied In Favor Of Abortion Rights [Oliver Willis ...
Fred Thompson is a liar and a fraud. No sale on Fred the abortion lobbyist. Posted by: RepublicanWomenAgainstFredThompson Jul 9, 2007 11:45:47 AM ...www.oliverwillis.com/2007/07/fred-thompson-l.html - 33k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Fred Thompson aided Nixon on Watergate » Netscape.com
Fred Thompson aided Nixon on Watergate »200 votes View all Comments ( 373) ... at any straw to save face--add to a liar's ability to lie successfully. ...news.netscape.com/story/2007/07/07/fred-thompson-aided-nixon-on-watergate/comment/1060318 - 26k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeri_Kehn_Thompson

The BBC Notices Fred Thompson on TV kuro5hin.org
The BBC noticed Fred Thompson. You probably know him from his film and TV career where he ... to be fair by Liar, 06/07/2007 04:30:06 PM EST (none / 0) ...www.kuro5hin.org/story/2007/6/7/125615/0725 - 42k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

RealClearPolitics - Articles - Jeri Thompson is No Trophy Wife
"Well, first," said Juan Williams of National Public Radio, "I think you should get Jeri Thompson in here, the trophy wife, right? ...www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/08/jeri_thompson_is_no_trophy_wif.html - 24k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Fred Thompson's 'trophy wife' runs the show - Telegraph
She has sometimes been dismissed as a tanned and bleached blonde "trophy ... Fred Thompson's wife, Jeri, is a lawyer and a Republican political operative ...www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/07/29/wuspols129.xml - 41k - Aug 5, 2007 - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Fred Thompson's Trophy Wife
Fred Thompson's Trophy Wife. Susan Estrich Friday, July 13, 2007 ... There have been pictures of the buxom and beautiful Jeri Thompson circulating on the ...www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2007/7/13/93121.shtml - 27k - Aug 4, 2007 - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Fred Thompson's 'Trophy Wife' Running Campaign
Fred Thompson's 'Trophy Wife' Running Campaign, posted by Jake, Jeri Thompson, ... Jeri Thompson, trophy wife of potential presidential candidate Fred ...www.ravelbabel.com/HOT/Fred-Thompsons-Trophy-Wife-Running-Campaign.html - 21k - Aug 4, 2007 - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Thompson's 'Trophy Wife' Storyline is Wrong - The Brody File ...
I guess it's time for my monthly 'Defend Jeri Thompson' blog post. ... her a "trophy wife" because she's young and beautiful and Fred Thompson is much older ...www.cbn.com/CBNnews/204297.aspx - 20k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Maverick News Media MNM: Jeri Thompson "Trophy Wife," Not First ...
Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Jeri Thompson "Trophy Wife," Not First Lady Material? NPR Commentators Way Out of Line : ...mavericknewsnetwork.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/07/jeri-thompson-t.html - 42k - Aug 5, 2007 - Cached - Similar pages - Note this
Tim Lethlean: Fred Thompson's "trophy wife"?
The Washington Post has labeled Fred Thompson's wife as a "trophy wife". ... Some have even suggested Jeri Thompson could distract from real, ...lethlean.blogspot.com/2007/07/fred-thompsons-trophy-wife.html - 59k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

RED KING PIX.COM : Search Results Display : 042906Thompson
Caption, Law & Order star and former Senator Fred Thompson mingles at the White House Correspondents' Dinner ... At right is his wife Jeri Kehn, a (former? ...www.redkingpix.com/cgi-bin/ImageFolio4/imageFolio.cgi?action=view&link=Celebritiesℑ=042906Th... - 22k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Newsvine - Fred Thompson's 'trophy wife' runs the show
It irritates me to the max that the media is trivializing Jeri Thompson with the continuing use of the term "trophy wife". I dislike much of the commentary ...epiphany-sorbet.newsvine.com/_news/2007/07/29/865280-fred-thompsons-trophy-wife-runs-the-show - 70k - Aug 5, 2007 - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Fred Thompson's 'trophy wife' runs the show (Barf Alert)
Fred Thompson's wife, Jeri, is a lawyer and a Republican political operative. ..... Well thank God I have an older super smart trophy wife. ...www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1873150/posts - 48k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Inner Banks Eagle: Fred Thompson's Trophy Wife
Trophy wife? What garbage. This attack on Jeri Thompson has been going on for over a month now. It reminds me of the recent left wing attacks on Ann Coulter ...innerbanks.blogspot.com/2007/08/fred-thompsons-trophy-wife.html - 24k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

