TODAY FROM THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY LISTENING POST
Every day, the Democratic Party's research team prepares a document with all their latest, up-to-date information on the Republican 2008 presidential field. Please help us spread the word through blogs, email and word-of-mouth. Your work makes a difference.
- The Internet Team
Thompson’s Rise To Fame As Crusading Watergate Investigator Highly Exaggerated
Fred Thompson likes to talk about his tenure as a get-tough prosecutor working on the Watergate investigation. ABC News, however, reveals that Thompson was nothing more than Nixon's "useful idiot," a mole who fed the embattled President the committee's plans in advance:
"He gained national attention for leading the line of inquiry that revealed the audio-taping system in the White House Oval Office," his official bio says (LINK).
But the reality is far more complicated than conventional wisdom and campaign puffery would have it.
While some Democrats on the committee to this day profess respect and admiration for Thompson, he was seen as others as a "spy" for the Nixon White House -- an accusation buttressed, at least in part, by Thompson's own writings, which confirm that he tipped off the Nixon White House about internal happenings on the committee.
Moreover, new transcripts from the Nixon White House tapes reveal that the Nixon administration regarded Thompson as a useful idiot -- "dumb as hell," in President Nixon's words, but "friendly." At one point, the White House counsel told Nixon that Thompson insisted he wanted to help the president more than his patron and boss on the committee, Sen. Howard Baker, R-Tenn, would let him.
Neither Thompson nor anyone from his potential campaign were available for comment.
It looks like Fred got his first acting job earlier than we thought!
GOP Debate Filled With Exaggerations and Missteps
The Republican presidential candidates debated ��" and sounded some more false notes:
* Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney falsely claimed U.S. job growth had been nearly 17 times faster than Europe's. Actually, European Union employment grew faster than that of the U.S. last year. Romney's figures come from a source who told FactCheck.org that he would no longer use them.
* Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani accused Democratic candidates of "appeasement" toward Islamic terrorists. In fact, leading Democratic candidates have spoken out strongly against terrorism.
* Sen. John McCain claimed American families spend $140 billion of their income preparing federal income tax returns. We find no support for that figure, which the Internal Revenue Service puts at $19 billion.
* Rep. Tom Tancredo claimed illegal immigrants "are taking a large part of our health care dollars." But the independent Rand Corp. estimates that undocumented immigrants account for 1.5 percent of health care spending or less.
Every day, the Democratic Party's research team prepares a document with all their latest, up-to-date information on the Republican 2008 presidential field. Please help us spread the word through blogs, email and word-of-mouth. Your work makes a difference.
- The Internet Team
Thompson’s Rise To Fame As Crusading Watergate Investigator Highly Exaggerated
Fred Thompson likes to talk about his tenure as a get-tough prosecutor working on the Watergate investigation. ABC News, however, reveals that Thompson was nothing more than Nixon's "useful idiot," a mole who fed the embattled President the committee's plans in advance:
"He gained national attention for leading the line of inquiry that revealed the audio-taping system in the White House Oval Office," his official bio says (LINK).
But the reality is far more complicated than conventional wisdom and campaign puffery would have it.
While some Democrats on the committee to this day profess respect and admiration for Thompson, he was seen as others as a "spy" for the Nixon White House -- an accusation buttressed, at least in part, by Thompson's own writings, which confirm that he tipped off the Nixon White House about internal happenings on the committee.
Moreover, new transcripts from the Nixon White House tapes reveal that the Nixon administration regarded Thompson as a useful idiot -- "dumb as hell," in President Nixon's words, but "friendly." At one point, the White House counsel told Nixon that Thompson insisted he wanted to help the president more than his patron and boss on the committee, Sen. Howard Baker, R-Tenn, would let him.
Neither Thompson nor anyone from his potential campaign were available for comment.
It looks like Fred got his first acting job earlier than we thought!
GOP Debate Filled With Exaggerations and Missteps
The Republican presidential candidates debated ��" and sounded some more false notes:
* Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney falsely claimed U.S. job growth had been nearly 17 times faster than Europe's. Actually, European Union employment grew faster than that of the U.S. last year. Romney's figures come from a source who told FactCheck.org that he would no longer use them.
* Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani accused Democratic candidates of "appeasement" toward Islamic terrorists. In fact, leading Democratic candidates have spoken out strongly against terrorism.
* Sen. John McCain claimed American families spend $140 billion of their income preparing federal income tax returns. We find no support for that figure, which the Internal Revenue Service puts at $19 billion.
* Rep. Tom Tancredo claimed illegal immigrants "are taking a large part of our health care dollars." But the independent Rand Corp. estimates that undocumented immigrants account for 1.5 percent of health care spending or less.
This email was sent to 3644 members of 2008 Rapid ResponseListserv email address:
2008RapidResponse@groups.democrats.orgYour reply will be sent to: Internet_Team@dnc.org
Do you believe President Bush's actions justify impeachment? * 487896 responses Yes, between the secret spying, the deceptions leading to war and more, there is plenty to justify putting him on trial.88%
No, like any president, he has made a few missteps, but nothing approaching "high crimes and misdemeanors."4.2%
No, the man has done absolutely nothing wrong. Impeachment would just be a political lynching.5.6%
I don't know.1.8%
Not a scientific survey. Click to learn more. Results may not total 100% due to rounding.
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