Fred Thompson for President: Fred Thompson Making Waves in Louisiana

Today I have been overwhelmed by the number of articles from various states discussing the Fred Thompson for President campaign. This article reviels the growing concern of politicans who are conservative and they jumped out to endorse Giuliani or Romney who have very social liberal pasts.

Rudy Giuliani is the tough guy...What's not to like?

Plenty, for conservatives. That's why hard-liners are questioning Giuliani's ambitions. He's sideways on key traditional Republican issues--abortion, gay rights and gun control--and he doesn't fit into the evangelical formula crafted by President Bush and political consultant Karl Rove.

Despite those obstacles, the Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg all-GOP poll shows Giuliani clocking in at 29%, compared to 15% for former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee--who's not even in the race--and 12% for Sen. John McCain of Arizona.

Two of Louisiana's top conservative voices--U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany of Lafayette and U.S. Sen. David Vitter of Metairie--have officially endorsed Giuliani, with caveats that they support the man but not necessarily his message. And a lot of Cajun Catholics in South Louisiana and fundamentalists farther north aren't happy.

"I'm disappointed and outraged," says the Rev. Gene Mills, executive director of Louisiana Family Forum, an epicenter for Christian public policy work. "Boustany and Vitter ran on a pro-life platform with traditional values and built a constituency based on those beliefs. Rudy hasn't stood on those platforms.

"[The endorsement] was premature and ill-advised. The whole race could implode at any time."

Why would Boustany and Vitter, who is Giuliani's campaign chairman for southern states, take such a leap? They'd better hope the payoff is worth the gamble, waging their reputations on a Big Apple Republican maverick.

During the past two election cycles, Louisiana's GOP congressional delegation has been a one-horse bunch. They were loyal to President Bush, backing him wholeheartedly and without fear. With no vice president in the field and no heir apparent, this is a different race.

Congressmen Jim McCrery of Shreveport and Rodney Alexander of Quitman have endorsed former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, the Mormon who recently cleared $23 million in the latest election cycle compared to Giuliani's $15 million.

While Richard Baker of Baton Rouge has yet to place his bet, gubernatorial candidate Bobby Jindal of Kenner could stay away from the track altogether.

"The campaign I'm focused on is my campaign to bring Louisiana voters the fresh start for our state they're demanding," Jindal says.

Baker, however, could make an endorsement later this year. He has taken several meetings with Romney, according to spokesperson Michael DiResto, but is "very interested" in Thompson's possible candidacy and has a face-to-face meeting scheduled. Baker largely has reserved judgment because none of the candidates has detailed agendas.

"He feels good that he hasn't jumped out there at a time when you could see the emergence of a candidate like Fred Thompson," DiResto says.

That polls are already lining up one year from Louisiana's primary and 19 months from the election isn't unusual, given the political climate. There's a potential windfall from jumping in early and securing a spot at the table during policy development.