LP: Fred Thompson's 'trophy wife' runs the show
Liberty Post: Fred Thompson's 'trophy wife' runs the show. ... Fred Thompson's wife, Jeri, is a lawyer and a Republican political operative. ...www.libertypost.org/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=195417 - 17k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

The Daily Dish
Fred Thompson and Jeri Kehn: Trophy wife, trophy husband? Excerpt: At 40, Fred Thompson's attractive, blonde wife of five years, Jeri Kehn, is considerably ...andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2007/06/fred_thompsons_.html - 30k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Fred Thompson's "Trophy Wife"
Fred Thompson's "Trophy Wife" Susan Saulny answers the question no one is asking: ... with the public reaction to Jeri Kehn Thompson, whose youthfulness, ...www.timeswatch.org/articles/2007/20070711085348.aspx - 12k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Fred and Jeri Thompson: Last Chance For Romance? - The Sleuth - 6:08pm
Fred Thompson and his wife, Jeri, arrive for a party at the Macedonian ... After all these jerks who kept calling her a "trophy wife" even here in this ...blog.washingtonpost.com/sleuth/2007/06/fred_and_jeri_thompson_last_ch.html - Similar pages - Note this

Heavy-Handed Politics: Fred Thompson's 'trophy wife' runs the show
Fred Thompson's 'trophy wife' runs the show. Jeri Thompson, the wife of former US senator Fred Thompson, has emerged as the real political force behind his ...drivethrupolitics.blogspot.com/2007/07/fred-thompsons-trophy-wife-runs-show.html - 42k - Aug 5, 2007 - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Fred Thompson's 'Trophy Wife' Runs The Show » Netscape.com
1 vote / No sinks. Fred Thompson's 'Trophy Wife' Runs The Show ... But in the past few days Jeri Thompson has suddenly emerged as the real political power ...politics.netscape.com/story/2007/07/29/fred-thompsons-trophy-wife-runs-the-show/ - 21k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Fred Thompson’s Trophy Wife « Michael P.F. van der Galiën
Susan has decided that this is all Jeri is: a Trophy Wife. But there is more: ... 24 Responses to “Fred Thompson’s Trophy Wife” ...mvdg.wordpress.com/2007/07/08/fred-thompsons-trophy-wife/ - 111k - Aug 5, 2007 - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Fred Thompson's 'trophy wife' runs the show - article ...
Fred Thompson's 'trophy wife' runs the show. published about 15 hours ago. Jeri Thompson, the wife of former US senator Fred Thompson, has emerged as the ...www.newsonfeeds.com/article/Fred+Thompson's+'trophy+wife'+runs+the+show/2007000000008298968 - 17k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Put a Trophy Wife in the White House! : CafePress.com
Trophy wives of the world, unite! We have the chance to get one of our own into the White House! That's right, Fred Thompson's beloved second wife, Jeri ...www.cafepress.com/trophywifejeri - 73k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

The Impolitic: Fred Thompson's trophy wife - asset or liability?
Update: Honest to God, I had no idea that "trophy wife" implied a brainless, golddigging bimbo which I certainly do not think describes either Jeri Thompson ...theimpolitic.blogspot.com/2007/06/fred-thompsons-trophy-wife-asset-or.html - 46k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Old Dominion Blog Alliance
Robert Novak has an excellent column up today dispelling the notion that Fred Thompson’s wife, Jeri, is some sort of “trophy wife.” ...odba.tumblr.com/post/7481445 - 14k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Fred Thompson's Trophy Wife (Estrich bottom feeding alert)
All of this should support the view that Jeri Thompson's assets are irrelevant to her .... Estrich has no fear of ever being confused for a trophy wife. ...www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1865984/posts - 45k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

ABC News: Thompson Shakes Up Staff
The shake-up comes amid consternation inside the campaign about the active role played by Thompson's wife, Jeri, a lawyer, media consultant and former ...abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=3409982 - Similar pages - Note this

Mark R. Levin on Thompsons & 2008 on National Review Online
Hillary Clinton, Trophy Wife Has anyone noticed Jeri Thompson is not running for president? And yet, the attacks file in. By Mark R. Levin ...article.nationalreview.com/?q=NTAwNGMzZjJkOWRmZDBmNjQxOWVmNThlZTU3ZjM3NWQ= - 28k - Aug 5, 2007 - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

BlogRunner: Fred Thompson's 'trophy wife' runs the show
Fred Thompson's 'trophy wife' runs the show HeavyHanded Heavy-Handed Politics Jeri Thompson, the wife of former US senator Fred Thompson, has emerged as the ...www.blogrunner.com/snapshot/D/1/8/46AC7332098F1418/ - 10k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

The NY Times on Fred Thompson's 'Trophy Wife' NewsBusters.org
If this is the best attack they can make on Thompson, I just hope that his trophy wife knows how to measure curtains for the White House. ...newsbusters.org/node/14039 - 62k - Aug 5, 2007 - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Fred Thompson's 'trophy wife' runs the show
"trophy wife", only ever glimpsed in sleek and glamorous outfits on the arm of her much older spouse. Fred Thompson's wife, Jeri, is a lawyer and a ...www.vunet.org/bush/1185721574-Fred_Thompson_s__trophy_wife__runs_the_show.txt - 33k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this
Bully Pulpit: Fred Thompson's 'trophy wife' runs the show
Fred Thompson's 'trophy wife' runs the show ... But in the past few days Jeri Thompson has suddenly emerged as the real political power behind her husband ...therogersinstitute.blogspot.com/2007/07/fred-thompsons-trophy-wife-runs-show.html - 20k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Jeri Kehn is Fred Thompson’s Wife (Photos) » Right Celebrity
Jeri Thompson Kehn is the wife of presidential candidate Fred Thompson, and boy is he a lucky boy. For some reason she is getting dissed as too hot for ...celebrity.rightpundits.com/?p=1099 - 102k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Washington PostThe Truth About Jeri ThompsonWashington Post, United States - 3 hours ago... have repeatedly invoked Jeri Thompson's status as an attorney to challenge insinuations that the 40-year-old mother of two is a mere "trophy wife" for ...The Rise Of Jeri Thompson Washington PostOn the Presidential Spouse RealClearPoliticsFred Thompson's Wife Gambling911.comNew York Times - New York Timesall 16 news articles »

Washington PostThompson Camp Tight-Lipped About Wife JeriWashington Post, United States - 1 hour agoThe Post, in an in-depth profile of Jeri Thompson in Sunday's paper, reported that the would-be first lady lived with a guy named Bernard "Chip" Alvey and, ...The Truth About Jeri Thompson Washington PostFred Thompson: Criticism of My Wife Should be Directed at Me National Review OnlineFred: I'm in charge - not Jeri MSNBCWashington Post - RealClearPoliticsall 16 news articles »

Will Fred Thompson Loose It Before He Gets ItAmerican Chronicle, CA - Aug 1, 2007In fact Ms. Estrich was anything but complimentary in her pseudo-humors remarks concerning Jeri Thompson, this coming from a person who appears to be the ...

Fred Thompson's Week In ContextAtlantic Online - Jul 26, 2007Ex-campaign-manager designate Tom Collamore did not mesh with Jeri Thompson and the friction between the two was evident to the rest of the staff. ...

Brody File Readers Have Their Say about Jeri ThompsonChristian Broadcasting Network, VA - Jul 31, 2007Those that do not want Thompson to run are highlighting the age difference because many women frown on the highlighting of relationships where the men are ...

Tennessee Guerilla Women: Fred Thompson's Wife and Wolfowitz Share
Fred Thompson's current wife - wannabe First Lady Jeri Kehn enjoys herself with World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz at the White House Correspondents Dinner ...guerillawomentn.blogspot.com/2007/04/fred-thompsons-wife-and-wolfowitz-share.html - 67k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Meet Fred Thompson’s wife, Jeri Kehn « Constitution Club

Washington Post

Fred Thompson: Criticism of My Wife Should be Directed at MeNational Review Online, NY - 6 hours agoFred Thompson’s “testing the waters” exploratory campaign, there have been reports suggesting that his wife, Jeri, has played a big role — perhaps too big a ...Thompson Camp Tight-Lipped About Wife Jeri Washington PostThe Truth About Jeri Thompson Washington PostFred: I'm in charge - not Jeri MSNBCWashington Post - Gambling911.comall 16 news articles »

National Ledger
Latest Politics Blog Not the Winner: Fred ThompsonNew York Sun, NY - 5 hours ago... debate: "Noticeably absent from the post debate analysis at yesterday's GOP gathering in Iowa was the phrase 'Fred Thompson was the debate's big winner. ...Unconventional Thompson - Crazy like a Fox! American DailyFirst thoughts MSNBCall 7 news articles »
Fred Thompson, the Second Coming of Ronald Reagan?
Monday, August 06, 2007
By Mark Joseph

In 1980 presidential candidate Ronald Reagan transformed American politics when, speaking to an audience of Evangelical Christians, he declared: "You can't endorse me, but I endorse you."

It was the culmination of a grand coming-out party for a group of heretofore marginalized Americans who had spent decades wandering in the political wilderness, shunning active political participation because politics was evil, and living under laws that were increasingly failing to reflect their values.

Those eight words were to domestic politics what Reagan's six words, "Mr. Gorbachev tear down this wall," were to the Soviet Union: they instantly changed political and cultural equations that had governed things for decades.

Many mainstream critics snickered at the time at what they considered pandering of the worst kind, but what they failed to understand was that Reagan was speaking to his own and that, in fact, his faith hadn't been labeled Evangelical only because it predated the creation of the term. Reagan was Evangelical before Evangelical was cool.

Reagan biographer Edmund Morris goes so far as to label Reagan a fundamentalist, a term that grew out of the publication of a series of books on Christian doctrine in 1911 called "The Fundamentals," which 35 years later gave way to the softer term Evangelical, used to describe the likes of Billy Graham, who were to Fundamentalists what George Bush was to Ronald Reagan: kinder and gentler.

Reagan's faith was a hybrid of fundamentalism and evangelicalism with a touch of the Charismatic movement, which was characterized by, among other things, prophetic utterances. Biographer Paul Kengor records that Reagan's born-again experience as an 11-year old was so strong that he received special permission to be baptized a year before his church normally allowed for baptisms among youth under the age of 12. Years later, as governor of California, Reagan participated in a prayer circle in which an influential Christian leader named George Otis delivered a message from God to Reagan that if he continued to walk righteously he would one day live in the White House.

When leaders of the so-called religious right began to organize in the late 1970s, spurred on by Supreme Court decisions on school prayer and abortion, it was Reagan who won their hearts not only because he was one of them, but because he endorsed their agenda and made it his own.

Much has been made about whether or not Fred Thompson is the second coming of Ronald Reagan, and while it's clear that he's not, it's also becoming fairly clear that the oddly constructed coalition that Reagan built combining fiscal conservatives, defense hawks, libertarians, Evangelicals and working-class conservative Democrats is about to fall apart unless Thompson can reinvent it.

If Rudolph Giuliani gets the nomination, he will in all likelihood lose the largest part of that coalition, the 45 percent of Americans who, according to Gallup surveys, define themselves as Evangelicals and, unable to stomach his liberal social values, will either go fishing on election day or run a quixotic third-party campaign and do what conservatives loved to do pre-Reagan: make their point by losing.

Should Mitt Romney get the nomination, the coalition will likely collapse, albeit less spectacularly, because of the candidate's Mormon faith, which, according to a Rasmussen poll published late last year, 53 percent of Evangelicals claim to be unable to stomach.)

Romney's recent conversion on so many social issues also has struck many as simply too recent to be taken seriously.

With Hillary Clinton building up a 20-point lead over Barack Obama in national polls and dominating the race for the Democratic nod, it may very well be the case that the only person standing between her and the White House is Thompson, but only if he carefully reassembles the coalition that was built by Reagan, barely held together by Bush 41 and left in shambles by Bush 43.

To do that Thompson will have to be careful not to pretend he is something he's not:
Unlike Reagan's hybrid Fundamentalism/Evangelicalsm/Charismatic beliefs, Thompson appears to be just a regular Christian, the kind that if approached by a pollster would not be among the 45 percent who consider themselves Evangelical, but the 84 percent who consider themselves "Christians," period.

And that's OK. He should avoid any attempts to pretend he is anything more or less than that. No need to name Jesus as his favorite philosopher or use pseudo- religious phrases like Al Gore tried in 2000 when he attempted to impersonate an Evangelical by clumsily describing himself as a "child of the Kingdom."

"I'm Fred, Christ is my Savior, I believe in the Bible, and I'm from Tennessee" will likely satisfy millions of Evangelicals who look to their pastors and not their politicians for religious guidance, and will be far more interested in Thompson's positions on the issues than his religious fervor or lack thereof.

Among those issues, of course, abortion is the major litmus test that Thompson will need to pass to win their support. And fortunately for the candidate, his lobbying on behalf of Planned Parenthood took place 17 years before his presidential run, not unlike Reagan, who 13 years before his own run had signed a therapeautic abortion law as governor of California.

In Reagan's case, evangelical voters accepted his explanation that he had been tricked by liberal legislators who had promised him that the law would allow for abortions only for serious medical conditions, when it in fact opened the way for a "health" exception that was subsequently interpreted broadly in its application.

Similarly, future Thompson voters are likely to accept a mea culpa from the candidate if it's straightforward and doesn't fudge. These are, after all, evangelical Christians for a reason, one of the central tenets of the faith being forgiveness for an act that is repented of and is in the past, preferably the distant past.

With his Evangelical base solidified, Thompson will then be able to secure his more natural constituencies — gun owners, "lunch pail" Democrats, country music fans, star-struck Law & Order viewers, and even elements of the entertainment industry who are unlikely to see him the same way they see other conservative candidates because of his star power. Choosing a minority like former Maryland Lt. Governor Michael Steele as his running mate would further cement his base and counter a likely Clinton move to pick Barack Obama as her own VP.

For Republicans, Thompson may be the best and only hope at checkmating Clinton's strong run for the White House. If he can present himself to the American public not as its pastor, but as the grownup sheriff— coming back to town to run things for a spell after two callow kids, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush have made a mess of the place— he just may be the next president of the United States.

Mark Joseph is a media producer, strategist and president of the MJM Group. His books include "Pop Goes Religion" and "Faith, God and Rock 'n Roll." He has written on politics, pop culture and religion for Beliefnet, NRO and The Huffington Post.red Thompson’s (R-Tenn.) wife, Jeri, “works the pole.” .... Yeah, bring it on bitch. Like Fred, I am a big mutha and can easily kick your ass! ...
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Fred Thompson: Criticism of My Wife Should be Directed at MeNational Review Online, NY - 6 hours agoFred Thompson’s “testing the waters” exploratory campaign, there have been reports suggesting that his wife, Jeri, has played a big role — perhaps too big a ...Thompson Camp Tight-Lipped About Wife Jeri Washington PostThe Truth About Jeri Thompson Washington PostFred: I'm in charge - not Jeri MSNBCWashington Post - Gambling911.comall 16 news articles »